Troy Baldwin

Biography

Associate Professor, Dept. of Medical Microbiology & Immunology AHFMR Scholar CIHR New Investigator ImmuNet Series Coordinator

Research Interest

Before entering the periphery with the ability to respond to a large variety of foreign antigens, T cells must first pass rigorous selection processes in the thymus. These selection processes all appear to be tied to the affinity of the TCR for self-peptide MHC complexes. Low affinity interactions promote survival and differentiation (positive selection), while high affinity interactions largely promote death (negative selection). Negative selection is critical for ensuring self-tolerance thereby limiting the potential for autoimmunity. Research in my laboratory is aimed at understanding how the same TCR can initiate either a program of survival and differentiation or death. Currently, little is known regarding the molecular mechanism underlying this decision. Recently, I created a highly physiological TCR transgenic mouse model to study positive and negative selection in vivo. Using this model system, the transcriptome of cells undergoing positive or negative selection was examined in an effort to identify genes involved in these two processes. Genetic and biochemical strategies will be utilized to characterize how these genes may be affecting selection and provide insight into the molecular pathways involved. Additionally, proteomics approaches will be taken to understand the signal transduction events leading to the changes in gene expression. Collectively, this information will help allow one to map the events from the TCR to positive or negative selection.