Innate lymphoid cells in immunity and disease

Following the recent discovery of innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), it was determined that these cells are critical regulators of protective immunity against parasitic helminths and bacteria and also in autoimmune disorders. Dr McKenzie aims to investigate the biological roles of ILCs and to elucidate their developmental relationships within the lymphoid lineage and their functional roles in protective immunity and disease. The aim is to build on existing knowledge of type 1 and type 2 disease models, and their dissection using molecular genetics in mice, to provide new insight into these pathways and identify potential therapeutic targets.