Michael J. Hogan, PhD, an assistant professor of Pathobiology at Penn Vet, was awarded a 1-year grant from the W. W. Smith Charitable Trust, a foundation that funds biomedical research in the Greater Philadelphia Region, among other philanthropic activities. The goal of the project is to uncover the cell biology that regulates an unconventional (MHC-E-restricted) type of T cell response that has shown great promise in HIV vaccine models, but which has been very difficult to study thus far. Dr. Hogan’s goal is to use nucleoside-modified mRNA technology to create a tractable mouse model in which this promising type of immune response can be clarified and potentially translated into a safe and effective vaccine for HIV/AIDS.