Dr Ricardo Fernandes - University of Oxford

Targeting TCR and Co-Receptor Signalling in T Cell-Mediated Immunity

The potency of the T-cell response against pathogens and cancer cells is determined by the signalling output from two distinct classes of immune receptors: the T-cell receptor and co-receptors, which include activating and inhibitory checkpoint receptors such as CD28 or PD-1 and CTLA-4. We will provide an update on our recent work in targeting T-cell receptors and inhibitory receptors to modulate T-cell responses.  

​​Brief biography: Dr Ricardo Fernandes is a Group Leader at the CAMS Oxford Institute (NDM) at the University of Oxford. He obtained his PhD at Oxford, working with Simon Davis on the mechanism of TCR triggering. Later, he moved to Stanford, where he developed bispecific proteins that exploit endogenous membrane phosphatases to shut down signalling by surface receptors. The Fernandes' Lab applies protein engineering to decipher functional and structural correlates of immune receptor signalling and identify new approaches to modulate T cell function in health and disease.