Dr. Gina J. Fiala
Tel.: +49 (0)761 203 67513
gina.fiala(at)biologie.uni-freiburg.de
Research Interests
T and B lymphocytes represent the two main components of the adaptive immune system. Both express highly diverse surface antigen receptors, namely TCR and BCR, crucial for lymphocyte development, survival and activation.
My long-term research interests involve elucidation of antigen receptor signaling in immune cells, their impact on cellular fate decisions during development and activation, and their crosstalk with other receptors. The understanding of the molecular processes underlying antigen receptor signaling has versatile implications in clinical settings and will help to manipulate immune responses and improve cancer immunotherapy.
Research Foci
- elucidating receptor signaling in lymphocytes and its impact on cellular fate decisions during lymphocyte development and activation
- special emphasis on γδ T cells
Group members
Gina J. Fiala
Group Leader
Lin Ma
PhD Student
Kerstin Fehrenbach
Technician
CV
Since 2024
associate member of the excellence cluster CIBSS
Since 2024
Group Leader, Faculty of Biology, Department of Immunology
2023-2024
Postdoc in Immunology, BIOSS, University of Freiburg
2021-2023
Science Manager, FRIAS, University of Freiburg
2018-2020
Marie Curie and EMBO Fellow, Instituto de Medicina Molecular and Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
2015-2017
Postdoc in Immunology, University of Freiburg
2009-2015
PhD thesis in Molecular Immunology, University of Freiburg and Max Planck Institute for Immunology
2009-2015
PhD thesis in Molecular Immunology, University of Freiburg and Max Planck Institute for Immunology
2008-2009
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
2001-2008
Diploma studies in Biology, University of Freiburg, Universitá degli Studi Roma Tre, Italy, and Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain
Other activities and awards
2024
CORA (Coaching Women for Research and Academia) Fellow, University ofFreiburg
2020
Come & STAY! Fellowship, University of Freiburg
2017
EMBO post-doctoral Long-Term Fellowship
2017
Marie Sklodowska-Curie European Fellowship, European Commission
2016
Prize for the best PhD Thesis in Immunology, Faculty of Biology, University ofFreiburg, Society for the Promotion of Immunology in Freiburg and in Memory of Georges Köhler e.V. (GEFI)
2009
Spemann Graduate School for Biology and Medicine Fellow, University of Freiburg (2009-2015)
Selected Publications
- Sumaria N*, Fiala GJ*§, Inácio D, Curado-Avelar M, Cachucho A, Pinheiro R, Wiesheu R, Kimura S, Courtois L, Blankenhaus B, Darrigues J, Suske T, Almeida ARM, Minguet S, Asnafi V, Lhermitte L, Mullighan CG, Coffelt SB, Moriggl R, Barata JT, Pennington DJ§, Silva-Santos B. Perinatal thymic-derived CD8ab-expressing gd T cells are innate IFN-g producers that expand in IL-7R/STAT5B-driven neoplasms. Nat Immunol. 2024 May 27. doi: 10.1038/s41590-024-01855-4. (*first, § corresponding)
- Fiala GJ*§, Lücke J*§, Huber S. Pro- and antitumorigenic functions of γδ T cells. Eur J Immunol. 2024 May 27:e2451070. doi: 10.1002/eji.202451070. (*first, § corresponding)
- Herr LA, Fiala GJ, Sagar, Schaffer AM, Hummel JF, Zintchenko M, Raute K, Velasco Cárdenas RMH, Heizmann B, Ebert K, Fehrenbach K, Janowska I, Chan S, Tanriver J, Minguet S, Schamel WW. Kidins220 and Aiolos promote thymic iNKT cell development by reducing TCR signals. Sci Adv. 2024 Mar 15;10(11):eadj2802. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adj2802.
- Schaffer AM, Fiala GJ, Hils M, Natali E, Babrak L, Herr LA, Romero-Mulero MC, Cabezas-Wallscheid N, Rizzi M, Miho E, Schamel WWA, Minguet S. Kidins220 regulates the development of B cells bearing the λ light chain. Elife. 2024 Jan 25;13:e83943. doi:10.7554/eLife.83943.
- Fiala GJ*, Gomes AQ*, Silva-Santos B. From thymus to periphery: Molecular basis of effector γδ-T cell differentiation. Immunol Rev. 2020 Nov;298(1):47-60. doi: 10.1111/imr.12918. (*first, § corresponding)
- Fiala GJ§, Schaffer AM, Merches K, Morath A, Swann J, Herr L, Hils M, Esser C, Minguet S, Schamel WWA. Proximal Lck Promoter-Driven Cre Function is Limited in Neonatal and Inefficient in Adult gd T Cell Development. J Immunol. 2019 Jul 15;203(2):569-579. doi: 10.4049/jjimmunol.1701521. (§ corresponding)
Link to publication list: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=gina+fiala&sort=date