The Big Picture

I am studying how the effector functions of human tissue-resident memory T cells are regulated

Long-lived immunological memory is a hallmark of the adaptive immune response, providing enhanced recall to and protection against previously encountered antigens. Memory T cells compose part of the broader memory compartment and are important for providing cell-mediated immunity upon reinfection. I am studying a particular subset of memory T cells, called tissue-resident memory T cells, that reside long-term in tissues throughout the body and act as sentinels against reinfection at the sites where reinfection is most likely. Tissue-resident memory T cells have a resting, yet activated phenotype, and, as such, can rapidly execute their effector function upon activation. The regulation of this process, especially in humans, remains poorly studied despite the critical role it plays in human health. Notably, dysregulation of tissue-resident memory T cells is associated with chronic inflammatory diseases in humans. I am combining classical immunological approaches with epigenetic and transcriptional profiling to better understand how the effector functions of human tissue-resident memory T cells are regulated.