Diane J. Mathis

Diane J. Mathis

Morton Grove-Rasmussen Professor of Immunohematology
Diane J. Mathis

Our lab works in the broad fields of T cell differentiation, immunological tolerance, autoimmunity and inflammation, translating mechanistic studies on mouse models to normal and diseased humans. Studies on T cell differentiation focus on maturation and selection of the T cell repertoire in the thymus, and on cellular and molecular influences on the “flavor” of T cell responses in the periphery. Studies on autoimmunity explore the immunological mechanisms of type-1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and multi-organ autoimmune diseases, in particular central and peripheral mechanisms of T cell tolerance. Major questions tackled are what initiates these diseases, how is their progression regulated, what are the final effector mechanisms, and how do genetic and environmental factors impact disease unfolding. Current foci include: the Aire transcriptional regulatory molecule, thymic mimetic cells, Foxp3-expressing regulatory T cells, tissue-Tregs (adipose tissue, regenerating muscle, brain), neonatal tolerance, organismal immunometabolism, tissue repair and regeneration, T:stromal-cell crosstalk, T: stem-cell interactions and gut microbiota. The application of computational and bioinformatic strategies to these and other issues is one of the lab’s particular strengths.

Contact Information

Harvard Medical School
New Research Building 1052
77 Avenue Louis Pasteur
Boston MA 02115
p: 617-432-7742

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