Developmental Immunology Research Group

Group Head Biography

Prof. Georg A Holländer was trained in both Paediatrics and Experimental Immunology in Switzerland and the U.S. He held academic positions at Harvard Medical School, Boston, U.S. and the University of Basel, Switzerland, before he joined the University of Oxford, UK (2010). He is interested in the development and function of the immune system in health and disease. His particular scientific focus concerns the molecular and cellular control of thymus development and function. 

Research Summary

The thymus constitutes the primary lymphoid organ for the development and selection of T lymphocytes, a cell type critical for the function of the adaptive immune system. The thymus is composed of different cell types and only their correct differentiation and architectural organisation ensure a normal function.  Several genetic disorders and acquired pathologies have been identified that effect not only the regular development, but also the function of the thymus. To study the physiology of thymic development and to further characterise the pathologies that evolve as a consequence of damage to the thymus the laboratory has developed mouse models to study apparent thymic development and function. The Holländer laboratory is jointly run with facilities and resources both at the Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, and the Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel. 

Keywords: 

Immunology, Development, Genetics, Thymus, Epithelial Cells, Autoimmunity, Immunodeficiency