The overarching goal of research in the Mace lab is to dissect human NK cell development and acquisition of function. The team does this through cell biological investigation of the contact-dependent mechanisms of NK cell differentiation and the role that cell migration plays in this process. In addition, they define novel requirements for human NK cell development through the study of individuals with rare primary immunodeficiencies that lead to impaired NK cell maturation. They have expertise in multiscale, multidimensional imaging and image analyses and in vitro modeling of human innate immune cell development.