Adaptive Immunity

At the University of Michigan Medical School Department of Microbiology & Immunology, we study the basic questions relating to the role of T and B lymphocytes in adaptive immunity. Many of us seek to understand adaptive immunity at a molecular level in whole animals. These studies provide important insights into the function of the adaptive immune system in health and disease.

Learn more below about our areas of investigation and view a list of faculty members conducting research on adaptive immunity.

Read more about this research

Lungs and T cell
Department News

What we do in M&I: Adaptive Immunology

Areas of Investigation

We investigate:

  • Intracellular signaling mechanisms regulating T cell development and activation
  • Immunoglobulin class switch recombination in B cells using techniques such as bacterial artificial chromosome transgenesis
  • The behavior of T cells as regulators of adaptive immune responses and as effector cells is examined in bacterial infection and organ transplantation models using combined cellular and molecular approaches.
  • The mechanisms involved in processing of antigen for recognition by T cells, including intracellular assembly of major histocompatibility complex class I proteins, and their altered trafficking in virus-infected cells

We are using the latest techniques and technology, including genome engineering methods.

Faculty researching Adaptive Immunity

headshot of Michael Bachman

Michael Bachman, MD, PhD

Clinical Professor of Pathology
Clinical Professor of Microbiology and Immunology and Program Director
Clinical Research
Clinical Pathology Division
Medical School
Cheong-HeeChang-1200x1500.png

Cheong-Hee Chang, PhD

Professor of Microbiology and Immunology
Medical School
Kathleen L. Collins

Kathleen Collins, MD, PhD

Professor of Internal Medicine
Professor of Microbiology and Immunology
Associate Dean for Physician Scientist Education and Training
Medical School
Philip D. King

Philip D King, PhD

Professor of Microbiology and Immunology
Medical School
Denise E. Kirschner

Denise E Kirschner, PhD

Professor of Microbiology and Immunology
Medical School
Yasmina Laouar

Yasmina Laouar, PhD

Associate Professor of Microbiology and Immunology
Medical School
Bethany B. Moore

Bethany Moore, PhD

Nancy Walls Professor of Microbiology and Immunology
Chair, Department of Microbiology and Immunology
Professor of Microbiology and Immunology and Professor of Internal Medicine
Medical School
MICHAL A OLSZEWSKI

Michal A Olszewski, DVM, PhD

Professor of Internal Medicine
Professor of Microbiology and Immunology
Associate Director Academic Program
Immunology Graduate Program
Medical School
Jeffrey Platt

Jeffrey L Platt, MD

Professor Emeritus/A of Surgery
Professor Emeritus of Microbiology and Immunology
Medical School
Malini Raghavan

Malini Raghavan, PhD

Nancy Walls Research Professor of Microbiology and Immunology
Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical School
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Anukul Shenoy, PhD

Assistant Professor of Microbiology and Immunology
Medical School