Grayson Laboratory

Jason Grayson

Assistant Professor
B.S., University of Maryland, 1991
Ph.D., University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, 1997

e-mail: jgrayson@wakehealth.edu
phone: (336) 716-0268 

I am interested in determining the mechanisms that control antigen-specific CD8+ T cell responses. These cells are critical in providing protection from intracellular pathogens such as viruses and certain bacteria, and also play a key role in anti-tumor immunity. Manipulation of these responses is critical to improve vaccines, enhance tumor therapies, and cure chronic infections such as HIV, HCV and tuberculosis. There are currently two areas of research focus in my laboratory to achieve these goals. They are:

To determine the mechanisms by which reactive oxygen intermediates (ROI) control the activation, proliferation and differentiation of CD8+ T cells.

To determine the mechanisms by which the BH3-only protein Bim and Death Receptors such as Fas function to control contraction of antigen-specific CD8+ T cells following viral infection.