NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology: Molecular Mechanisms of Immune Programming In Utero

Barrozo, Enrico Rey, Houston TX

Investigators

Abstract

This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2022, Broadening Participation of Groups Underrepresented in Biology. The Fellowship supports a research and training plan for the Fellow that will increase the participation of groups underrepresented in biology. This project reaches beyond the question of whether microbe exposures occur during mammalian development, and towards advancing the understanding of how microbes prepare a developing organism for the outside world. Innovative approaches will be used to test the hypothesis that maternal microbial exposures during development promote tolerance for beneficial microbes and protect against pathogens. This proposal fosters the Fellow’s interests in single-cell biology and involves training in immune system development. This research will generate hypotheses warranting further investigation, fueling the launch of an independent research career, and supporting the Fellow’s activities to diversify the professoriate. Central to this research is understanding the “rules” governing the early immune system by analyzing immune cell activation and expansion during development. The research utilizes (i) single-cell technologies to profile immune cells from different compartments, (ii) spatial transcriptomics to detail microenvironments of tolerance or inflammation, and (iii) will assess the functionality of distinct immune programs following an immune challenge. Along with advancing basic scientific understandings of how the immune system develops, this work may also identify stages where immunity could be engineered or repaired. The Fellow’s vocation aligns with the goals of the NSF in increasing minority participation at the postdoctoral level. Along with mentorship roles, the fellow’s primary avenue for achieving this is through an elected leadership role as the Engagement Committee Chair for an institutional Postdoctoral Association. This postdoc-led organization works towards the mission of creating a feeling of self-belonging, representing postdocs at the Institution level, and serving the Houston community. The Fellow leads postdoc community engagement events, which are paramount to showcasing what today’s scientists look like and what their scientific investigations entail. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.