E. John Wherry III

Dr. Wherry helped pioneered the field of T cell exhaustion, the mechanisms by which T cell responses are attenuated during chronic infections and cancer. He helped identify the role of the “checkpoint” molecule PD-1 and others for reinvigoration of exhausted T cells in cancer. Dr. Wherry’s work has defined the underlying molecular and epigenetic mechanisms of exhausted T cells. His work has defined the molecules and pathways initiating and guiding subsequent transitional steps in this alternate T cell developmental biology program. His work in humans has leveraged this foundation of T cell differentiation to track vaccine, antiviral, and anticancer immune responses including developing a cellular and molecular understanding of checkpoint blockade and other immunotherapies on anticancer immune responses as well as vaccine-induced immunity. His laboratory has also recently focused on applying systems immunology approaches to define Immune Health patients across a spectrum of diseases, including an emphasis on the pharmacodynamic responses of immune cells and immune pathways following therapeutic interventions. Beginning in 2020, Dr. Wherry’s laboratory focused considerable efforts on the immunology of COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2 vaccination, and Long COVID as well as establishing a new Immune Health Project to interrogate and use immune features to identify novel treatment opportunities across diseases.