Arja Ray, Ph.D.

Ph.D. – University of Minnesota

Assistant Professor
Department of Cell Biology
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Physiology Building 107B

725 N. Wolfe St.
Baltimore, MD. 21205

Phone:  (410) 502-2572
E-mail:  [email protected]

https://www.arjaraylab.com/

Research:

Keywords: cancer immunology, CD8 T cells, macrophages, extracellular matrix, immunotherapy, tumor microenvironment

Research Activities: Specifically marking CD8 T cells that display hallmarks of potent activation, we aim to discover and harness the regulatory networks underlying robust anti-tumor function. We hypothesize that these T cells exist in defined niches which instruct their phenotype and function. 

Summary of Research Program

Immunotherapy has revolutionized the treatment of cancer. Most modalities of cancer immunotherapy work by enabling cytotoxic CD8 T cells to recognize and kill cancer cells. These cells, however, do not work in isolation and are inextricably shaped by the aberrant tumor microenvironment (TME), which includes other immune cells such as macrophages and dendritic cells, as well as acellular components such as the extracellular matrix (ECM). We seek to understand the intrinsic and microenvironmental regulation of cytotoxic CD8 T cell function in the context of tumors. We take advantage of novel genetically engineered mouse models to mark specific states of T cells and macrophages, high dimensional immune profiling, live imaging, in vitro 3D ECM culture systems and a variety of other techniques.

 Publications and Interests: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/arja.ray.2/bibliography/public/

 

Contact Us

Miller Research Building
Suite 631
733 North Broadway
Baltimore, Maryland 21205

Office: (410) 955-2709

Email: [email protected]