Defining T cell priming for the development of novel therapeutic vaccination strategies

• Honours

The establishment of durable immune memory is a hallmark of the adaptive immune system and a key objective of vaccination. Traditional vaccine strategies focus on the induction of neutralising antibodies and development of prophylactic protective responses.

Re-thinking this strategy is required for the development of next-generation vaccines that aim to treat chronic infection and cancer. In these conditions, developing vaccine strategies that elicit a potent CD8+ T cell response is required to invigorate the immune cells and promote viral clearance and ongoing protection.

The Groom lab has revealed the migration and inflammatory requirements that underlie the formation of potent CD8+ memory cells (Duckworth, Nature Immunology 2021; Broomfield, Journal of Experimental Medicine 2025).

This project will identify the mechanisms that underlie this differentiation process, comparing both prophylactic and therapeutic vaccination against chronic viral infection in mice.

Vaccines and immunotherapies against viral infections and cancer depend upon effective T cell responses, the promotion of antibody-producing B cells, and the establishment of immunological memory.

The vision of the Groom lab is to understand lymphoid positioning and cellular interactions as key leverage points that direct the outcomes of immune responses. Our aim is to continuously apply these fundamental insights to drive the generation of new therapies for the prevention and treatment of immunological and infectious disease and cancer.

In achieving these impacts, the Groom lab will continue to build rich collaborative networks and mentor the next generation of curious, creative immunologists to take on new challenges to improve human health.