Dr. Dan Coombs

Prof. Coombs obtained his PhD in 2001 from the University of Arizona, held a postdoctoral position at Los Alamos National Laboratories (2001-2003), and joined UBC in 2003.

Research Focus

Prof. Coombs is cited for his creativity, productivity, and ever-growing impact in mathematics applied to problems in biology. He works in the field of computational immunology, addressing a wide range of problems in viral disease dynamics and HIV modelling, and in the dynamics of receptors on cell surfaces. In particular, he and his co-workers have recently developed innovative single particle tracking algorithms that have enabled improved and insightful interpretation of experimental data from cell biology.

Example Project

“Regulation of Receptor Mobility and Spatial Organization: Key Factors in B Cell Activation”

Our project builds on new ideas about how B cell receptor (BCR) signaling is controlled by the movement and organization of the BCR within the cell membrane. To signal, BCRs must form clusters with each other, interact with other membrane proteins that organize signaling machinery, and move away from negative regulators. New advances in microscopy have allowed us to visualize the movement and clustering of the BCR in the membrane, as well as its interactions with positive and negative regulators. Our goal is to elucidate how BCR mobility, organization, and interactions are controlled, and how this determines the strength of tonic BCR signaling. This may suggest new ways to modulate B cell activation in order to improve vaccines and prevent autoimmunity.

Research Keywords

Theoretical Immunology, Virus Dynamics, Biophysics, Immune Cell Signaling