“I chose to attend Wake Forest because of the exciting research being performed by the department of Microbiology and Immunology, and also because the primary goal of Wake Forest is to train students and help them to develop into successful scientists.  I also found the small department size very appealing because it provides students with an opportunity to have more one on one time with their mentor, and it allows students to get to know the entire department, which makes it possible to collaborate with other faculty members on certain projects.”

Molecular Mechanisms of Antigen Specific CD8+ T cell Apoptosis During Acute and Chronic Viral Infections

Apoptosis plays a critical role in the homeostasis of the immune system, particularly during termination of anti-viral immune responses.  Previous research has illustrated that viral infections induce large expansions of antigen-specific CD8+ T cells.  Following viral clearance during acute infection, the majority of antigen-specific CD8+ T cells undergo apoptosis through a process termed contraction, while the surviving cells differentiate into memory cells.  However, during chronic viral infection the antigen-specific CD8+ T cells undergo apoptosis through a process termed deletion.  Presently, it is unclear whether contraction and deletion utilize different molecular mechanisms.  Understanding the molecular mechanisms used during chronic infection is critical for the development of immunotherapies for viruses such as HIV and HCV in addition to autoimmune diseases.  The main goal of my project is to determine the molecular mechanisms of antigen-specific CD8+ T cell apoptosis during acute versus chronic viral infections.