Immunosurveillance Laboratory

T Cell Immunosurveillance

A key aspect of immunology is understanding what immune cells sense by virtue of their unique immune receptors. We have contributed to multiple studies identifying ligands for human immune receptors, including circulating and tissue resident γδ T cell populations. We study these receptor interactions to reveal the antitumour roles of immune cells. 

Structural Immunology

To comprehensively understand how immune receptor recognition occurs, we require molecular imaging of the receptors in complex. We use structural immunology techniques including cryo-electron microscopy to reveal the atomic basis of how receptor recognition proceeds. Our studies have revealed that γδ T cells recognise stress antigens in a manner akin to antibodies, rewriting our understanding of these T cells. We study these antigen-γδ T cell receptor interactions with a view to elucidating their functions in cancers and designing novel therapeutics.

Immune Synapse Formation

The master regulator of lymphocyte activation is the formation of an immune synapse. We have adopted advanced microscopy techniques including single molecule imaging to study how individual receptors coalesce to form an immune synapse and trigger cellular activation. We also work to define the molecular basis for how receptors internalise extracellular cues to evoke cellular activation. These experiments have been highly revealing in how these cells become activated in aberrance, allowing us to work with biotech partners to investigate immune modulators.