His research interests utilize a combination of structural biology, genomics, systems biology, recombinant viral technology and cellular immunology to examine molecular factors that impact T cell responses to virus infection.

Within eukaryotic cells, genomic DNA is wrapped around a complex of histone proteins to form a structure termed chromatin. Post-translational modifications (PTMs) of histone proteins are an important mechanism for the regulation of gene transcription. Upon activation, naïve T cells undergo a program of proliferation and acquisition of lineage specific functions. Importantly, exactly how factors, such as epigenetic regulation, chromatin remodelling and cell specific transcription factors, regulate acquisition and maintenance of T cell effector function are largely not understood. By using a multidisciplinary approach that includes the application of multiple next generation sequencing applications (RNA-seq, ChiP-seq, ATAC-seq, and HiC), small molecule inhibitor treatment of epigenetic and transcriptional regulators, novel transgenic and gene deficient mouse models, viral models of immunity and advanced bioinformatics, Professor Turner's laboratory aims to identify novel transcriptional and epigenetic pathways and regulatory elements that regulate virus-specific killer T cell differentiation, function and the establishment of immunological memory. Such analysis will lead to the identification of molecular immune correlates of protective immunity that will serve to better understand how optimal immunity is generated. Further, this information will contribute to improvement of immunotherapies for infection (vaccines), autoimmune disease and cancer therapy