Malinckrodt Professor of Immunopathology

Pathology

Harvard Medical School (Boston, MA)

Senior Principal Investigator

Immune Disease Institute (Boston, MA)

Research in the von Andrian lab focuses on the mechanisms of migration of leukocytes around the body and the interactions between leukocytes during an immune response.

Research in the von Andrian lab focuses on the mechanisms of migration of leukocytes around the body and the interactions between leukocytes during an immune response. While extensive work in this field has been accomplished using in vitro techniques, a deep understanding of these issues requires in vivo studies. Therefore, our lab uses intravital microscopy in a number of projects to visualize the detailed kinetics and mechanisms of leukocyte migration and interactions within physiologically intact tissues in anesthetized animals.

A number of researchers in the lab use intravital two-photon microscopy to study lymphocyte interactions with antigen presenting cells (APCs) in the lymph node. A few years ago, we have established the technique of intravital multiphoton microscopy in mouse popliteal lymph nodes. We are using this model for in vivo studies of adaptive immune responses. Sarah Henrickson, an MD/Ph.D. student in the lab, is studying the roles of antigen affinity and antigen dose in T cell activation. Dr. Antonio Peixoto is interested in imaging in vivo the signaling events that take place during T cell activation. Lilly Vollmann, a graduate student from Vienna, is interested in imaging negative selection of thymocytes in the thymus. Dr. Tobias Junt is using intravital two-photon microscopy to image two biological events: the induction of antiviral immune responses by B cells in lymph nodes; and the generation of platelets in the bone marrow. We were recently joined by Ashley Moseman, a graduate student in the HMS Immunology Program, who is exploring the role of lymph-node resident macrophages in anti-viral immunity.

Our lab also has long-standing interests in understanding the role of the bone marrow (BM), both as a site of migration and priming of leukocytes, as well as a site of production and migration of hematopoietic stem cells. Dr. Irina (Ira) Mazo is currently characterizing T cell-mediated immune response in the BM. Ira also works on mechanism(s) of multiple myeloma formation in the BM and development of cell therapies. Dr. Steffen Massberg, a Heisenberg Fellow from Germany, is investigating the physiological migration of stem and progenitor cells through the lymphatics and peripheral tissues. We are also interested in fundamental issues of lymphocyte activation, migration and specificity. Dr. Ahmad Goodarzi is interested in understanding how autoreactive effector T cells acquire tissue-specific migratory potential and effector activity, with a special emphasis on the CNS.

Finally, we recently showed that NK cells have a role in adaptive responses to haptens and seem to maintain memory of those interactions. Dr. Silke Paust, a graduate of the HMS Immunology program, is continuing these studies as a post-doctoral fellow to explore how NK cells acquire and retain hapten-specificity. She was recently joined by Dr. Fulvia Vascotto who is studying the mechanisms that regulate NK cell function and migration.

2008 Organizer of Keystone Symposium on “Leukocyte Trafficking”, Keystone, CO

2007 Keynote Speaker, 4th Leukocyte Signal Transduction Workshop, Rhodes Greece

2007 Keynote Speaker, 21st ENII Conference, European Network of Immunological Institutes, Capo Caccia, Sardinia, Italy

2007 American Association of Immunologists (AAI), BD Biosciences Investigator Award

2006 American Society of Physiology (APS), Henry Pickering Bowditch Award Lecture

2006 Keynote Speaker, Keystone Meeting on HIV Vaccines & HIV Pathogenesis, Keystone, CO

2006 Plenary Symposium Organizer and Chair, 35th Annual Atumn Immunology Conference, Chicago, IL

2006 Elected Member, The Henry S. Kunkel Society

2005 Organizer, Keystone Symposium on “Leukocyte Trafficking”, Taos, NM

2004 American Society for Investigative Pathology (ASIP), Amgen Outstanding Investigator Award Lecture

2004-2005 Iacocca Faculty Fellowship, Joslin Diabetes Center, Harvard Medical School

2003 Honorary Master of Arts degree, Harvard University

2002 Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Watson School of Biological Sciences, The David Pall Visiting Lectureship

2002 Elected Member, European Academy of Sciences

2000 Elected Member, American Association of University Pathologists (“Pluto Society”)

1997 Wiederhielm Award of the Microcirculatory Society for most outstanding contribution published in the journal Microcirculation in 1996.

1992-1994 Research stipend (Forschungsstipendium) from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)

1989-1991 Research stipend from the International Institute for Microcirculation