My group studies the mechanism by which T cells and NK cells recognise infected or otherwise abnormal cells. In T cells this is mediated by cell surface molecules such as the T cell antigen receptor (TCR) and accessory receptors such as CD2 and CD28. In 1996 Simon Davis and I proposed a new model of TCR triggering, termed the kinetic-segregation model. Much of our research focuses on testing this model and extending it to other receptor-ligand systems such as those involved in NK cell recognition.

Research Details

• Molecular interactions involved in recognition by T and NK cells of abnormal or infected cells. These include T cell receptors (TCR), activatory and inhibitory NK cell receptors (NKR), and accessory receptors such as CD2, CD28, CD45, and CD148.
• The significance of the size of receptor ectodomains in T and NK cell recognition
• Mechanism of signal transduction by the TCR and NKR cell receptor triggering, focusing on the kinetic-segregation model of signal transduction.