Liang Zhou, M.D., Ph.D.

Research

The links among autoimmune diseases, infections, cancer, and the environment are complex and mysterious. Proper immune responses are needed to fight harmful microorganisms and tumor cells, yet those same responses have to be kept from overreacting and attacking the body's normal tissues. My long-term research goal is to identify the molecular means to modulate the balance of inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cells, thereby combating infection and cancer while preventing autoimmunity. Our laboratory uses a combination of biochemistry, cellular immunology, mouse genetics, and animal models of human disease to study the development of T lymphocytes and other immune cells. We focus on understanding transcriptional regulatory networks and signaling pathways in the immune system and identifying novel targets to modulate host immune responses in health and disease.