Taylen Nappi
Inefficiencies in immune memory formation correlate with Plasmodium infection-induced splenic disorganization characterized by splenomegaly, lactic acidosis, altered cellular composition, inflammation, and white pulp structural breakdown. Malaria-associated disorganization of the spleen may consequentially disrupt Tfh:B cell interactions and subsequent GC responses that produce high-affinity class-switched antibodies specific for Plasmodium antigens and required for parasite clearance. My research focuses on understanding the metabolic programming of parasite-specific CD4+ T cells and whether the nutrient disruption in the spleen impacts effector functions and memory T cell formation.
Publications
Nappi, T. J., & Butler, N. S. (2024). Tragedy of the commons: the resource struggle during Plasmodium infection. Trends in parasitology, S1471-4922(24)00303-9. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pt.2024.10.014
Bernardi, J. P., Nappi, T. J., & Butler, N. S. (2024). Itaconate as a potential target for antimalarial therapy. Trends in parasitology, 40(4), 275–277. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pt.2024.03.003
Harbour, J. C., Abdelbary, M., Schell, J. B., Fancher, S. P., McLean, J. J., Nappi, T. J., Liu, S., Nice, T. J., Xia, Z., Früh, K., & Nolz, J. C. (2023). T helper 1 effector memory CD4+ T cells protect the skin from poxvirus infection. Cell reports, 42(5), 112407. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112407
Alvarez-Ponce, D., Torres-Sánchez, M., Feyertag, F., Kulkarni, A., & Nappi, T. (2018). Molecular evolution of DNMT1 in vertebrates: Duplications in marsupials followed by positive selection. PloS one, 13(4), e0195162. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0195162
Honors and Awards
Outstanding Student Researcher – UI Dare to Discover Downtown Banner Campaign (2025)
Young Investigator Award: Immunity to Parasites - Autumn Immunology Conference (2023)
