The regulation of B cell responses during malaria infections

Oliver is currently based in the laboratory of Professor Jason Cyster at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF), where he is pursuing his interest in adaptive immune responses. Oliver is investigating aspects of how germinal centre B cell responses are regulated. Following mutation and selection, germinal centre B cells differentiate into memory B cells and long-lived antibody-secreting plasma cells that protect against future infections. Therefore, germinal centres are critical for the development of antibody-mediated immunity. Because humoral immunity is slow to develop during malaria infections, Oliver hopes to extend his research through a collaboration with Professor Joseph DeRisi, a parasite expert also at UCSF, to investigate the regulation of germinal centre reactions during this important infection.