NIH VideoCasting

Immunology Interest Group

Among many seminal discoveries, Dr Murphy’s work provided the first demonstration in vivo of antigen-induced apoptosis in the thymus during thymocyte selection and identified mechanisms by which pathogens instruct the direction of T helper differentiation. His work also revealed the basis for TH2 stability as a result of extinction of IL-12 signaling and transcriptional auto-activation. More recently Dr. Murphy's research addresses the regulation of immune responses with particular emphasis on dendritic cell (DC) differentiation, central to both effective defense and rheumatologic disorders. His recent discoveries include the transcriptional basis for development of distinct subsets of dendritic cells such as the CD8alpha+ cDC that promotes effective defense against intracellular pathogens and cross-presentation during viral infections, the molecular basis for the unique transcriptional activities of the BATF family involving newly recognized cooperative interactions with IRF4 and IRF8, and the identification of the DC-specific transcription factors Zbtb46 and L-Myc which are being used to interrogate the earliest steps in cellular commitment to the classical DC lineages. Dr. Murphy is an investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, received numerous awards and is the author of over 240 papers. Please join us for a seminar from one of the most original leaders of the immunology field.