CD8+ T cells are important contributors to an elicited immune response, as they obtain effector functions once activated. Effector functions include cytolytic activity, as a means to eliminate infected cells, and cytokine production, a way to recruit other immune cells. Because pathogen-specific memory CD8+ T cells are maintained following an infection and offer increased protection, the generation and maintenance of memory is a key focus of the lab. One of the projects I am involved with explores the question, what contributes to the diversity of memory? Specifically, the heterogeneity amongst memory CD8+ T cells in terms of phenotype and function. We hope to explore how the timing of recruitment of pathogen‐specific CD8+ T cells to an elicited immune response potentially impacts memory formation.

Khan SH, Martin MD, Starbeck-Miller GR, Xue HH, Harty JT, Badovinac VP. The Timing of Stimulation and IL-2 Signaling Regulate Secondary CD8 T Cell Responses. PLoS Pathog. 2015 Oct 2;11(10):e1005199. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1005199. eCollection 2015 Oct. PubMed PMID: 26431533; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4592272.

Condotta SA, Khan SH, Rai D, Griffith TS, Badovinac VP. Polymicrobial Sepsis Increases Susceptibility to Chronic Viral Infection and Exacerbates CD8+ T Cell Exhaustion. J Immunol. 2015 Jul 1;195(1):116-25. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.1402473. Epub 2015 May 15. PubMed PMID: 25980007; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4475506.