Heidi H. Kong is a physician-scientist, Senior Investigator, and Section Chief in the Dermatology Branch in the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, NIH as well as Adjunct Investigator in the Laboratory of Integrative Cancer Immunology, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, NIH.  Dr. Kong graduated from Stanford University and obtained her MD from Baylor College of Medicine. She completed dermatology residency at Duke University and research fellowship in the Dermatology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, NCI. Dr. Kong's research program is focused on investigating the microbial contributions to host immunity and human diseases through metagenomics and microbial genomics. Her work has been foundational in understanding skin microbial communities in inflammatory skin diseases, particularly in patients with primary immunodeficiences, with the goal of improving therapeutic approaches.