Spring 2026 Grantee Highlight:
Thomas Walz

Thomas Walz, PhD

Professor, Laboratory of Molecular Electron Microscopy, The Rockefeller University

The Walz Lab will investigate how T-cell receptors become activated, a process that that is essential for the immune system to respond to infections and cancer. This research aims to uncover how shape changes within the receptor initiate the signaling events that drive T-cell activation.

T cells are central to human immunity by leading the defense against infections and eliminate tumors. T-cell activation begins when the T-cell receptor (TCR) recognizes foreign or mutated peptides presented by other cells. The Walz Lab recently discovered that the TCR adopts different shapes in its resting and activated states. These changes extend beyond the region that directly binds peptides, suggesting that activation involves coordinated changes throughout the receptor. However, it remains unclear how these changes are transmitted across the receptor to initiate the signaling events that drive T-cell activation.

In this project, the team will combine genetic, chemical biology, imaging, and biochemical approaches to determine how TCR activation occurs at the molecular level. The findings will provide new insight into a fundamental process of immune function and establish a foundation for engineering next-generation T-cell therapeutics.

Learn more about the Walz Lab: https://www.rockefeller.edu/our-scientists/heads-of-laboratories/1124-thomas-walz/