# Haj Dezfulian Lab > <title>Haj Dezfulian Lab | University of Pennsylvania</title> ## Posts - [A Busy Season of Science and Lab Milestones](https://dezfulianlab.com/elementor-5767/): Lab update The past several months have been especially busy for the Lab, with recent presentations highlighting our work across autoimmunity, transplantation, cancer immunology, and type 1 diabetes. Mo recently shared the lab’s work at several forums, including the NIH/NIAID Clinical Trials in Organ Transplantation (CTOT) Workshop, the Translational Research Cancer Centers Consortium (TRCCC) Annual Meeting, the Sjögren’s Foundation National Patient Conference, the Arthritis National Research Foundation (ANRF) Webinar Series, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) Scientific Sessions, and programs hosted by the Colton Center for Autoimmunity at Penn. Together, these talks highlighted the lab’s broader effort to develop genome-scale platforms for... - [Welcoming Vainavi and Radia to the Lab](https://dezfulianlab.com/welcoming-vainavi-and-radia-to-the-lab/): The lab is growing! I am thrilled to officially welcome Vainavi and Radia to the group as our newest PhD students. Vainavi joins us through Penn’s MD-PhD program. She comes from MIT, where her research focused on protein engineering, directed evolution, and CAR T cell therapy. Radia joins the group via Penn’s Bioengineering PhD program. She brings training in bioengineering and cellular engineering from NTU and EPFL, along with research experience at Dana-Farber and Harvard in CAR T cell biology and cancer immunotherapy. We’re so happy to have them on board and look forward to this next chapter in the lab! - [First on Site: We Open at 3600 Civic Center](https://dezfulianlab.com/4929-2/): It’s been a busy but rewarding summer! We welcomed a new postdoc, Izzy Dye, who joined us from London, UK. We moved into our new home at 3600 Civic Center, overlooking the Penn campus, and became the first lab to open in the building! We closed out the old space with a final lab meeting and a dinner celebrating our summer undergrads, Gabriel, Reman, and Taha. Izzy set up our computational workflow and Espanta brought the experimental side online and launched our first TScan experiments! Along the way, we presented at multiple conferences and symposiums. We pushed a stack of grant... - [ACR Convergence 2025](https://dezfulianlab.com/acr-convergence-2025/): Mo will be speaking at ACR Convergence 2025 in Chicago (Sunday, Oct 26) as part of the basic science session, “Bullseye! What’s the Target for T‑Cell‑Directed Therapies?” He’ll be sharing recent work on antigen discovery and how high-resolution epitope mapping is helping us better understand T cell, driven disease mechanisms, and where that could take us in terms of new therapies. Link: ACR Covergence 2025     - [High-throughput discovery of MHC class I- and II-restricted T cell epitopes using synthetic cellular circuits](https://dezfulianlab.com/high-throughput-discovery-of-mhc-class-i-and-ii-restricted-t-cell-epitopes-using-synthetic-cellular-circuits/): Antigen discovery technologies have largely focused on major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I-restricted human T cell receptors (TCRs), leaving methods for MHC class II-restricted and mouse TCR reactivities relatively undeveloped. Here we present TCR mapping of antigenic peptides (TCR-MAP), an antigen discovery method that uses a synthetic TCR-stimulated circuit in immortalized T cells to activate sortase-mediated tagging of engineered antigen-presenting cells (APCs) expressing processed peptides on MHCs. Live, tagged APCs can be directly purified for deconvolution by sequencing, enabling TCRs with unknown specificity to be queried against barcoded peptide libraries in a pooled screening context. TCR-MAP accurately captures self-reactivities or viral... - [T-Scan: A Genome-wide Method for the Systematic Discovery of T Cell Epitopes](https://dezfulianlab.com/t-scan-a-genome-wide-method-for-the-systematic-discovery-of-t-cell-epitopes/): T cell recognition of specific antigens mediates protection from pathogens and controls neoplasias, but can also cause autoimmunity. Our knowledge of