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Joanna Groom

@groomlab.bsky.social
1.1K followers 842 following 62 posts

Immunologist @WEHI_research. Passionate about inclusive conversations and diversity, both in and outside the Immune system. She/her

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Joanna Groom @groomlab.bsky.social · 20/02/2026
Thrilled that Laura will be joining WEHI Immunology as the inaugural Sir Gustav Nossal Professor of Immunology 🎉 🥂 🙌
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IMAGE Lab @labphan.bsky.social · 21/12/2025
The Szilard Point is not some theoretical event horizon. It is where we are at right now. When the total cost of competing for a grant exceeds the value of available funding the system is seriously broken. We need innovative granting schemes and solutions not more of the same hunger games.
nature.com
Point of no returns: researchers are crossing a threshold in the fight for funding
With so little money to go round, the costs of competing for grants can exceed what the grants are worth. When that happens, nobody wins.
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Joanna Groom @groomlab.bsky.social · 21/12/2025
Its hard to imagine our current grant systems surviving their own peer review processes, maybe that's a good starting point 🤔
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Joanna Groom @groomlab.bsky.social · 21/12/2025
Everyone's tags: @brigetteduckworth.bsky.social @benjbroom.bsky.social @raymondqin.bsky.social @taylahjbennett.bsky.social @chinweetan.bsky.social
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Joanna Groom @groomlab.bsky.social · 21/12/2025
Hey "Friends" The 2025 edition of our #AwkwardLabPhoto celebrates an incredible year of growth, publications, promotions, PhD submissions and grads I feel immensely proud and grateful to be part of this team
@brigetteduckworth.bsky.social @benjbroom.bsky.social @raymondqin.bsky.social @taylahjbennett.bsky.social @chinweetan.bsky.social
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Joanna Groom @groomlab.bsky.social · 18/12/2025
🎉🥂 our @jem.org paper “Transient inhibition of type I interferon enhances CD8+ T cell stemness and vaccine protection” is in the 2025 Best of JEM collection This work was led by @benjbroom.bsky.social @wehi-research.bsky.social check out the original thread.. bsky.app/profile/groo...
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Joanna Groom @groomlab.bsky.social · 17/12/2025
Also with @taylahjbennett.bsky.social now on bsky!
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Joanna Groom @groomlab.bsky.social · 17/12/2025
Fantastic to wrap up the year with a lab retreat at CERES East Brunswick: Celebrating some nice wins in 2025 and setting us up for 2026 and beyond @wehi-research.bsky.social @benjbroom.bsky.social @brigetteduckworth.bsky.social @raymondqin.bsky.social @chinweetan.bsky.social
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Joanna Groom @groomlab.bsky.social · 10/12/2025
2025 lab photo shoot has happened! While we're deciding on the final cut, flash back to last years entry. Is anyone else is up for the #AwkwardLabPhoto challenge... or is this just an "us" thing 🤷‍♀️
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Stephanie Flores @icis-stephanie.bsky.social · 08/12/2025
Cytokines 2026 in Glasgow (Oct 18-21) has an incredible Scientific Organizing Committee! Simon Jones, Iain McInnes, Clare Bryant, Clare Lloyd, and Luke O'Neill creating the program. This one's going to be special. Details: 2026.cytokinesociety.org
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Joanna Groom @groomlab.bsky.social · 07/12/2025
Another fantastic @ASI annual meeting, with @benjbroom.bsky.social (New Investigator finalist) and @brigetteduckworth.bsky.social (Symposia session) sharing the latest work from our lab. Loved catching up with old friends and hearing the current research from this brilliant network.
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Thiago Carvalho @cyrilpedia.bsky.social · 10/10/2025
Jacques Miller? “It started by taking a thymus out of a mouse,” said Jo Handelsman, the director of the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “Who would have thought that would be an exciting idea for the future of medicine?”
