Chronic disease states affect millions of people worldwide every year. These include long-term viral infections, such as, HIV and Hepatitis C, as well as cancers. Antigen persistence in these disease states is typically associated with "T cell exhaustion", a differentiation process characterized by co-inhibitory receptor upregulation and diminished effector functionality. While initially thought to be terminally dysfunctional, recent evidence has revealed that the pool of “exhausted” T cells is comprised of multiple heterogenous populations varying in functionality. These include a progenitor subset that transitions through an intermediate state before developing into either terminally exhausted cells or cytolytic effector cells that are crucial for viral and/or tumor control. Despite these advances in our understanding of exhausted T cell differentiation, the molecular mechanisms underlying the development of these functionally distinct populations remain unclear. The long term goal of my project is to identify and elucidate the function of novel regulators of CD8+ T cell differentiation during chronic antigen exposure. Better understanding of the mechanisms that regulate CD8+ T cell exhaustion may aid in the development of improved therapeutic targets that better promote vial and/or tumor control in patients.

Honors & Awards
Immunology T32 Pre-Doctoral Training Grant (2024-2025)