Innate-like T cells and integration of host defence

A newly discovered class of immune cells—called MAIT cells, a type of innate-like T cell—sits at the crossroads of the body’s fast-acting innate defences and its slower, more precise adaptive immunity, and this project aims to work out exactly how they coordinate that response. The problem is that while scientists know these unconventional T cells exist in human tissues, their precise roles in fighting viruses and shaping vaccine responses remain poorly understood. The researcher’s lab has already shown that these cells are exquisitely sensitive to early infection cues, can help repair damaged barriers, and orchestrate adaptive immunity after experimental vaccination. This project will dig deeper, using new tools to uncover the mechanisms linking MAIT cells to vaccine effectiveness and to severe viral infections like SARS-CoV-2, influenza, and viral hepatitis. If successful, this work could reveal why some people respond better to vaccines than others, and suggest ways to boost immunity against major viral threats. Because the research is fundamental science—exploring how the immune system integrates signals—it may not yield an immediate practical application. But similar fundamental discoveries about T cells have underpinned everything from cancer immunotherapies to modern vaccine design, so a clearer picture of these cells could eventually lead to smarter vaccines or treatments for infectious diseases.