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Joanna Groom @groomlab.bsky.social · 09/10/2025
Thanks @10xgenomics.bsky.social for the shout out and for making your data publicly available Why waste precious resources ($$) to reinvent data that already exists? Cool human datasets ready to go (Although now we have scratched the spatial itch, we may need to do more @chinweetan.bsky.social 🤔)
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Sophia Davidson @sciencesophie.bsky.social · 08/10/2025
Today is the last day to make a submission! You don't have to fill in the survey l, you can just upload a letter or even a video 🫵🏻Advocate for fundamental research👊🏻 @nhmrc.bsky.social need your feedback to develop the best strategy for the future of Australian medical research Link in the 🧵
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Sophia Davidson @sciencesophie.bsky.social · 06/10/2025
Dear Everyone, I've read the #NHMRC draft strategy and I have notes ... So I'm going to...🧵🤔🧵😱🧵😵‍💫🧵🙏🧵🧵🧵 This is a repost from X because you all need to know! #NHMRCdraftStratergy #Ihavenotes #ValueFundamentalScience @nhmrc.bsky.social
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Joanna Groom @groomlab.bsky.social · 30/09/2025
Thrilled to make the cover of @natimmunol.nature.com this month. A version of this warhol-inspired image has been in my head almost since we first conceived this Tfh diversity project (many, many years ago) @wehi-research.bsky.social
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Joanna Groom @groomlab.bsky.social · 30/09/2025
"Biology is messy and sometimes we need to embrace the mess" www.nature.com/articles/s41... Huge thanks to Amy Weinmann and Danielle Chisolm for beautifully highlighting our work and the importance of our approaches @natimmunol.nature.com
nature.com
TFH cell programs by pathogen and species - Nature Immunology
CD4+ T follicular helper (TFH) cells that develop in response to a range of pathogens share aspects of a common gene signature. However, cytokine environments, rather than pathogen class, shape diversity in programming potential.
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WEHI (The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research) @wehi-research.bsky.social · 24/09/2025
WEHI scientists led by @groomlab.bsky.social‬ @chinweetan.bsky.social map how Tfh cells tailor instructions based on infection type. A step toward smarter vaccines and therapies. 📄 In @natimmunol.nature.com: www.nature.com/articles/s41... 🔗 Read more: www.wehi.edu.au/news/unlocki...
Yellow Tfh cells activate magenta B cells to produce protective antibodies during parasite infection.
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Joanna Groom @groomlab.bsky.social · 12/09/2025
This entire project is intertwined with the influence of cytokines to specify Tfh phenotype differentiation and to modify their function. Ill be presenting this (and some unpublished work) at the @cytokinesociety.bsky.social meeting 2025 in Seattle in November.
seattle.cytokinesociety.org
Home - Cytokines 2025: 13th Annual Meeting of the International Cytokine & Interferon Society
Register now Browse the preliminary program Meet the confirmed speakers Local Organizing Committee Carolyn Coyne, Ph.D., Duke University, Durham, USA The International Cytokine & Interferon Society would like to thank the following sponsors for their support of Cytokines 2025 Annual Meeting! Silver Sponsors Bronze Sponsor Exhibitors & Sponsors
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Joanna Groom @groomlab.bsky.social · 12/09/2025
Generating this Resource has initiated multiple new projects in the lab. If you are interested in joining us, please reach out. @wehi-research.bsky.social International PhD Scholarships are now open.
wehi.edu.au
International PhD Scholar Initiative
Our International PhD Scholar Initiative enables outstanding international students to join WEHI's Medical Biology PhD Program.
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Joanna Groom @groomlab.bsky.social · 12/09/2025
This was a massive collaborative effort based on our local ASI network including @kimljacobson.bsky.social @niclag.bsky.social @coopernatant.bsky.social @katherinekedz.bsky.social @jenjuno.viralvaxlab.com @cvandesandt.bsky.social @amania001.bsky.social (these are all i can find 🦋). Huge thanks 🙌
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Joanna Groom @groomlab.bsky.social · 12/09/2025
Combined this Resource provides new ways to: 🌟Assess the impact of route, affinity, dose on Tfh function 🌟Investigate Tfh phenotype plasticity 🌟Direct B cell responses for vaccines against a diverse range of pathogens 🌟Unlock avenues to understand and treat antibody-mediated diseases
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Joanna Groom @groomlab.bsky.social · 12/09/2025
Further, we identified new cell surface markers to explore these phenotypes across lymphoid tissues and blood with @katherinekedz.bsky.social and with @jenjuno.viralvaxlab.com in an antigen-specific manner, using longitudinal infected or vaccine cohorts.
