Thomas Mann

Thomas Mann

Assistant Professor of Immunology and Molecular Medicine

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Research Interests

Our lab’s interests are at the intersection of signal transduction and T cell differentiation.

The cardinal feature of the adaptive immune system is formation of a response to specific antigens. Recognition of an antigen for the first time causes T cells to proliferate and differentiate into many specialized states. However, antigen exposure isn’t a one-time experience, and T cells in all different cell states and physiological settings can repeatedly encounter antigen.

The lab is investigating two key questions about this process:

  • How do antigen signals instruct T cell differentiation?
  • Conversely, how does differentiation state control T cell signaling responses to subsequent antigen exposures?

A better understanding of the signals that control T cell fate and function is fundamental to developing new therapies targeting the immune system. Currently, we are particularly interested in T cell exhaustion during the response to cancer and chronic viral infection. Long-term, we aim to build a platform for studying T cell signaling in a diverse range of immunological contexts.

Current Projects

  1. Mechanisms of T cell subset-specific antigen signaling, particularly in T cell exhaustion
  2. Translating basic science signaling discoveries to new T cell immunotherapies
  3. Expanding the molecular and genetic toolbox for studies of T cell signaling
  4. Discovery and mechanisms of post-translational regulation of signature transcription factors

Selected Publications

Mann TH, Knox HM, Ma S, Furgiuele J, Globig AM, LaPorte M, Chung HK, McDonald B, Ghassemian M, Zhao S, Tseng H, Farsakoglu Y, Tripple V, Koo J, Newton AC, Kaech SM (2024) Different signaling interpretations by PKC eta and theta control T cell function and exhaustion. bioRxiv. https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.09.26.615103v1

Ma S, Dahabieh M, Mann TH, Zhao S, McDonald B, Song, WS, Chung HK, Farsakoglu Y, Garcia-Rivera L, Araujo-Hoffmann F, Xu S, Du V, Chen D, Furgiuele J, LaPorte M, Jacobs E, DeCamp L, Oswald B, Sheldon R, Ellis A, Liu L, He P, Wang Y, Jang C, Jones RG, Kaech SM (2024) Nutrient-driven histone code determines exhausted CD8+ T cell fates.  Science. 387, 10.1126/science.adj3020.

Mann TH and Kaech SM.  (2019) Tick-TOX, it’s time for T cell exhaustion. Nature Immunology.  20, p. 1092-1094.

Mann TH*, Childers WS*, Blair JA, Eckart MR, Shapiro L. (2016) A cell cycle kinase with tandem sensory PAS domains integrates cell fate cues. Nature Communications.  7, doi:10.1038/ncomms11454.

 

Last Updated 2025-11-10