Donna L. Farber, Ph.D. is the George H Humphreys, II Professor of Surgical Sciences (in Surgery) and Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at Columbia University.
The focus of Dr. Farber’s research is on Immune memory and immune responses in tissues. Dr. Farber’s laboratory originally identified tissue resident memory T cells (TRM) in the lung which mediate optimal protective immunity to respiratory virus infections. These findings led her to establish a major new resource for the study of human immunology– involving acquisition of mucosal, lymphoid, and other peripheral tissues from individual organ donors of all ages, and isolation of tissues and cells for analysis of the human immune system in space and time.
Her recent work showed how SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 mRNA vaccines generated T and B cell memory maintained across lymphoid organs and lungs and identified memory regulatory T cells (Tregs) that are maintained in lymph nodes. Study of human immune responses across the lifespan has elucidated developmental pathways in tissues of infant and pediatric donors for establishment of mucosal TRM, how gd T cells are seeded and mature over age, and how lymphoid follicles are activated in mucosal sites in early life. In studies of human aging, her lab has revealed how memory T cells persist and undergo age-associated changes into old age.
Dr. Farber currently is the Director of the Human Tissue immunity and Disease Initiative at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and leads NIH/NIAID-funded Program grants on human immunity, anti-viral responses and is part of the Human Immunology Project Consortium (HIPC). She led a multi-investigator team to on “Vaccine efficacy and Tissue immunity” funded by the Department of Defense and was part of the former NIH/NHLBI consortium on human lung aging, and the Chan-Zuckerberg seed network for the human cell atlas.
Dr Farber’s research is supported by the Helmsley Charitable trust and the Chan-Zuckerberg Biohub. She has over 180 publications, is a fellow of the AAAS, a distinguished fellow of the American Association of Immunologists (AAI), has served on advisory committees for the NIH, AAI, and multiple editorial boards, and was recently elected to the AAI council, the governing body of the AAI.
Dr Farber is visiting the NHLI IRD Section on Monday 24th March to give a fascinating seminar on “Lung Tissue resident memory T cells and localized immunity.”
Please join us in the Wolfson Education Centre Lecture Theatre 2 from 13:00-14:00 or via the Teams link provided.