My primary research focus is on the basic mechanisms of adaptive immunity and pulmonary host defense against infectious disease. Pneumocystis is an opportunistic lung fungal pathogen that causes Pneumocystis pneumonia in immunocompromised patients, particularly the HIV patient population. Even with current antibiotics and the widespread implementation of HAART, Pneumocystis pneumoniais fatal in 10% of colonized patients. Although it is clear that the loss of CD4 T cells is predisposition to Pneumocystis pneumonia, the underlying mechanism for host defense is not well understood. My goal is to determine the basic mechanisms of the adaptive immune response against Pneumocystis for the development of new treatment options. Additionally, there is little known about how T and B cells in the lung shape long-term immunity, so this research aims to expand upon our general knowledge of pulmonary immune defenses. 

Myers, RC, King, RG,Carter, RH, and Justement, LB. Lymphotoxin α₁β₂ expression on B cells is required for follicular dendritic cell activation during the germinal center response. (Eur J Immunol in press, doi:10.1002/eji.201242471).
 
You, Y, Myers, RC, Freeberg, L, Foote, J, Kearney, JF, Justement, LB, and Carter, RH. Cross-talk between marginal zone B cells and marginal zone macrophages.  J Immunol. 2011; 186(4):2172-81.
 
Carter, RH and Myers, R. Germinal center structure and function: lessons from CD19. Semin Immunol 2008; 20(1):43-8.
 
Hsu, HC, Yang, P, Wu, Q, Myers, R, Chen, J, Wang, J, Yi, J, Tousson, A, Stanus, AL, Le, TL, Lorenz, RG, Kolls, JK, Carter, RH, Chaplin, DD, Lu, L, Williams, RW, and Mountz, JD. Th17 and IL-17 orchestrate autoreactive germinal center development in autoimmune BXD2 mice. Nat Immunol 2008;9(2):166-75.