Held Lab members

PhD student CONTACT ME

Research interest

The Held lab has identified a subset of CD8+ T cells that sustains the immune response to chronic viral infection. These so-called memory-like CD8+ T cells have the capacity to expand and self-renew or differentiate into cells that have cytolytic potential. My project aims at determining the basis for the stem cell-like properties of these memory-like CD8+ T cells.

Background

I obtained a Bachelor's in Biology and a Master's in Medical Biology from the University of Lausanne (UNIL). My master's thesis project addressed the basis for the sustained response of memory-like CD8+ T cells to chronic viral infection and I had the opportunity to continue this project as a PhD student.

PhD student CONTACT ME

Research interest

I joined the Held Lab to study the basis CD8 T cell stemness in the context of the recent discovery of memory-like T cells that sustain the immune response against chronic infection.

Background

I obtained a Bachelor’s in Cellular biology and Animal Physiology at the University of Strasbourg. During this time, I did the Erasmus Program in Aarhus university in the genetic and molecular department. I continued my education with a Master's in Immunology and Inflammation still in Strasbourg that included a 7 months project (Master’s thesis) on the downregulation of MHC class I by cancer cells, in Leiden, Netherlands and then spent 4 months in the Jandus Lab (University of Geneva) to work on the CD4 T cells for innovating cancer immunotherapy. 

Research associate CONTACT ME

Research interest

Currently working as a lab manager/scientist in Pr Werner Held’s lab, my research focuses on a better understanding of a memory-like CD8+ T cell compartment in chronic viral infection. We recently described memory-like CD8⁺ T cells (T_ML), a population that sustains the immune response during chronic infection, that shares features of both exhausted cells and conventional central memory CD8⁺ T cells (T_CM).  My current project aims to gain a better understanding of the biology of these T_ML and how they compare to T_CM.

Background

I am a trained immunologist. I first obtained my PhD at the University of Lausanne in 2010 in the laboratory of Fabienne Tacchini-Cottier, working on the role of neutrophils and CD4⁺ T cells in Leishmaniasis. I then joined the group of David Sacks at the National Institute of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, USA as postdoctoral fellow where I focused my studies on the role of inflammation in shaping the immune response to leishmaniasis.

Technician CONTACT ME

Research interest

I am responsible for managing the antibodies used by department's research groups for flow cytometry (7 groups, 600-700 antibodies).I am responsible for producing, purifying and labeling multiple frequently used antibodies on site and for their titration for optimal use. I am also currently developing a tool to prepare panels of antibodies on line.I also manage the hybridomas and cell lines that are the property of the Lausanne branch of Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research. In addition, I am involved in managing the animal colony of the Held lab.

PhD student CONTACT ME

Research interest

For my PhD project, I aim to map the fate of CD8⁺ T cells during acute and chronic viral infections. Several models have been proposed to explain the dynamics and developmental relationship of the diverse CD8⁺ T cell subsets arising during an infection. My project uses an in vivo lineage tracing model to gain novel insights into this field.

Background

With a Bachelor’s and a Master’s in Biology from the University of Lisbon, I started my research career characterizing mutations associated with familial cases of thyroid cancer for my master’s project. I soon discovered my passion for immunology, and worked 5 years in different research labs before deciding to join the PhD programme in Cancer and Immunology at the University of Lausanne.

PhD student CONTACT ME

Research interest

Memory-like CD8+ T (T_ML) cells are essential to sustain immune response to chronic viral infection and possess characteristics of memory CD8⁺ T cells (i.e. expansion, self-renewal and differentiation capacity) as well as of exhausted CD8⁺ T cells including the expression of inhibitory markers such as. PD-1. My project aims at understanding how PD-1 expression impacts cellular and molecular mechanisms that regulate the generation, the maintenance and the function of T_ML during chronic virus infection.

Background 

I performed my bachelor’s at TU Kaiserslautern, during which I had the opportunity to do an exchange year with ERASMUS at the University of Gothenburg, where I discovered my interest in immunobiology. Thereafter, I switched to University of Konstanz for my master’s specializing in immunobiology.

PhD student CONTACT ME

Research interest

Understanding the signals governing the generation, maintenance, and function of memory-like CD8+ T cells that sustain the immune response to chronic infections and tumors.

Background

I obtained both my Bachelor's in Biology (2019) and my Master's in Immunology and Cancer at the University of Lausanne. During my master's thesis I worked on the response of CD8+ T cells to chronic infections in the laboratory of Pr Werner Held.

Postdoctoral researcher CONTACT ME

Research interest

Failure to control certain infections/cancers leads to chronic stimulation and to terminal differentiation or “exhaustion” of CD8⁺ T cells. We recently discovered that a subpopulation of CD8⁺ T cells, called "memory-like" CD8⁺ T cells, which are needed for tumor control in response to immunotherapy. My ongoing project is to understand, what signals regulate the maintenance versus the differentiation of "memory-like" T cells in tumors. 

Background

I obtained my Bachelor’s in Cellular and Molecular Biology at the Université de Lorraine in 2013 and then I moved to Strasbourg to study immunology. I completed my Master’s in Immunology and Inflammation in 2015 before joining the laboratory of Hélène Dumortier at the Institut de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IBMC) in Strasbourg. My PhD project focused on the study the development of tertiary lymphoid structures in the kidney of autoimmune mice. In 2020, I joined the Held Lab to work on tumor immunology and cytotoxic CD8⁺  T cells.

Research interest 

I analyse genomics data generated by the members of the Held Lab.

Background

I originally trained as a plant and molecular biologist at the University of Lausanne. I went on to do a PhD at the University of Miami about the interactions between pines and mycorrhizal fungi, by running field experiments under the hot Florida sun in the USA. Back in Switzerland, but this time in the wet lab, I held a postdoc position investigating the genetics of fungi and learned to analyze data generated by next generation sequencing techniques. I enjoyed learning about bioinformatics so much that a new career path opened up.