NIVI Seminar Series
Title: Air Traffic Control in the infected lung
Assoc. Prof. Carolyn King from the University of Basel, Switzerland, will be giving a presentation as part of the NIVI Seminar Series.
Date: 22 October 2026
Time: 13:00 - 14:00
Place: Nielsine Nielsen Auditorium, Maersk Tower, Blegdamsvej 3b, 2200
Host: Rasmus Mortensen
If you are not able to join live:
Zoom-link: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/382410862854959?p=PgxsVk8gIqHU5EE4Ri
Meeting ID: 382 410 862 854 959
Passcode: 5sG9gR9h
Abstract:
Tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) emerge in the lung in response to inflammation and infection, and have a well-documented role in sustaining local antibody responses. In this talk, Carolyn will present work exploring broader functions of TLS, including innate cell recruitment and tissue homeostasis during influenza infection in mice. These findings will be contrasted with our observations during chronic Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection, where TLS development accompanies a pro-fibrotic tissue response that is counterbalanced by B cellstromal interactions. Together, these studies highlight antibody independent roles for TLS in shaping the tissue response and highlight the potential of TLS as a tunable target to modulate pathology during respiratory infection.
Biography:
Carolyn began her scientific career in the United States, completing both her PhD and postdoctoral training at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. In 2008, she moved to Switzerland and established her research group in the Department of Biomedicine at the University of Basel. The King laboratory investigates CD4 T cell responses in barrier tissues, with a particular focus on the development and function of CD4 T cell populations that support B cell antibody production. Using a combination of single-cell and systems immunology approaches, the lab explores the biological mechanisms and therapeutic potential of mucosal immunity to combat globally significant pathogens, including influenza and Mycobacterium tuberculosis.