Our research focus

Drawn image of a brain with neurons and immune cells

The Neuroimmunology (NIM) Lab studies how the immune system shapes brain function in health and disease

We focus on lymphocytes, especially T cells, and how they interact with neurons, astrocytes, and microglia to influence brain plasticity, neurodevelopment, and neurodegeneration.

Why this matters

Immune processes are now recognized as central to disorders once viewed as purely “neurological.” By defining when lymphocytes help (support plasticity, repair) and when they harm (fuel pathology), we aim to deliver:

Mechanistic insight into brain–immune communication
Actionable biomarkers for early detection and patient stratification
Rational intervention points for immunomodulatory therapies in neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental disease

How we work

We take a multidisciplinary, translational approach that bridges immunology, molecular and cellular neuroscience, biochemistry, and behavioral neuroscience. To map the brain’s immune landscape with high precision we use:

Single-cell multi-omics (transcriptomics/epigenomics) to profile states and lineages
Spectral flow cytometry for deep immune phenotyping
High-resolution and intravital microscopy to visualize cell–cell interactions in situ
Functional assays in mouse models, human tissues, and organoid/co-culture systems

Immune regulation of brain plasticity

We study how environmental cues like stress, infection, or microbiome shifts, reshape the brain’s immune landscape and, in turn, influence plasticity. A core question is how lymphocytes enable or constrain neuronal responses to experience. By mapping lymphocyte–neuron/astrocyte–microglia crosstalk during learning and sensory stimulation, we aim to uncover immune “switches” that tune synapses and circuit remodeling.

Immunological mechanisms of neurodevelopmental disorders

Early-life immune dysregulation can leave lasting marks on brain development. We investigate how lymphocytes and neuroimmune imbalance contribute to autism spectrum disorder and related conditions, probing when, where, and how peripheral inflammation perturbs developmental programs, and which immune pathways are actionable for prevention or intervention.

ADNP (activity-dependent neuroprotective protein) mutations cause a syndromic neurodevelopmental disorder. We use ADNP as a model to dissect gene-to-immune-to-circuit mechanisms: how ADNP loss alters glial states, lymphocyte trafficking, and neuronal maturation—and whether restoring specific immune or trophic signals can rescue function.

Lymphocytes and neuroinflammation in Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer’s is not only a brain-intrinsic disorder. We examine how adaptive immune cells interact with microglia and astrocytes in response to amyloid and other insults, and whether targeted modulation of T cells can reduce neuroinflammation, preserve synapses, and slow cognitive decline.

As fascinated about all this as we are?

Dive into our papers Let's collaborate