Michael Y. Gerner, Ph.D.

The immune system is composed of a large array of innate and adaptive cell populations, and each of these plays a unique role in host protection. Research in the Gerner lab utilizes cutting-edge microscopy techniques to investigate how these diverse cell types work together in a collective fashion to generate an immune response. Early findings indicate that asymmetric positioning of cells in lymphoid tissues creates unique microenvironments that promote selective cell-cell interactions and expose cells to discrete stimuli, which in turn have important ramifications for generation of immunity.