Michael R. Betts, Ph.D.

Mike Betts
Professor of Microbiology

The goal of Betts lab scientific research is to gain an understanding of the nature of T cell immune responses to pathogens and autoantigens in humans. Towards this end, we have developed and adapted many immunological assays for the study of viral-specific immune responses in humans and nonhuman primates, including intracellular cytokine staining, CTL epitope mapping, CD8+ T cells degranulation measurement, and polyfunctional flow cytometry that are broadly used by the global human immunology research community. Recently my lab has begun to explore HIV reservoirs in lymphoid tissues and develop single cell assays to interrogate the HIV reservoir. Based on our current and past studies, my lab has three major areas of interest of central relevance to the CIAVCRl: 1) defining T cell correlates of protection and control in HIV and SIV infection (2) defining the identity of CD4+ T cells that constitute the HIV and SIV reservoir under ART; and 3) defining the protective properties of resident and tissue recirculating SHIV-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cells induced by prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines in the context of latency reversal strategies. 

BETTS LAB - Home