Megan Levings, University of British Columbia
Professor
Surgery
Vancouver, British Columbia
mlevings@interchange.ubc.ca
Office:
(604) 875-4111 ext. 66742
Bio/Research
Megan Levings is a cellular immunologist with a specialized interest in understanding how T cells regulate tolerance to self and non-pathogenic foreign proteins, and translating that knowledge into clinically applicable protocols in the setting of transplantation.
Research in the laborat...
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Research in the laborat...
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Bio/Research
Megan Levings is a cellular immunologist with a specialized interest in understanding how T cells regulate tolerance to self and non-pathogenic foreign proteins, and translating that knowledge into clinically applicable protocols in the setting of transplantation.
Research in the laboratory is centered on a new type of CD4+ T cell, termed T regulatory (Tr) cells, which control immune tolerance. Current work is focused on determining how Tr cells differ from normal CD4+ T cells at both the biochemical and molecular level, and elucidating their role in transplantation, cancer and infectious diseases. An immediate goal is to identify novel Tr-specific proteins which may reveal their mechanism of action and/or be used as a tool to isolate and track Tr cells more efficiently. Long term goals are to: a) develop methods to generate Tr cells in vitro for use as a cellular therapy to replace standard immunosuppression in the context of organ transplantation; and b) identify ways to deplete Tr cells in order to increase the immune response to cancer and chronic infectious diseases.
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Research in the laboratory is centered on a new type of CD4+ T cell, termed T regulatory (Tr) cells, which control immune tolerance. Current work is focused on determining how Tr cells differ from normal CD4+ T cells at both the biochemical and molecular level, and elucidating their role in transplantation, cancer and infectious diseases. An immediate goal is to identify novel Tr-specific proteins which may reveal their mechanism of action and/or be used as a tool to isolate and track Tr cells more efficiently. Long term goals are to: a) develop methods to generate Tr cells in vitro for use as a cellular therapy to replace standard immunosuppression in the context of organ transplantation; and b) identify ways to deplete Tr cells in order to increase the immune response to cancer and chronic infectious diseases.
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