Samuel Behar

Samuel M. Behar MD, PhD is a Professor at UMass Chan Medical School, affiliated with the T.H. Chan School of Medicine and the Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. His research focuses on understanding immunological mechanisms in tuberculosis (TB), particularly how Mycobacterium tuberculosis evades host immunity and how T cells contribute to infection control.

• Institution: UMass Chan Medical School
• Schools: T.H. Chan School of Medicine, Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
• Departments: Microbiology, Immunology and Microbiology Program

Research interests span cellular immunology, microbial pathogenesis, and vaccine development for TB. Recent studies explore T cell exhaustion, macrophage heterogeneity, and antigen-specific immune responses using transgenic models and single-cell transcriptomics. His lab is pivotal in identifying CD8+ T cell epitopes and dissecting immune evasion strategies of Mtb.

Key article trends show emphasis on T cell receptor diversity, host-pathogen genetic interactions, and effector cell dynamics. While no specific awards are listed, his work has been extensively cited and funded through major TB research initiatives. The Behar Lab investigates pulmonary immunity to inform host-directed therapies and vaccine design.