Dr. Patrycja Kozik leads a research group at the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology (MRC LMB) in Cambridge, UK, dedicated to unravelling the cellular and molecular mechanisms of initiation of immune responses by dendritic cells.

Her team employs cutting-edge technologies, including imaging, proteomics, and genetic screens to investigate the key players of antigen presentation and endocytic escape. A recent breakthrough by Dr. Kozik and her team revealed that perforin-2 is a critical effector in the process of cross-presentation by dendritic cells.

This discovery sheds light on how pore-forming proteins facilitate antigen processing and presentation, a key step in activating cytotoxic T cells. Dr. Kozik’s work has significant implications for understanding the immune system's role in health and disease and the development of novel immunotherapies