University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
My graduate training in the laboratory of Dr. Donald B. Kohn focused on using site-specific genome editing technologies for gene therapies for Adenosine-deaminase deficient SCID, Sickle Cell Disease, and X-linked HyperIgM Syndrome. I engineered and developed lentiviral vector systems to deliver genome editing reagents to hematopoietic cells. As a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. David Baltimore's laboratory, I initially focused on studying the role of T cell receptors (TCRs) in HIV infection. I showed that HIV-specific TCRs from HIV controllers and non-controllers were structurally and functionally indistinguishable. Following up on these studies, I showed that TCR immunotherapy using engineered hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells could suppress HIV infection long-term in humanized mice. While working on immunotherapy approaches, I began thinking about the challenge of T cell antigen discovery. While there are a large number of T cells in a healthy immune system, we do not know their target antigens. To address this, I developed a novel technique for T cell antigen discovery. This technique uses engineered receptors, called SABRs, that combine antigen-presenting capability of pMHC complexes with intracellular signaling. We successfully applied SABRs for T cell epitope discovery. My laboratory is expanding the use of SABRs for cellular engineering and opening a new paradigm for engineering immunity in various disease contexts including tumors and autoimmune disorders.
Sunday, October 26, 2025
9:30 AM – 10:00 AM Central Time
Disclosure(s): No financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose
