Image: MIMS
PhD project within the Industrial Doctoral School at Umeå University. The project ended on 25 November 2024 when Ionut Sebastian Mihai defended his doctoral thesis.
Ionut Sebastian Mihai's PhD project focuses on studying the genetic features of T cell activation and differentiation, to then create a computational model that will help pre-clinical and clinical researchers better apply treatments, and deepen the knowledge about our immune system.
Sartorius Stedim Data Analytics 50 %
Industrial Doctoral School 50 %
Johan Trygg, Sartorius Stedim Data Analytics
T-cells are key components of the immune system, and are involved in a vast amount of clinically relevant conditions - from fighting minor pathogenic infections, to directly being involved in complex adaptive immune dynamics that characterize cancers, allergies and autoimmune disorders.
Furthermore, the interaction between T-lymphocytes and other cell types induces a “shaping” effect on the overall fate and role of the naive T cell. Naive T-cells have been isolated from patients' peripheral blood and genetically re-programmed to present a chimeric antigen T cell receptor (CAR T cells), which ultimately leads to enhanced immune defence against cancer. However, to perform this process efficiently, across different ages and sexes, requires an understanding of how T cell activation and associated process are connected. Much effort has already gone into this research.
Ionut Sebastian's research focuses on studying the genetic features of T cell activation and differentiation, to then create a computational model that will help pre-clinical and clinical researchers better apply treatments, and deepen the knowledge about our immune system.
