Center for Immunology

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Milcah Scott is awarded a Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Predoctoral Fellowship

CFI would like to congratulate Milcah Scott, a predoctoral student in the Masopust Lab. Milcah was awarded the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Predoctoral Fellowship for her work on a suite of contemporary and complementary whole animal, cellular and molecular approaches to better define the transcriptional programs and phenotypes of stringently-identified, bona fide tissue resident memory CD8 T cells (TRM). Refined analyses of TRM will broaden our understanding of how TRM are generated and maintained in tissues and are key to addressing deficiencies in our understanding of how (TRM) effect pathogen protection, tumor control, and autoimmune pathogenesis. The purpose of the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Predoctoral Fellowship award is to enable promising predoctoral students to obtain individualized, mentored research training from outstanding faculty sponsors while conducting dissertation research in scientific health-related fields to enhance the individual’s potential to develop into a productive, independent research scientist.

Binstadt Lab is hiring a new Post Doctoral Fellow

The Binstadt Lab in the University of Minnesota’s Center for Immunology seeks a new post-doctoral
fellow. This individual will work together with our team to explore mechanisms of cardiovascular
inflammation in the setting of systemic autoimmunity.

Applicants must hold a Ph.D. degree in biological science and have a recent track record of publication
of first-author peer-reviewed manuscripts.

● Preference will be given to applicants with Ph.D. degrees in Immunology (particularly
Autoimmunity) and/or expertise in Vascular Biology, particularly the role of inflammation in the
cardiovascular system.
● Experience working with small animal models, flow cytometry, immunofluorescent microscopy,
and analysis of transcriptomic data (e.g. scRNASeq) or similar large datasets is preferred.
● Preference will be given to applicants with demonstrated expertise in developing scientific
protocols, scientific writing, and outstanding letters of reference.

Please apply online using job code 340404. Also, email a curriculum vitae and a cover letter to Bryce
Binstadt, MD, Ph.D. Full job description here. 

Congratulations to Dr. JT Greene for his American Cancer Society postdoctoral fellowship

J.T. Greene, Ph.D. from the Freedman lab was awarded a postdoctoral fellowship from the American Cancer Society to support his ongoing research and training.  The Cancer Society awards researchers who are within 3 years of receiving a doctoral degree initial funding to start training for an independent career in cancer research. J.T. was also awarded The Ben G. Zimmerman Travel Award from the Department of Pharmacology, this award supports the participation (poster or oral presentation) of graduate students and postdoctoral trainees at scientific conferences.  

Congratulations!!

Mike Farrar and Brian Fife are funded to study antigen-specific T cells in diabetes

CFI professors' Michael Farrar, professor, and Virginia and David C. Utz Land Grant Chair in Fundamental Immunobiology, LMP and Brian Fife, associate professor of Medicine, recently received a five-year $590,000 grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) for “Identifying and preventing antigen-specific T cells in diabetes.”

Congratulations on recent faculty promotions

Please join the Center for Immunology in congratulating several of our colleagues on their recent faculty promotions: LMP assistant professor Sara Hamilton Hart has been promoted to associate professor and LMP associate professor Kaylee Schwertfeger has been promoted to professor. We are very proud of them and excited to see their continued research.

Stromnes Lab receives RO1 to continue studies of a preclinical pancreatic cancer model

Dr. Ingunn Stromnes and her lab have received an RO1 grant to continue their studies on a preclinical pancreatic cancer model. The RO1 is based on the work done by Dr. Adam Burrack. His recent first author  J. Immunol and Cell Report papers have identified a mechanistic basis for T cell exhaustion in pancreatic cancer and a feasible clinical strategy to overcome it. Dr. Stromnes has also received a grant from the Randy Shaver Cancer Research and Community Fund. The fund supports the cancer community in Minnesota by funding research, prevention, treatment, and other programs relating to the cancer community’s needs. Dr. Stromnes and her lab will work on the role of Trem2 on pancreatic cancer progression and immunotherapy response

Dr. KrisHogquist receives NIAID funding to study how CD1d protects mice during natural infection

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) has awarded LMP professor and CFI Associate Director Kristin Hogquist, Ph.D. a two-year grant to study “How CD1d protects mice during natural infection.” 

