The Olson Lab

Cell & Molecular Biology

What we do

Research

Autoimmune disease occurs when the balance between the inflammatory and regulatory functions of Th cells is disrupted, resulting in excess inflammation that alters physiological processes. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) are two forms of intestinal autoimmune disease and are characterized by the accumulation of highly reactive inflammatory T cells in the intestines. However, the exact mechanisms by which inflammatory Th cells arise during inflammation and cause disease are unclear.

In the Olson lab, our goal is to better understand how CD4 ⁺ T helper cells drive intestinal inflammation by addressing several key questions.