Adrianus (Ando) van der Velden

Research Interests:

The major focus of our research is on the role of mammalian T cells in adaptive immunity to the intracellular bacterial pathogen Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium).  We use a combination of cellular and molecular approaches to determine how S. Typhimurium infection and S. Typhimurium gene expression shape and influence development of the T cell response.

Inflammatory cells of the innate immune system, such as macrophages and neutrophils, provide a first line of defense against S. Typhimurium; however, ultimate clearance of S. Typhimurium requires lymphocytes of the adaptive immune system.  During infection, T cells are a key lymphocyte subset required for eliminating S. Typhimurium.  While T cells are important in adaptive immunity to S. Typhimurium, development of T cell-mediated adaptive immunity to S. Typhimurium has been described as slow and inefficient.  We have been exploring why development of T cell-mediated adaptive immunity to S. Typhimurium is slow and inefficient, and whether S. Typhimurium play an active role in inhibiting development of protective immunity.