Our laboratory investigates how immune responses to commensal bacteria shape host physiology.
We have identified specific microbiota–host interactions that drive the induction of intestinal
tissue-resident Th17 cells. In this seminar, I will discuss our work on the role of commensalspecific
Th17 cells in regulating mucosal homeostasis and systemic metabolic disease, as well as
recent studies defining the mechanisms underlying their generation. In particular, I will highlight
the coordinated roles of intestinal epithelial cells, dendritic cells, and macrophages. These findings
reveal a division of labor between dendritic cells and macrophages in orchestrating commensalspecific
immunity and establish a cellular framework for how distinct innate immune populations
cooperate to translate microbial cues into protective mucosal T cell responses.
About the speaker
Dr. Ivaylo Ivanov is a tenured Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at
Columbia University, where he leads the Laboratory for Mucosal Immunology. He received his
MSc from Sofia University (Sofia, Bulgaria) and his PhD from the University of Alabama at
Birmingham, followed by postdoctoral training at New York University. Dr. Ivanov’s research
focuses on how the intestinal microbiota regulates gut and systemic immunity and host physiology.
His work led to the identification of the first commensal bacterial species shown to control mucosal
T cell function, providing a foundation for understanding host–microbe immune interactions. He
has received numerous honors, including an NIH Pathway to Independence Award, the Society
for Mucosal Immunology Young Investigator Award, the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation Senior
Research Award, two Pew Charitable Trusts Innovator Awards, and the Mayent-Rothschild–
Institut Curie Award. He is a Pew Scholar in Biomedical Sciences and a Burroughs Wellcome
Fund Investigator in the Pathogenesis of Infectious Disease.
Lab website: https://www.ivanovlab.com/visit
