- Associate Professor, Department of Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
Dr. Michela Locci is Associate Professor of Microbiology at the Perelman School of Medicine. She completed her doctoral training in Italy and postdoctoral work in the United States focused on human T follicular helper (Tfh) cell biology, joining the Penn faculty to build an independent research program.
The Locci laboratory dissects the heterogeneity and function of human Tfh cells and their role in shaping germinal center B cell responses and humoral immunity. Her landmark work — including a seminal 2021 Immunity paper on lipid nanoparticle adjuvant activity in mRNA vaccines — redefined how the field thinks about vaccine-induced Tfh and germinal center responses, and her group continues to study how aberrant Tfh biology contributes to systemic lupus erythematosus and other antibody-mediated autoimmune diseases.
Dr. Locci is a member of the Penn Colton Center for Autoimmunity, the Institute for Immunology and Immune Health, and the Penn Institute for RNA Innovation, where her Tfh expertise bridges vaccine biology and autoimmunity. She is a frequent collaborator across Penn’s mRNA, B cell, and rheumatology communities.
