I supervise independent projects within the working environment of Professor Neil Barclay’s laboratory as described in Neil Barclay’s website. I focus on studying how immune regulation depends on molecular interactions of leukocyte surface receptors. The overall effect of a receptor can vary from activating to inhibitory. It is important to understand how this is controlled to interpret the role of a receptor in a complex biological system and for designing therapeutic intervention in autoimmune diseases and cancer. By studying selected receptors I aim to reveal both the specific niche the receptors occupy and the general paradigms.

Research Details 

·         I am focusing on leukocyte surface receptors in two families; the CD2/SLAM family and two receptors with scavenger receptor cysteine rich domains, CD5 and CD6.

·         Identification and biochemical quantification of cell surface and intracellular molecular interactions. Biochemical hierarchies of potential interactions are tested for functional relevance in cellular assays.

·         Based on biochemical data, potential therapeutic intervention strategies are tested in in vivo models