Martin Prusinkiewicz

Neonatal T Cell Metabolism: I am investigating the metabolic differences between adult and neonatal naive CD4 T cells. Our preliminary results suggest that adult CD4 T cells are more mitochondrially active than CD4 T cells from term and pre-term neonates. We hypothesize that these differences in metabolic function may be result in differences in immune function that can modulate infection. I have been recently awarded a CIHR postdoctoral fellowship for this project. 

Lung Development in Congential Diaphragmatic Hernia: Congential diaphragmatic hernia is a hole in the diaphragm that causes internal organs to impinge on the growth of the lungs. However, the contribution of mechanical and molecular mechanisms to lung hypoplasia remains unclear. Using archival pathology specimens of hypoplastic CDH lungs, we aim to investigate whether the expression of lung development genes is adversely affected in CDH. Our project team has been awarded a Clinical & Translational Research Seed Grant and a Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine Seed Grant to answer this question.

Neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 in a Canada-wide Cohort: The COVID-19 Occupational Risks, Seroprevalence and Immunity among Paramedics (CORSIP) project helps identify immunological characteristics of serum from paramedics across Canada. I contribute to the characterization of these samples.