The Waldschmidt lab is interested in germinal center (GC) B cell biology. GC reactions in secondary and tertiary lymphoid tissues are vital for producing T cell-dependent humoral immune responses to infection. Antigen-specific B cells enter the GC and undergo intense expansion, somatic hypermutation, affinity maturation, and isotype switching. Consequently, GCs generate high affinity, long-lived memory B cells and antibody-secreting plasma cells.

This high affinity, long-lived protection is important in understanding immunity to influenza A virus (IAV) infection. I'm currently studying such immunity via in depth analysis of GC B cell populations, their IAV-specific products, and the T cell help involved.

Boyden AW, Frickman AM, Legge KL, Waldschmidt TJ. Primary and long-term B-cell responses in the upper airway and lung after influenza A virus infection. Immunol Res. 2014 May 17. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 24838149.

Boyden AW, Legge KL, Waldschmidt TJ. Pulmonary infection with influenza A virus induces site-specific germinal center and T follicular helper cell responses. PLoS One. 2012;7(7):e40733. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0040733. Epub 2012 Jul 11. PubMed PMID: 22792401; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3394713.

Alexander CM, Tygrett LT, Boyden AW, Wolniak KL, Legge KL, Waldschmidt TJ. T regulatory cells participate in the control of germinal centre reactions. Immunology. 2011 Aug;133(4):452-68. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2567.2011.03456.x. Epub 2011 Jun 3. PubMed PMID: 21635248; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3143357.