Abstract

This Cambridge Immunology Network Seminar will take place on Thursday 4 December 2025, starting at 4:00pm, CRUK Lecture Theatre

Speaker: Clair Gardiner, Professor in Immunology, School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity College Dublin

Title: “Investigating the metabolic reprogramming of cytokine-induced memory-like Natural Killer cells”

Short Bio: Professor Clair Gardiner is a Prof. in Immunology at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. Based in the School of Biochemistry and Immunology since 2002, she is the Head of the Discipline of Immunology. Along with teaching and other admin duties, Prof. Gardiner has an active and dynamic research lab. She is an internationally recognized leader in the field of natural killer (NK) cell biology. Her research focuses on understanding how NK cell metabolism and signalling influence immune responses in cancer and immunotherapy. Over the past ten years, her group has made key contributions to elucidating the metabolic regulation of NK cell function, including the first ever paper published on human NK cell metabolism. Using patient cohorts from a variety of cancer types, the group seek to understand the mechanisms of NK cell metabolic dysregulation in cancer patients, understanding the impact of the TME on circulating NK cells and to translate these insights toward improving cancer immunotherapy. With over 60 peer-reviewed publications in leading journals including JITC , PNAS, Journal of Immunology, and Gut, Professor Gardiner’s work has been cited more than 3200 times. Her recent studies have uncovered how metabolic pathways—including those regulated by TGF β and PKM2 —shape NK cell responses in cancer, advancing the field of immunometabolism.

Host: Maike de la Roche, CRUK

Refreshments will be available following the seminar.