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PARSA LAB
Mission statement
Our mission is to harness immune cell states as natural indicators of pathological events and environmental exposures within specific organs and tissues. We seek to understand how tissue-derived signals dictate the function and fate of T cells across various disease states. These T cells often carry genetic and epigenetic memories that persist and influence future responses. By identifying and decoding these cellular memories and the signals they release, we aim to monitor organ- and tissue-specific health with unprecedented precision.
Tissue residency and cellular ontogeny
Our research is dedicated to unraveling the mechanisms underlying T cell tissue adaptation and residency. We aim to decode the tissue-derived signals that instruct T cell residency and to explore whether circulating cells carry genetic information reflecting the tissues they have interacted with throughout their lifespan. Our work provides crucial insights into how tissue-specific environments shape T cell responses, offering the potential for more targeted therapies for cancer and autoimmune conditions.
T cell heterogeneity and function
T cells are extremely heterogeneous and have an important role in orchestrating immune responses and eliminating pathogens and cancer cells. A core part of our research is to understand the various immune states of T cells and describe their functions with a focus on early disease states. This knowledge can reveal novel therapeutic targets, enabling precise modulation of T cell activity for improved treatment of diseases like cancer and autoimmunity.
Clonal dynamics and TCR cross-reactivity
Autoimmune diseases occur when T cells mistakenly target the body's own cells. Our goal is to identify these self-reactive T cells, understand their distribution and clonal characteristics, and investigate the reactivity of their T cell receptors (TCRs) towards self-proteins, as well as other antigens derived from pathogens, toxins, and microbial agents.
Bioengineering
A key focus of our lab is to create biological tools that address fundamental questions in T cell immunology. We aim to develop novel and innovative methods that not only answer critical biological questions but also facilitate research for the broader scientific community.
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