Post Doctoral Fellow - Department of Microbiology & Immunology - Lab of Dr. Igyarto

Our work shows that specific DC subsets, contrary to the textbook model, can elicit protective antibody responses even in the absence of inflammation and canonical cytokines. Defining how DCs support such “steady-state” humoral immunity will inform the design of adjuvant-free vaccines with reduced side effects and may open new avenues to prevent or treat autoimmunediseases such as lupus and pemphigus.

We recently discovered that DCs are not mere scavengers of extracellular material; they can actively siphon specific RNAs from neighboring cells through a previously unrecognizedmechanism. This form of intracellular monitoring likely shapes many facets of immunity, including tolerance induction, responses to intracellular pathogens, tumor immunology,metabolism, and transplantation. Fellows will have the opportunity to connect this pathway to their disease or mechanistic area of interest and help define a new chapter in immunology.

Emerging data from the lab indicate that mRNA-lipid nanoparticle (LNP) formulations can imprint long-lasting functional changes in innate immune cells consistent with trained immunity. We aim to dissect the molecular and epigenetic mechanisms underlying this reprogramming, determine its impact on subsequent infections and vaccinations, and test how these traits are transmitted across generations. This project integrates in vivo models, innate immune profiling, and multi-omics toredefine how vaccines shape immunity over the life course and beyond.

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Interested candidates are encouraged to contact Dr. Igyártó directly. Please include:

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Nationally ranked, Jefferson, which is principally located in the greater Philadelphia region, Lehigh Valley and Northeastern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey, is reimagining health care and higher education to create unparalleled value. Jefferson is more than 65,000 people strong, dedicated to providing the highest-quality, compassionate clinical care for patients; making our communities healthier and stronger; preparing tomorrow's professional leaders for 21st-century careers; and creating new knowledge through basic/programmatic, clinical and applied research. Thomas Jefferson University, home of Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Jefferson College of Nursing, and the Kanbar College of Design, Engineering and Commerce, dates back to 1824 and today comprises 10 colleges and three schools offering 200+ undergraduate and graduate programs to more than 8,300 students. Jefferson Health, nationally ranked as one of the top 15 not-for-profit health care systems in the country and the largest provider in the Philadelphia and Lehigh Valley areas, serves patients through millions of encounters each year at 32 hospitals campuses and more than 700 outpatient and urgent care locations throughout the region. Jefferson Health Plans is a not-for-profit managed health care organization providing a broad range of health coverage options in Pennsylvania and New Jersey for more than 35 years.