T cell antigens and their implications for human health is limited by the technical limitations of T cell profiling technologies. Here, we present T-Scan, a high-throughput platform for identification of antigens productively recognized by T cells. T-Scan uses lentiviral delivery of antigen libraries into cells for endogenous processing and presentation on major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules. Target cells functionally recognized by T cells are isolated using a reporter for granzyme B activity, and the antigens mediating recognition are identified by... - [TScan-II: A genome-scale platform for the de novo identification of CD4+ T cell epitopes (Cell 2023)](https://dezfulianlab.com/tscan-ii-a-genome-scale-platform-for-the-de-novo-identification-of-cd4-t-cell-epitopes/):   CD4+ T cells play fundamental roles in orchestrating immune responses and tissue homeostasis. However, our inability to associate peptide human leukocyte antigen class-II (HLA-II) complexes with their cognate T cell receptors (TCRs) in an unbiased manner has hampered our understanding of CD4+ T cell function and role in pathologies. Here, we introduce TScan-II, a highly sensitive genome-scale CD4+ antigen discovery platform. This platform seamlessly integrates the endogenous HLA-II antigen-processing machinery in synthetic antigen-presenting cells and TCR signaling in T cells, enabling the simultaneous screening of multiple HLAs and TCRs. Leveraging genome-scale human, virome, and epitope mutagenesis libraries, TScan-II facilitates de novo antigen discovery and deep exploration of TCR specificity.... - [Award Announcement](https://dezfulianlab.com/colton-discovery-pilot-award/): Our lab has received a Pilot Grant from the Penn Colton Center for Autoimmunity to support the project “Comprehensive Mapping of Antigenic Landscapes in Sjögren’s Disease with Enhanced T-Scan.” This project aims to identify self-reactive targets that drive salivary gland autoimmunity in Sjögren’s disease by using next-generation antigen-presentation libraries and high-throughput epitope screening. More on the Colton Center Pilot Program: https://www.med.upenn.edu/PennColtonCenterAutoimmunity/pilot-grants.html     - [Roberts Family–Katalin Karikó Fellowship](https://dezfulianlab.com/award-announcement/): Our lab has been awarded the Roberts Family–Katalin Karikó Fellowship in Vaccine Development. Mo will present an overview of our work at the Institute for Immunology & Immune Health (I³H) Year-in-Review Symposium on June 11, 2025. - [The Haj Dezfulian Lab is Officially Open at Penn!](https://dezfulianlab.com/the-haj-dezfulian-lab-is-officially-open-at-penn/): I’m thrilled to announce that the Haj Dezfulian Lab is now open at the University of Pennsylvania, located on the 7th floor of the Stellar Chance Building! We’re actively recruiting Postdocs, Graduate Students, and Research Assistants to join our growing team.  If our work has piqued your interest, please get in touch! I also want to thank everyone who has helped me reach this milestone. I feel incredibly fortunate to have worked alongside so many talented and dedicated colleagues, friends, and advisors. Your contributions have made all the difference. Thank you for being a key part of this journey! - [ACR Convergence 2024](https://dezfulianlab.com/acr-convergence-2024/): Mo will speak at ACR Convergence 2024, the annual meeting of the rheumatology community, which will take place November 14–19 in Washington, DC. He will be giving a talk titled “Unbiased Antigen Discovery in Sjögren’s Disease” as part of the session “Where the Rubber Meets the Road: Exploring the Epithelial-Immune Cell Interplay Underlying Sjögren’s Syndrome.” The session is scheduled for Sunday, November 17, 2024, at 3:00 PM. https://rheumatology.org/annual-meeting ## Pages - [Home New](https://dezfulianlab.com/home-new/): Integrative Immunology and Cell Design Laboratory - [Contact Us](https://dezfulianlab.com/contact-us/): Location & Directions Haj-Dezfulian Lab Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Institute for Immunology and Immune Health Parker Institute of Cancer Immunotherapy Institute for Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism