Richard Flavell, Ph.D., FRS

Professor and Chairman of Immunobiology Professor of Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute

General Interests

Molecular approaches are being applied to address three basic problems. The first is the molecular basis of the activation and differentiation of T-lymphocytes. Upon activation, precursor (naive) T-cells undergo numerous cell divisions and differentiate into effector cells; some of the products of this activation become what are known as long term memory T-lymphocytes, which upon restimulation, even up to many years after the initial activation, can respond more rapidly and effectively to the immune insult. We have used a variety of gene subtraction and functional genomic techniques to identify the genes that are involved in directing the processes of differentiation of these T-lymphocytes along these various pathways. We have used gene targeting to identify a number of signaling molecules that play a critical role in this differentiation process. We have focused on the stress activated MAP kinases c- JunN terminal (JNK) and P38 MAP kinases. Jnk1 appears to play a critical role in suppressing the Th2 response in developing Th1 cells. In its absence, exaggerated Th2 response occurs which render animals more susceptible to infection with Leishmania and render the animals hypersensitive to asthmatic insults. Conversely, the P38 MAP kinase pathway conversely plays an important role in IFN gamma production in Th1 cells and in T cell death. more…

Contact

Campus Address:	300 Cedar Street TAC S569A
Mailing Address:	Yale University School of Medicine PO BOX 208011 New Haven, CT 06520-8011
Phone:	(203) 737-2216
E-mail:	Richard.Flavell@yale.edu