Understanding how T Follicular Helper Cells Tailor in Health and Disease

• PhD

Our immune system is exceptionally flexible. Heterogeneity in immune responses enables the clearance and protection against distinct infection types, such as viral, bacterial, fungal, and helminth infections. In all these infectious scenarios, CD4+ T follicular helper (Tfh) cells play a critical role in promoting the generation of high-affinity class-switched antibodies, long-lived plasma cells and memory B cells.

However, the precise mechanisms though which Tfh cells orchestrate tailored B cell responses in a pathogen-specific manner remain poorly understood. Our lab is working to define the cellular and molecular regulators of functional Tfh heterogeneity and understand their impact the adaptive immune response (Dalit, Nature Immunology, 2025 In Press).

This project will apply our new understanding of Tfh diversity to test how distinct Tfh populations tailor the adaptive immune response. This project aims to understand how Tfh diversity is established and shapes immune outcomes and how this can be therapeutically targeted.

Techniques to be used: Mouse vaccination models, human samples, flow cytometry, imaging, ELISA, molecular and bioinformatic analysis.

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 immune cell positioning and interactions as key leverage points that direct the outcomes if 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.