Jayati Basu Laboratory

Research

Overview

We are interested to understand the development and biology of innate and adaptive immune cells. Innate immune cells are critical first responders to pathogens and cancerous cells, and also enhance the local antigen-specific immune reaction by engaging in intimate cross talk with adaptive immune cells. Conversely, innate cells can also mediate collateral tissue damage at sites of infection and inflammation, as well as promote immunosuppressive mechanisms, obstructing effective anti-tumor immunity. The functional complexity of innate cells stems from (i) their developmental diversification into distinct subsets, each with discrete functions, and (ii) their ability to undergo alternate functional polarization in the periphery depending on microenvironmental stimuli. How environmental signal and transcriptional regulatory networks (TRNs) govern immune cell development and functional specialization under homeostasis, inflammation, infection and cancer serves as our primary area of research.

We use genetically engineered mouse models, functional genetics/genomics and single cell technologies in the context of pathophysiological models to answer these fundamental questions.

Selected Publications