Welcome to the Rahimi Lab
Type 2 immunity represents a unique immune module that plays an important role in host defense against helminths as well as venoms and toxins. In a subset of individuals, inappropriate type 2 immunity to non-infectious, environmental antigens drives allergic disease. The response to allergens is widely variable with many individuals maintaining tolerance while others exhibit allergic disease of varying severity and involving distinct barrier tissues. Understanding the mechanisms regulating these distinct responses to allergens will be critical to prevent and treat allergic diseases as well as promote protective type 2 immunity to helminths and toxin-producing pathogens. The focus of our lab is to define the rules whereby allergens regulate CD4+ T cell fate and type 2 immunity in vivo. We use the tools of mouse genetics, cellular immunology, microscopy, and multi-omics approaches to investigate the development and regulation of the type 2 immune module in vivo.