Kirk Jensen

Kirk Jensen serves as Associate Professor and current Chair of the Molecular and Cellular Biology department, teaching undergraduate courses in Human Parasitology [BIO123] and Molecular Immunology [BIO151]. He previously chaired admissions for the QSB graduate program (2015-2018) and maintains active research leadership.

His educational trajectory includes:

• Master's research at La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology under Eli Sercarz and Claudia Raja-Gabaglia, investigating altered peptide ligands in CD4 T cell responses to Leishmania major
• Ph.D. training in Yueh-hsiu Chien's lab at Stanford University School of Medicine's Department of Microbiology and Immunology, focusing on γδ T cell development and function
• Postdoctoral work with Jeroen Saeij at MIT's Department of Biology, studying Toxoplasma gondii virulence factors (ROP16, GRA15, ROP5) and immune modulation

Jensen's research centers on mechanistic immunology of host-parasite dynamics, particularly how T cell responses and pathogen evasion strategies (notably in Toxoplasma gondii) drive disease progression. His lab actively pursues immune-based therapeutic interventions and vaccine development against parasitic infections, bridging fundamental discovery with clinical applications.

He leads the Jensen lab focused on translating immune evasion insights into novel anti-parasitic therapies, with emphasis on inflammatory pathways initiated by specialized T cell subsets. Administrative contributions include departmental leadership and graduate program admissions oversight, reflecting dual commitments to research innovation and academic stewardship.