Two new FRIA Grants to PhD students of IMI were recently obtained. Aurore Dubois is taking part in a project jointly developed by Véronique Flamand, PhD, chargé de cours à l'ULB and David Dombrowicz, PhD, group leader at the INSERM Unit U547 of the University of Lille 2, in the framework of the F.R.S.-FNRS-INSERM European Laboratory gathering IMI and the laboratory headed by Professor Monique Capron in Lille. Aurore investigates the consequences of exposure to antigens in early life and explores strategies to prevent allergic diseases by enhancing the activities of regulatory lymphocytes belonging to the CD8 T cell population.

Emmanuelle Moens will conduct her thesis under the mentorship of Fabienne Willems, Chargé de cours at the ULB, and David Vermijlen, senior post-doctoral scientist supported by the Belgian Science Federal Policy. Emmanuelle will explore the cross-talk between dendritic cells (the cell type responsible for the initiation of adaptive T lymphocyte responses) and gamma-delta T cells which represent an important first-line defense against pathogens in epitheliums. This project should lead to novel approaches to boost immune reactions in early life against pathogens such as cytomegalovirus and Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the agent causing tuberculosis.