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Joanna Groom @groomlab.bsky.social · 12/09/2025
Next, with Vanessa Bryant (no 🦋), we performed CITE-seq on human tonsil Tfh scRNAseq. This showed that our mouse signatures overlayed with distinct human Tfh clusters.
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Joanna Groom @groomlab.bsky.social · 12/09/2025
We found these cytokines act as levers of Tfh phenotypes, beyond Th1-Tfh bifurcation. Highlighting separate transcriptional modules to instruct Tfh cell identity and functional branching. The latter being instructed by cytokines and overlayed by lineage-defining factors to instruct B cell responses.
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Joanna Groom @groomlab.bsky.social · 12/09/2025
We next established Tfh-pathogen specific signatures which indicated distinct transcriptional programs, functional potential and highlighted unique cytokine signaling profiles. This suggested cytokine pathways are a stronger driver of specific heterogeneous Tfh cell phenotypes than pathogen class.
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Joanna Groom @groomlab.bsky.social · 12/09/2025
We then performed bulk RNAseq to profile IL21+, and IL21- Tfh cells, T follicular regulatory cells, and T effector cells from each infection. This allowed us to establish a core Tfh signature that is conserved regardless of pathogen type.
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Joanna Groom @groomlab.bsky.social · 12/09/2025
First, we established that each infection established distinct Tfh populations and, with @kimljacobson.bsky.social, tailor distinct B cell responses.
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Joanna Groom @groomlab.bsky.social · 12/09/2025
Here, we expand this to investigate how distinct programing is established during diverse challenges, comparing viral, helminth, and bacterial infections. We hypothesized that pathogen-specific cues result in functionally distinct Tfh phenotypes with the capacity to tailor B cell responses.
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Joanna Groom @groomlab.bsky.social · 12/09/2025
Previously we established that context-dependent transcriptional programing exists for Tfh induced during viral infections @amania001.bsky.social www.cell.com/cell-reports...
cell.com
Context-Dependent Role for T-bet in T Follicular Helper Differentiation and Germinal Center Function following Viral Infection
Shiekh et al. show that, in influenza and LCMV infections, the role of the transcription factor T-bet in TFH differentiation is contingent on environmental cues, IL-2 signaling, and T cell competition...
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Joanna Groom @groomlab.bsky.social · 12/09/2025
CD4+ T follicular helper (Tfh) cells display remarkable functional flexibility, directing B cell responses during vaccination and all pathogen classes and being implicated during inflammatory and antibody-mediated diseases. Check out the Tfh “circle of influence” from @profshanecrotty.bsky.social
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Joanna Groom @groomlab.bsky.social · 12/09/2025
Thrilled to have our latest research @wehi-research.bsky.social published in @natimmunol.nature.com www.nature.com/articles/s41... This work was an outstanding partnership between talented PhD student Len Dalit (now postdoc, no 🦋) and bioinformatician @chinweetan.bsky.social Thread below...
nature.com
Divergent cytokine and transcriptional signatures control functional T follicular helper cell heterogeneity - Nature Immunology
Dalit, Tan and colleagues provide a multiomic profile of T follicular helper (TFH) cells responses to diverse pathogens, revealing a blueprint for transcriptional flexibility and new tools to interrog...
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International Cytokine & Interferon Society (ICIS) @cytokinesociety.bsky.social · 25/06/2025
Abstract deadline extended to Monday, June 30! And travel grants are still available to student and post-doc members. Don't miss out - REPOST to share the info with others.
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WEHI (The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research) @wehi-research.bsky.social · 15/05/2025
🌏 Make your mark in Melbourne! 🌏 We are looking for innovative researchers to join WEHI as Laboratory Heads and help lead the next wave of biomedical discovery. For more information and to apply 👇
wehi.edu.au
Make your future Melbourne
Lead the next wave of biomedical discovery
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Cyril Seillet, PhD @seilletlab.bsky.social · 19/05/2025
🧠🍔 Just 48 hours on a high-fat diet can weaken gut immunity. Our new study shows saturated fats rapidly impair ILC3s! Proud to see this featured by @wehi-research.bsky.social as I continue to explore these questions @monashuniversity.bsky.social with the IMI Lab!
