WEHI Wednesday Seminar hosted by Associate Professor Joanna Groom

Benjamin Broomfield
PhD Student – Groom Laboratory, Immunology division, WEHI
(this is a PhD Completion seminar)

Programming CD8+ T cell fate in the lymph node to enhance vaccine-induced immunity

 

Davis Auditorium

Join via SLIDO enter code #WEHIWednesday

Including Q&A session
 

Vaccines are, and continue to prove themselves as, one of the most successful human inventions and public health measures. Yet current vaccine platforms prime immune responses with variable success and are largely focused on the production of neutralising antibodies. As a result, vaccine efficacy is often suboptimal, necessitating seasonal boosters. Generating durable CD8+ T cell memory following vaccination is essential for sustained, life-long immunity. As such, there is a need to better define the mechanisms that direct CD8+ T cell differentiation within the lymph node, and develop assays to monitor cell formation, maintenance and function over time.

During my PhD, I developed novel assays and experimental approaches to track CD8+ T cell differentiation and maintenance longitudinally. Using these tools, I explored how specific factors within the lymph node mechanistically shape T cell fate decisions. I defined a temporal window for type I interferon receptor blockade to drive potent stem-like T cell memory generation following mRNA vaccination, enhancing protection against subsequent infection. We also optimised a photoconversion method to begin to identify the unique cell interactions required for stem-like T cell formation. Together, my PhD research has revealed a promising strategy to enhance durable immune protection following vaccination.

All welcome!