About her PhD Project

 T cells decode the dynamic features of stimuli, such as frequency and duration, to determine activation outcomes. In vivo, transient and sequential interactions with antigen-presenting cells trigger T cell receptor (TCR) signaling. The dynamics of these interactions influence the activation outcome through unknown  mechanisms. Our aim is to combine precise optogenetic control of TCR stimulation with advanced mathematical modeling. By varying the duration and frequency of TCR stimulation, we will provide a comprehensive characterization the T cell responses at the signaling and transcriptional levels. These data will be confronted to an integrated mathematical model of the TCR signaling cascade and downstream transcriptional network. An iterative experimental-computational approach will allow the identification of key mechanisms that govern the decoding of stimulation dynamics by T cells.