Roxane Tussiwand, PhD

Stadtman Tenure Track Investigator
Immune Regulation Unit

Dissecting the functional properties of dendritic cell subsets: Dendritic cells (DCs) are key players of the immune system. In peripheral tissues DCs capture antigens and present it to T cells. In the absence of inflammation, DCs will promote the induction of regulatory T cells and maintain tissue homeostasis. During infections or inflammation DCs initiate and orchestrate adaptive immunity by recognizing pathogens, secreting cytokines and shaping the appropriate inflammatory milieu. Our group is studying the different DC subsets: how they develop and how they function under steady state as well as under inflammatory conditions. Through the use of newly developed and existing lineage tracer, reporter and transcription factor deficient mouse models we aim at dissecting the role of dendritic cell subsets in the context of several autoimmune, infectious and inflammatory conditions.

Suggested Penn mentors: Ed Behrens, Malay Haldar, Ike Eisenlohr