Candidate: The goal of the principal investigator is to become an independently funded surgical scientist who translates basic immunology into solutions for the most challenging problems in severe burns and trauma. The principal investigator has a strong preliminary record, having completed a N1H-NRSA trauma training fellowship and published a number of scientific manuscripts. The proposal, designed for long-term scientific success, outlines a specific training plan that includes didactic work, technical workshops, direct laboratory supervision, ethics, and professional development in applied basic science research. Environment: UNC-CH has a strong academic tradition and a commitment to training clinician scientists. The school has a number of core facilities, including the Lineberger Cancer Center and the Program in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology specifically designed to support the development of clinician scientists. Dr. Jeffrey A. Frelinger, PhD, Chair, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, the mentor for this proposal, has a long track record of scientific success and is committed specifically to the scientific development of the principal investigator. All required laboratory equipment, resources, expertise, and office space necessary for successful completion of this proposal will be available to the principal investigator. The Department of Surgery is absolutely committed to the scientific development of the principal investigator and his firm commitment to spend 75% of his time on this proposal. Research: The goal of this proposal is to determine the CD8+ T cell response to burn injury. CD8+ T cells, increasingly recognized as an important regulator of the immune response, have a poorly understood response to burn injury. Preliminary data reveals that while the CTL alloresponse to burn injury is impaired, the phenotype of activated CD8+ T cells suggests an exaggerated proinflammatory response. The hypothesis of this proposal is that the CD8+ T cell response to burn injury is pleiotropic and the mechanism for this response is altered CD8+ T cell activation. The principal investigator will use a variety of advanced cellular immunologic techniques to determine the phenotype and function of CD8+ T cells after burn injury. In addition, the mechanisms of CD8+ T cell activation will be investigated, specifically how the host environment and the cytokine environment influence the CD8+ T cell response to burn injury.
