Joris van der Veeken
T cells are principal cellular effectors of the vertebrate immune system. T cell activation during the course of an immune response induces rapid proliferative expansion and the acquisition of specialised effector functions that enable the elimination of a wide range of invading pathogens and tumours. Concomitantly, a dedicated immunosuppressive subset of regulatory T cells maintains self-tolerance by dominantly suppressing the activity of autoreactive T cells. We seek to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying T cell differentiation and function in health and disease using genetics, genomics, and cellular immunology techniques.