University of Pennsylvania Office 15-106 Lab 15-400 Address 3600 Civic Center Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19104 3600 Civic Center Blvd Penn Medicine campus, University City, Philadelphia. Open in Google Maps Join our team We are actively recruiting graduate students and postdocs in immunology, systems biology, or bioengineering to join our lab. If our work has piqued your interest or if you’re simply curious to learn more, we’d love to hear from you. Please reach... - [Gallery](https://dezfulianlab.com/gallery/): Lab Life Gallery - [News](https://dezfulianlab.com/news/) - [Research](https://dezfulianlab.com/research/): Our Research Decoding immune specificity Our goal is to uncover the fundamental principles governing complex immune responses. By integrating systems biology with biomolecular design, we build technologies to systematically dissect and reconstruct these systems. This engineering-first approach allows us to directly decode immune specificity in patient-derived samples across diverse diseases. Ultimately, we aim to translate these mechanistic insights into effective immunomodulatory therapies for autoimmunity, cancer, and infectious diseases. 01 · Technology Engineering Technologies to Decode T Cell Specificity Despite major advances in T-cell immunology, the comprehensive landscape of cognate antigens—and the molecular logic that enforces self–non-self discrimination—remains largely unresolved. Conventional assays... - [Publications](https://dezfulianlab.com/publications/): Mapping T-cell specificity and immune responses in human disease We develop technologies to identify the antigens recognized by T cells and use complementary approaches to uncover disease-relevant immune responses in autoimmunity, infection, and cancer. Selected publications · 01–03 Swipe to view all three → 01 CD8+ discovery TScan-I Genome-scale discovery of CD8+ T-cell epitopes A systematic platform for identifying the antigens recognized by CD8+ T cells. Cell · 2019 View publication → 02 CD4+ discovery TScan-II Genome-scale discovery of CD4+ T-cell epitopes A platform for the de novo discovery of MHC class II-restricted T-cell epitopes. Cell · 2023 View publication →... - [People Page](https://dezfulianlab.com/people-page/): Principal Investigator Mohammad (Mo) Haj-Dezfulian, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Pathology | Institute of Immunology University of Pennsylvania Mo obtained his Ph.D. under Dr. Bill Crosby in Canada, where he studied E3 ubiquitin ligases, which sparked his passion for creating new research tools to address fundamental biological questions. He then completed his postdoc in Boston with Dr. Steve Elledge, where he built genome-scale platforms to decipher T cell specificity. Fueled by an “unhealthy” enthusiasm for forward genetic screens, Mo’s research spans various topics at the intersection of immunology and technology development. When he isn’t pretending his inbox is empty or deadlines are... - [My account](https://dezfulianlab.com/my-account/) - [Fullscreen Home](https://dezfulianlab.com/fullscreen-home/): Considered creativefor elevated brands Considered creativefor elevated brands Considered creativefor elevated brands Considered creativefor elevated brands Instagram Facebook-f Twitter Pinterest-p - [Minimal Home](https://dezfulianlab.com/minimal-home/): View All Projects Spread The Angel Branding So Classical Mind Art Direction Beautiful Moments Animation Just Relax Hour Illustration Drunk In Stories Branding Unexpected Grove Art Direction Favourite Details Animation Still Need Hope Illustration Different August Branding Song Of Groove Art Direction Soul Mate Sky Animation Still Need Memories Illustration Space For Respect Branding Stairway To Things Art Direction Afraid Of Time Animation - [Minimal Agency](https://dezfulianlab.com/minimal-agency/): A San Diego ~ based digital ️creative agency. We create brands and rich interactive experiences. We bring the team. You bring the challenge. Recent Work Branding Spread The Angel Read More Art Direction So Classical Mind Read More Animation Beautiful Moments Read More Illustration Just Relax Hour Read More 01 Design a new product Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consecte tur adipiscing elit pelleantesque. 