Dr. Harty received a new 2 year grant from the NIH  entitled “Brain T cell interactions in microbial experienced mice.”  The award totals $404,300, the project started June 4, 2024 and concludes April 30, 2026.

Current mechanistic studies of neuroimmune interactions are almost exclusively carried out with Specific Pathogen Free mice.  In contrast, mice with “normalized” immune systems due to repeated microbial exposure demonstrate numerically enriched tissue resident memory T cell (Trm) populations in the brain.  This proposal seeks to understand how these brain Trm interact and shape CNS myeloid cells at homeostasis and in neurological disease.   This grant will be carried out in collaboration with Dr. Vladimir Badovinac.