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Journal of Experimental Medicine @jem.org · 09/05/2025
ICYMI: explore our #Immunology collection, highlighting B cells, CD8+ T cell stemness, priming and differentiation, CD4+ T cell heterogeneity, autoimmunity, lymphatic immunophysiology and innate immune signaling. 👉 rupress.org/jem/collecti... #AAI2025
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Joanna Groom @groomlab.bsky.social · 09/05/2025
Congratulations Doug and team
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Doug Dyer @douglaspdyer.bsky.social · 28/04/2025
So excited to share our first neuro focused paper from the lab, we show that CXCL4 (PF4) is transported into the brain by proteoglycans within the endothelial glycocalyx and that GAG binding also mediates the pro neurogenesis effects of CXCL4. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
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Joanna Groom @groomlab.bsky.social · 09/05/2025
Excited to have our latest research published in @jem.org this week and also highlighted by @natrevimmunol.nature.com @wehi-research.bsky.social @benjbroom.bsky.social
nature.com
Brief blockade of type I IFN increases CD8+ T cell memory - Nature Reviews Immunology
A study shows that transient blockade of type I interferon signalling during T cell priming enhances the generation of stem cell-like memory CD8+ T cells after viral infection and mRNA vaccination.
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Joanna Groom @groomlab.bsky.social · 24/04/2025
Thanks to @cytokinesociety.bsky.social Signals+ for highlighting our recent work @benjbroom.bsky.social @wehi-research.bsky.social
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Joanna Groom @groomlab.bsky.social · 01/04/2025
Lovely work Isaak. Good to see you here.
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Ivan Zanoni @lozanzi.bsky.social · 15/03/2025
#WeekendRead! #InterferonFriendOrFoe! @benjbroom.bsky.social @groomlab.bsky.social &co show @jem.org that transient type I IFN inhibition upon LCMV infection or a mRNA vaccine boosts stem-like memory CD8 T cells by altering their location within the draining lymph node, potentiating virus protection
rupress.org
Transient inhibition of type I interferon enhances CD8+ T cell stemness and vaccine protection | Journal of Experimental Medicine | Rockefeller University Press
Broomfield et al. demonstrate that early type I interferon blockade alters CXCR3 chemokine regulation and cell location to promote an antigen-dependent CD8
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Alan Dreams of Candy Corn @alans9.bsky.social · 10/03/2025
Gonna guess immunologists will regret the "precursor of exhausted" T cell name in the future.
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Joanna Groom @groomlab.bsky.social · 11/03/2025
Surely we are already there
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Joanna Groom @groomlab.bsky.social · 11/03/2025
This journey was over 2.5 since initial submission 😭 led by @benjbroom.bsky.social with support from the whole lab, @chinweetan.bsky.social, WEHI’s Dynamic Imaging Facility, and Norbert and Colin's teams.
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Joanna Groom @groomlab.bsky.social · 11/03/2025
⭐️ Our work demonstrate that the formation of effector cells is not needed to obtain potent memory T cell responses. ⭐️ Thus our study suggests a new approach to vaccine design to direct stem cell-like memory CD8+ T cell formation and function.
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Joanna Groom @groomlab.bsky.social · 11/03/2025
⭐️ Interplay of type I and II IFNs modify chemokine abundance to position CD8+ T cells within the lymph node. ⭐️This has implications for patients with LOF mutations in IFN-I signaling or auto-IFN-I antibodies.
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Joanna Groom @groomlab.bsky.social · 11/03/2025
⭐️ Our study aligns with others (Utzschneider, Ahmed, Zehn) unifying stem-like cells in acute, chronic infections and cancer ⭐️ Suggesting in chronicity the transition to memory is "interrupted" ⭐️ Importantly we reveal markers that allow these states to be tracked in vaccine/immunotherapy responses
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Joanna Groom @groomlab.bsky.social · 11/03/2025
Combined: ⭐️ CD8+ T cells primed in the absence of IFN-I signaling transition from Tpex to Tscm cells. ⭐️ These are plastic cellular states, with antigen availability dictating the transition between the two. ⭐️ We propose this natural transition promotes development of potent CD8+ memory formation.
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Joanna Groom @groomlab.bsky.social · 11/03/2025
With help from Norbert Pardi @upenn.edu and Colin Pouton @monashuniversity.bsky.social we applied this knowledge to mRNA-LNP vaccination to demonstrate that IFN-I blockade provided protective benefit against subsequent chronic viral infection.
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