GIRBL LAB

Group: Immune Cell Migration & Vascular Biology

Immune cell recruitment from the circulation into tissues is essential for host defense but also a major driver of inflammatory disease. During this process, leukocytes cross the venular wall - a multicellular barrier composed of endothelial cells, pericytes, and the basement membrane.

While the endothelial step of this process is well understood, our research focuses on the underexplored post-endothelial phase, where immune cells navigate within the venular wall before entering inflamed tissues. Our work has established that distinct, spatially organized chemokine cues direct neutrophil transmigration across the different layers of venular walls and that neutrophil post-endothelial crawling on pericytes is essential for efficient tissue entry. We aim to uncover how this intramural microenvironment controls immune cell entry into inflamed tissues.

Research goals

Our general goal is to define the cellular and molecular mechanisms that govern leukocyte trafficking across venular walls in vivo. We focus on how neutrophils are guided through the pericyte layer and how local signals shape their migratory behavior and function. In parallel, we investigate how effector T cells interact with vascular wall components during peripheral inflammation.

By combining advanced confocal and two-photon intravital microscopy with genetic models and quantitative analysis, we dissect immune cell behavior in its native tissue context with high spatial and temporal resolution.