Jace Heath is a third year PhD candidate in the Immunology and Microbiology program at the University of Iowa. Jace graduated from the University of Wyoming in 2020 with a B.S. in molecular Biology, and during his undergraduate studies he participated in immunology research centered on T. gondii infections and nutritional immunity. After graduating from the University of Wyoming, Jace joined the Issuree lab which studies epigenetic mechanisms that control T lymphocyte cell development and function. With an interest in T cell signaling, Jace is working on a project to examine the epigenetic and transcriptional mechanisms that modulate the expression of a co-receptor, CD5, that acts as a regulator to fine-tune T cell receptor mediated signaling in lymphocytes. Understanding the interplay between CD5 and T cell receptor signaling will shed light on basic mechanisms that dictate T cell function and will help advance current vaccine strategies in adults and newborns, who exhibit distinct modes of CD5 regulation from each other. Outside of the lab, Jace enjoys watching soccer and riding his motorcycle.