Dr. Nicholas Jarjour is awarded a grant to study tissue-resident memory T cells

The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation has awarded Nicholas Jarjour, Ph.D., a post-doctoral research associate in the Jameson Laboratory, a four-year research grant to study “Antigen-independent proliferation of tissue-resident memory T cells and therapeutic applications.” Dr. Jarjour is developing antigen-independent methods to stimulate the innate proliferative capacity of tissue-resident CD8+ T cells, based on cytokine signaling molecules. This approach could increase the efficacy of existing checkpoint blockade therapies on resistant tumors and aid in vaccine development.

Drs. Hamilton Hart and Schuldt receive funds to develop a model of human neonatal and infant immune responses

Sara Hamilton Hart, Ph.D. is a Co-Investigator together with PI pediatric rheumatologist Nathan Schuldt, Ph.D. for their proposal to develop “An Improved Model of human neonatal and infant immune responses.” Funding is from the Masonic Cross-Departmental Grants in Children’s Health.

Dr. David Masopust is named as one of the recipients of the Minnesota Partnership for Biotechnology and Medical Genomics Award 

This marks the partnership's 17th year of spearheading new scientific ideas from Minnesota to improve the health of, and health care for, Minnesotans. The state-funded grants for these team science proposals total nearly $5 million. Projects are selected based on the quality and rigor of the proposed research, the importance of the medical need, and the potential for future commercialization. Each team includes investigators from Mayo Clinic and the University of Minnesota. It’s required that the studies be collaborative and that the projects could not be pursued by either institution alone. David Masopust, Ph.D., UMN, and Michael Barry, Ph.D., Mayo Clinic will work on the following: "Developing vaccination regimens that generate multifunctional, long-lived, and re-activatable B and T cell immunity for SARS-CoV-2". The full list of award-winning projects and awardees for 2021.

Join REJUS and EWIS for our monthly discussions on race and gender inequality!!

Marc Jenkins recently announced the formation of Restorative Justice for the Underrepresented in Science (ReJUS) at the CFI. ReJUS was born in the wake of the murder of George Floyd, nationwide protests on racial discrimination and discriminatory policing practices including the use of deadly force against black persons. These events have shaken our world, and have been a very painful reminder of our collective silence and complicity in maintaining the status quo and allowing racial injustice to go unchallenged. While centuries of institutionalized racism is daunting to correct as individuals, as a collective of scientists, we can reassess our individual and institutional beliefs, practices, norms, and culture and set them on a more just and equitable course.

ReJUS was founded by trainees at the CFI and is an open community of CFI faculty and trainees (postdocs, staff, graduate, and undergraduate students). We are dedicated to the recruitment, support, and career advancement of students, post-docs, and faculty from historically underrepresented and disenfranchised communities in the biomedical sciences. Our mission is to 1) educate the scientific community on the issues of racial discrimination and institutionalized racism that permeate science and society; 2) promote the recruitment, retention, and career advancement of students, postdocs, and faculty from historically underrepresented and disenfranchised communities into the biomedical sciences; 3) facilitate community outreach events to assist the democratization of science. To review the slides from the first ReJUS meeting please click here.

ReJUS Signup Form 
EWIS Interest Form - Please also consider joining EWIS. Both of these groups will be working together on many shared goals.

Securing your Zoom meeting

As a result of the increased use of Zoom meetings globally, they have become a target for meeting hijackers. Read about how to Secure Your Zoom Meeting before it occurs, while you are meeting, and after it is over. You can also watch a short demonstration of In-Meeting Tools to Secure your Zoom Meetings.

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