Susan Murray

As an immunologist, I am broadly interested in the signals that determine whether cells of the immune system get activated or get turned off. Both functions are necessary to maintain health—immune cell activation is required to fight infectious disease and cancer, but preventing inappropriate immune cell activation is equally important to avoid autoimmunity and allergies. In particular, I am interested in immune cells called T cells, which contribute to long-term memory of and protection against previously encountered infections and vaccines. Currently funded research investigates how hormones impact human T cell function. Students involved in this research learn how to culture human immune cells and perform and analyze cellular and molecular assays to assess T cell function.

I teach introduction to cell and molecular biology, immunology, and a senior capstone course: advances in biomedical science.

When not at UP, I enjoy travel with my kids, hiking, yoga, and alternately loving and cursing the Green Bay Packers.

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