02 Improve an existing product Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consecte tur adipiscing elit pelleantesque. 03 Product consulting Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consecte tur adipiscing elit pelleantesque. Latest Posts How To She was nervous all the... - [Home](https://dezfulianlab.com/): Linkedin - [Coming Soon](https://dezfulianlab.com/coming-soon/) - [Services](https://dezfulianlab.com/services/): We forecast emerging threats and explore how technology can protect societies. Design a new product Conlectio provides a new revolutionizing approach to website building. Every mission is an opportunity to push the state of the art. Improve an existing product Build and design complex and heavily coded element designs into a live canvas and let us do the heavy lifting Product consulting This is your ultimate marketing solution that offers all the neccessary tools to build a successful marketing strategy. We make digital products functional and beautiful Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Integer nec dolor egestas, sodales arcu... - [Our Team](https://dezfulianlab.com/our-team/): Keep in finding creatives willing to come upwith offbeat solutions. We’re up for it! Want to join us? Apply now Aria Hastings CEO Mike Blackburn Web Developer Anita Smith Web Designer Tim Wandervaal Human Resources Thomas Watson Animation Emma Radcliffe Marketing Adam Cooper Web Designer Maya Bellucci Web Developer We’d love to partner with you to create the best work possible. Buy Now - [Contact](https://dezfulianlab.com/contact/): Join US! University of PennsylvaniaStellar – Chance Laboratories706(Lab), 709C (Office)440 Curie BlvdPhiladelphia, PA 1910 mhdez@upenn.edu - [Shop Grid Wide](https://dezfulianlab.com/shop-grid-wide/): Add to Cart Black Max Tablet $450.00 $345.00 Add to Cart Desk Pen Holder $87.00 $65.00 Add to Cart Black Markers Set $92.00 $81.00 Add to Cart Ceramic Plant Pot $34.00 Add to Cart Black Paper Clip $23.00 $10.00 Add to Cart Colored Design Box $126.00 Add to Cart Tube Paper Box $67.00 Add to Cart Blue Pot Plant $103.00 $78.00 Add to Cart Gold Metal Box $89.00 - [Metro Joined](https://dezfulianlab.com/metro-joined/): Spread The Angel Branding So Classical Mind Art Direction Beautiful Moments Animation Just Relax Hour Illustration Drunk In Stories Branding Unexpected Grove Art Direction Favourite Details Animation Still Need Hope Illustration Different August Branding Song Of Groove Art Direction Soul Mate Sky Animation - [Masonry List](https://dezfulianlab.com/masonry-list/): Home Masonry List Afraid Of Time Animation Stairway To Things Art Direction Space For Respect Branding Still Need Memories Illustration Soul Mate Sky Animation Song Of Groove Art Direction Different August Branding Still Need Hope Illustration Favourite Details Animation Unexpected Grove Art Direction Drunk In Stories Branding Just Relax Hour Illustration - [Standard List](https://dezfulianlab.com/standard-list/): Home Standard List Spread The Angel Branding So Classical Mind Art Direction Beautiful Moments Animation Just Relax Hour Illustration Drunk In Stories Branding Unexpected Grove Art Direction Favourite Details Animation Still Need Hope Illustration Different August Branding - [My account](https://dezfulianlab.com/my-account-2/) - [Shop](https://dezfulianlab.com/shop-2/) - [Sample Page](https://dezfulianlab.com/sample-page/): This is an example page. It’s different from a blog post because it will stay in one place and will show up in your site navigation (in most themes). Most people start with an About page that introduces them to potential site visitors. It might say something like this: Hi there! I’m a bike messenger by day, aspiring actor by night, and this is my website. I live in Los Angeles, have a great dog named Jack, and I like piña coladas. (And gettin’ caught in the rain.) …or something like this: The XYZ Doohickey Company was founded in 1971, and... ## Optional - [Agent (MCP protocol)](websites-agents.hostinger.com/dezfulianlab.com/mcp) [comment]: # (Generated by Hostinger Tools Plugin)