Dan Littman

Biography
Dan Littman, M.D., Ph.D., is the Helen L. and Martin S. Kimmel Professor of Molecular Immunology and a Professor of Cell Biology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. His research has made fundamental contributions to understanding how T cells develop, differentiate, and respond to signals from pathogens, tissues, and the microbiome. His laboratory investigates the molecular programs that specify T-cell lineages, including regulatory and inflammatory T-cell populations, and how these programs influence immunity, autoimmunity, infection, and cancer. The group also studies how commensal microbes shape systemic immune responses and how immune mechanisms can be manipulated for therapeutic benefit. Dr. Littman’s earlier work helped define key molecules involved in T-cell recognition and HIV biology, and his research continues to connect basic immunology with questions relevant to human disease and cancer immunotherapy. He earned his M.D. and Ph.D. at Washington University in St. Louis and completed pathology training at Columbia University before establishing his independent research program.