Infection and Immunity Axis

Leaders:
Marcel Behr
Ciriaco A. Piccirillo

Research Themes:
– Host Defense
– International Health and Emerging Pathogens
– Acquired Immunodeficiency
– Autoimmunity Research
– Allergic and Atopic Diseases
– Transplantation

The Infection and Immunity Axis is a large, multidisciplinary group that encompasses the rapidly expanding fields of immunology, host defence, autoimmunity and atopic disorders, such as asthma and eczema. These programs are representative of the complexity of our research effort spanning a broad range of microbial targets and human hosts as well as geographical areas.

Axis investigators continue to focus on major emerging pathogens and international concerns, including malaria, salmonella, measles, tuberculosis, leishmania, mycobacteria and leprosy. Elucidation of the microbiological underpinnings of idiopathic and so-called immune conditions, are an increasing feature of this work. Advanced studies of the host response to HIV, and studies of HIV co-pathogens, logically fall into this axis. Axis researchers use advanced genomic, microarray and proteomic tools in both animal models and human disease to discover determinants of pathogenicity and host response.