How T cells form and keep immune memory
Modeling the development, structure and regulation of T cell memory
Researchers aim to understand how the T cells that remember past infections form, change over time, and help protect us.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Columbia University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11159485 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you take part, researchers would study the immune cells that remember infections and vaccines by looking at blood or tissue samples. They will measure different types of memory T cells, track how they renew or disappear, and compare cells that arise from infections, environmental exposures, and regulatory cells that calm responses. Lab experiments in model systems will be combined with analyses of human samples and computer models to map how these T cell populations are organized and regulated. The goal is to create a clear, quantitative picture of how immune memory develops and changes over a lifetime.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people willing to donate blood or tissue samples—this can include healthy volunteers and patients with infections or cancer who can visit the research site or send samples.
Not a fit: People seeking immediate clinical treatment should not expect direct or immediate benefit because this is primarily basic research into immune memory.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help design vaccines that protect longer and new treatments to restore T cell responses in chronic infections and cancer.
How similar studies have performed: Related lab and human-sample studies plus computational models have informed vaccine design and immunotherapy, though this comprehensive modeling-and-lab approach is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- Columbia University Health Sciences — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Yates, Andrew — Columbia University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Yates, Andrew
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.