Ellmeier Lab

The Ellmeier laboratory has a strong research interest in understanding molecular and cellular mechanisms that regulate the development, differentiation and function of T lymphocytes (T cells). The laboratory consists of an international team of scientists and is part of the Division of Immunobiology at the Institute of Immunology, Center of Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna.

T cells are key cellular players in the regulation and execution of immune responses to foreign pathogens and they also protect us against internal danger such as cancer cells. However, if dysregulated, they cause T cell-mediated diseases such as autoimmune diseases. With our studies we aim to provide important and medical relevant insight into the regulation of T cell-mediated immunity in health & disease. In ongoing studies we address the following basic and translational research questions:
• How do histone deacetylates control T cell-mediated immunity?
• What are the regulatory mechanisms that control effector T cell differentiation and function in tissues?
• How is T cell lineage identity and integrity maintained in tissues?

We are embedded in a strong collaborative research environment and the experimental strategies to address our research interests include multi-color flow-cytometry, a variety of immunological tools, biochemical and molecular approaches, retroviral-mediated gene transduction into T cells and hematopoietic stem cells, next generation sequencing and mouse molecular genetics tools combined with preclinical models for autoimmune diseases and infections.

About the Institute of Immunology and the Division of Immunobiology
The Institute of Immunology (IFI) was founded in 1967 as the first university research institution in the German-speaking world dedicated exclusively to immunological research. The Institute offers an international research environment with a staff of more than 50 from more than 15 countries. The research objectives of the scientists at the IFI are to elucidate the molecular and cellular mechanisms of immune responses and immune-mediated diseases in order to understand how the immune system works and to use this knowledge as a basis for the development of new therapeutic approaches and diagnostic procedures. Our research approaches therefore serve basic research, translational research as well as application-oriented research in human medicine. The Institute is divided into 5 research divisions with a total of 7 research groups.

The Division of Immunobiology is headed by Wilfried Ellmeier and formed by the research groups of Nicole Boucheron, Wilfried Ellmeier and Shinya Sakaguchi (for information about the other groups click the names of the principal investigators). We are also committed in educating the next generation of scientists in the field of immunology by providing training opportunities for master and PhD students as well as postdoctoral fellows. Together, the Division of Immunobiology forms an international team of 15-20 scientists with joint lab meetings, progress reports and journal clubs as well as several joint research projects, which guarantees a stimulating research environment.