He is also the holder of the Rudolph and Sletten Developmental Chair. The New Innovator award will boost his efforts to understand how cellular communication is controlled in space and time. To this end, he develops unique optical microscopy techniques that visualize the molecular organization of plasma membrane signaling in live cells. A main interest of his laboratory is the processing of signals that cause activation or silencing of T lymphocytes during infections and diseases. His research reveals novel signaling mechanisms that can be utilized to modulate cell functions and target the large number of diseases associated with membrane signaling defects.