Meagan Jenkins joined the lab!

Meagan Jenkins joined the Reed Lab in August 2021 as a postdoctoral scholar.  Her research project focuses on the LA-SPARTA project which aims to determine the changes in immune response that occurs after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination and infection. She specifically wants to explore the T cell response to SARS-CoV-2 and how this correlates with immunity. This includes looking at the specific T cell subsets present after vaccination and infection compared to healthy individuals, and comparing the T cell repertoire in vaccinated and infected individuals.

Meagan received her B.S. degree in Biological Sciences with a minor in Chemistry at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU). At FGCU, she studied molecular and cellular virology, focusing on antibody dependent enhancement in Zika virus and also studied Dengue virus vaccine design based on a Yellow fever vaccine construct. She received her PhD at the University of Alabama at Birmingham  studying dendritic cell migration patterns and CD8 T cell activation in a mouse model of influenza virus infection. During her PhD, she found that the spleen as a primary site for CD8 T cell activation and generation of long-lived CD8 T cells during influenza virus infection. She joined the Reed lab to transition to and gain expertise in human immunology. In her free time, she enjoys playing beach volleyball, surfing, and working out.

Welcome Meagan!