{"692049":{"#nid":"692049","#data":{"type":"event","title":"PhD Proposal by Makala Faniel","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMakala Faniel\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBioE PhD Proposal Presentation\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWednesday, September 9th, 2026, at 10:30 am\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELocation: Kendeda 118 Seminar Room\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETeams Link:\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/teams.microsoft.com\/meet\/241560061777867?p=SdsN4kN3cJ3NXhCVck\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 title=\u0022https:\/\/teams.microsoft.com\/meet\/241560061777867?p=SdsN4kN3cJ3NXhCVck\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/teams.microsoft.com\/meet\/241560061777867?p=SdsN4kN3cJ3NXhCVck\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAdvisor:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr. Cheng Zhu, Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECommittee Members:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr. Edward Botchwey, Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr. Gabriel Kwong, Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr. Alexander Vlahos, Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr. Milos Aleksic, Immunocore\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDefining How Force Regulates T Cell Activation in Cancer\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ET cells play a central role in the immune system\u0027s ability to recognize and eliminate cancer cells. However, tumors can evade immune destruction through mechanisms that suppress T-cell activation and function within the tumor microenvironment. Recent studies have shown that mechanical forces transmitted through receptor-ligand interactions are critical regulators of T-cell activation, yet the role of these force-dependent mechanisms in cancer remains incompletely understood. This proposal seeks to define how mechanical forces regulate T-cell behavior in cancer across three contexts: engineered activation through bispecific T-cell engagers (BiTEs), suppression and restoration of force-dependent signaling within the tumor microenvironment, and co-agonist-mediated antigen recognition. Using single-molecule and cellular mechanobiology techniques including micropipette adhesion frequency assays, biomembrane force probe measurements, and super-resolution imaging approaches, this work will characterize how force-dependent receptor interactions influence T-cell activation and function. These studies will provide new mechanistic insight into T-cell mechanotransduction and may inform the development of improved cancer immunotherapies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDefining How Force Regulates T Cell Activation in Cancer\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Defining How Force Regulates T Cell Activation in Cancer"}],"uid":"27707","created_gmt":"2026-08-26 17:19:23","changed_gmt":"2026-08-26 17:20:15","author":"Tatianna Richardson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","field_event_time":{"event_time_start":"2026-09-09T10:30:00-04:00","event_time_end":"2026-09-09T12:30:00-04:00","event_time_end_last":"2026-09-09T12:30:00-04:00","gmt_time_start":"2026-09-09 14:30:00","gmt_time_end":"2026-09-09 16:30:00","gmt_time_end_last":"2026-09-09 16:30:00","rrule":null,"timezone":"America\/New_York"},"location":"Kendeda 118 Seminar Room","extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"221981","name":"Graduate Studies"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"102851","name":"Phd proposal"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[{"id":"1788","name":"Other\/Miscellaneous"}],"invited_audience":[{"id":"78771","name":"Public"}],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}