Dr. Bill Hawse

Biography

Bill F. Hawse, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Immunology at the University of Pittsburgh. He has expertise in microbiology and immunology, specifically focusing on T cells as key mediators in the adaptive immune response. His research investigates how T cells utilize extracellular receptors to sense their environment and transduce signals through intricate intracellular signaling networks. His working hypothesis suggests that T cells encode signaling inputs which lead to different phosphoproteomes, driving various cellular differentiation programs. Dr. Hawse aims to identify the molecular mechanisms that encode T cell receptor (TCR) signal strength and explore how TCR signaling intersect with cytokine signaling networks. His lab employs a combination of cellular immunology, mass spectrometry, biophysics, and advanced microscopy techniques to unravel the complexities of T cell activation under different contexts such as infections and autoimmune responses. Current projects in his lab include studying proteomic differences that define memory T cell recall responses and mechanisms of T cell signaling pathways.

Research Interests