Vladimir Badovinac, PhD and John Harty, PhD have been awarded a new five-year R01 research grant from the NIH/NIAID entitled “Impact of Whole-Body Radiation Exposure on Pathogen-Specific Memory CD8 T Cells.” The award totals $3,247,420. The project began on February 10, 2026, and will conclude on January 31, 2031.

The threat of accidental or deliberate radiation exposure to humans necessitates the development of effective medical countermeasures to address the resulting immune dysfunction that causes both acute and long-term harm. In part, the lack of effective countermeasures stems from insufficient understanding of the cellular and molecular effects of radiation exposure on critical components of the immune system.

The goal of this proposal is to dissect the impact of radiation exposure on pathogen-specific memory CD8 T cell responses generated following acute or chronic viral infections, with the aim of identifying strategies to restore CD8 T cell–mediated immunity.

Building on the combined expertise of the Badovinac and Harty laboratories, the long-term objective of this research is to precisely define the mechanisms governing the maintenance, differentiation, and function of infection- and/or vaccine-induced memory CD8 T cell subsets. In addition, the project will explore therapeutic strategies to restore memory CD8 T cell responses following radiation exposure.

This goal will be addressed through the following Specific Aims: SA1: Delineate the tissue-specific impact of whole-body irradiation (WBI) on pathogen-specific tissue-resident memory CD8 T cells (Trm), and evaluate targeted vaccination strategies to restore memory CD8 T cell numbers and function after irradiation. SA2: Define the mechanisms underlying WBI-induced numerical and functional declines in circulating memory CD8 T cells (Tcircm) and exhausted CD8 T cells (Tex) generated following acute or chronic viral infections.