Research/Areas of Interest:
Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are a subset of CD4 T cells essential for preventing excessive immune responses and suppressing autoimmunity. The Treg master transcription factor Foxp3 is essential but insufficient for specifying Treg cellular identity. Although Foxp3-independent epigenetic features are thought to cooperate with Foxp3 in specifying Treg cellular identity, how they are established and regulate Treg cellular identity is unclear. We are exploring these questions in two ways: We are using CRISPR-based epigenome editing to study how epigenetic features control Treg identity and function; Another project investigates how T cell metabolism can shape Treg differentiation and function through its contribution to epigenetic modifications.
Education
BS, Biology & Chemistry, Gannon University, Erie, PA