Our primary research focus is to understand the basic mechanisms of immunity to infectious organisms and how these mechanisms change or deteriorate with age. Our secondary focus is on how longevity- and healthspan- extending interventions intersect with immune defense. We are particularly interested in how aging with persistent herpesviruses may influence immunity to other organisms across the lifespan. We are actively working to identify and test novel strategies, such as thymic rejuvenation, immune modulation, new vaccine approaches and metabolic/nutritional interventions to improve healthspan and immune protection in late life.