Dr. Sterling's research interests involve signaling in a key player in immune responses, the T cell. T cells play critical roles in protection from infections or destroying tumors, but some T cells can work in undesirable ways such as during autoimmune disease (for example, Type 1 Diabetes and Multiple Sclerosis). A hallmark of T cells is their ability to specifically distinguish between molecules present in a pathogen versus our own tissues.
Dr. Sterling is particularly excited to work with students in her lab, where she is interested in understanding how T cells recognize their targets. Students working on these projects would utilize molecular biology techniques to explore these research questions.
