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Past Pilot Project Leaders

Pilot Project 1 - Transcriptomic predictors of the immune response to vaccination

John T. Bates, PhD Associate Professor of Cell & Molecular Biology Associate Professor of Medicine jtbates@umc.edu

The Bates Laboratory studies the in vivo biology at the interface of innate and adaptive immunity. We are currently performing single cell RNA-sequencing of antigen-specific CD4+ T cells to define the molecular pathways that govern adjuvant-mediated differences in T cell survival, proliferation, and function. Separately, use of spatial transcriptomics provides us a comprehensive view of the in vivo transcriptional landscape associated with immune cells and their interactions. Defining how these early transcriptional profiles affect intermediate outcomes like germinal center formation and longer-term outcomes like antigen-specific antibody titers will contribute to the development of vaccines that elicit more protective and longer-lasting immunity.  Both of these avenues of research rely heavily on the expertise of UMMC Core Labs. All transcriptomic assays are being performed in the UMMC Molecular and Genomics Core Facility. The Research, Computing, Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Core in the UMMC Molecular Center for Health and Disease provides crucial support for data analysis.