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Greehey CCRI Spring ’26 Seminar Series: Nu Zhang, PhD (UTHSA)

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About the Speaker(s)

Personal Statement:

Dr. Zhang studies the mechanisms underlying the differentiation and retention of tissue-resident memory T cells controlled by transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) signaling following acute infections. Dr. Zhang has the expertise and motivation necessary to carry out the proposed work successfully. He has a solid background in immunology, with specific training and expertise in key research areas.

Dr. Zhang’s lab website: http://nuzhanglab.org/

  • Metabolic reprogramming has been associated with memory T cell differentiation. However, the signals that control T cell metabolism remain elusive.
  • Infectious diseases are a significant burden to society. Many pathogens invade the body through local tissues. The early stage of infection, while the pathogen is confined to these localized sites, provides the ideal window of opportunity for an effective immune response. Trm cells, a newly identified population of memory T cells, are resident in a variety of peripheral tissues and are ideally situated to act during this window to stall the infection. TGF-β is essential for the differentiation of Trm cells in the skin, lung, and gut. However, the molecular and cellular mechanisms controlling Trm cells are largely unknown.
  • Cancer remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Tumor-infiltrating T cells are associated with the overall survival of cancer patients. Although phenotypically similar to Trm cells, tumor-infiltrating T cells remain to be determined whether similar mechanisms regulate them.

Keeping these critical questions in mind, we will focus on TGF-β-dependent metabolic programs, Trm cells, and tumor-infiltrating T cells across various in vivo settings.

Keywords: Tissue-Resident Memory T Cells Research interests: The long-term goal of my research is to understand the biology and function of tissue-resident memory T (Trm) cells and tumor-infiltrating T cells in health and disease, and the role of Transforming Growth Factor-β (TGF-β) in their differentiation, homeostasis, and metabolic regulation.