MI2025 – Tao Dong

Title:
Cytotoxic T cells in emerging virus infections

Abstract:
While a robust and appropriate T cell response is typically beneficial to the host during human infections, a weak or inappropriate response can be ineffective or even have a detrimental effect. Over the past two decades, our efforts have focused on understanding the key factors required for efficient viral control by cytotoxic T cells in various viral infections and cancers. To do this, we have established an ex-vivo and in-vitro T cell functional evaluation platforms for antigen-specific T cells isolated from tissue and blood. By linking these functional data with multi-omic single-cell and T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire analysis, we continue to identify potential targets and pathways to augment and control the immune response, thereby improving the outcome of several important human emerging virus infections, including SARS-CoV-2, Monkeypox, and influenza virus infection.

Biography:
Tao Dong, Ita Askonas Professor of Translational Immunology at Oxford University, has held the post of Professor of Immunology at the MRC Human Immunology since 2014 and is a Senior Fellow at University College Oxford. She has been the founding director of CAMS Oxford Institute, based at Oxford University, since 2019. Tao moved to Oxford University in 1993 where she received a DPhil degree in Immunology in 1998. In 2010 she became the Head of the human anti-viral and anti-cancer cytotoxic T cell laboratory and subsequently Program Leader in the MRC Human Immunology Unit at Oxford University. She also served as a panel member in various international funding organisations, and SAB member for several pharmaceutical companies. Her Lab’s research focus during the past two decades has been on studying the functional aspects of antigen-specific cytotoxic T cells (CTL) with a focus on the factors affecting CTL in controlling virus infection and cancer progression.