Position
Professor, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Department of Medicine, McGill University
Canada Research Chair in Barrier Immunity
Director, McGill Centre for Microbiome Research
Research Interests
The focus of our research is to understand how immune cells communicate with their local environment to promote protective immune responses relevant to human disease. We are particularly interested in immunity at barrier sites such as the gut, skin and lung as these tissues face the complex task of maintaining homeostasis while directly interacting with the outside world.
Ongoing studies include:
- The molecular mechanisms of CD4+ T cell differentiation following intestinal helminth infection.
- The gut-lung axis in the context of infectious disease
- Innate immune mechanisms of disease tolerance during intestinal helminth infection.
- Regulation of skin-resident IL-17-producing T cells in the context of psoriatic-like inflammation.
- The impact of the microbiome on infection and inflammatory bowel diseases.
Check out this link to find out why parasites may be critical for human evolution!
This link describes how helminths can affect human fertility.
Featured Publications
A type 1 immune-stromal cell network mediates disease tolerance against intestinal infection
Westfall S, Gentile ME, Olsen TM, Karo-Atar D, Bogza A, Röstel F, Pardy RD, Mandato G, Fontes G, Herbert D, Melichar HJ, Abadie V, Richer MJ, Vinh DC, Koenig JFE, Harrison OJ, Divangahi M, Weis S, Gregorieff A, King IL.
Cell. 2025 Jun 12;188(12):3135-3151.e22.
Bcl-6 expression by CD4+ T cells determines concomitant immunity and host resistance across distinct parasitic infections
Meli AP, Russell GA, Swaminathan S, Weichselbaum L, MacMahon CA, Pernet E, Karo-Atar D, Rogers D, Rochette A, Fontes G, Mandl JN, Divangahi M, Klein OD, Gregorieff A, Stäger S, King IL.
Mucosal Immunol. 2023 Dec;16(6):801-816.
Helminth-induced reprogramming of the stem cell compartment inhibits type 2 immunity
Karo-Atar D, Ouladan S, Javkar T, Joumier L, Matheson MK, Merritt S, Westfall S, Rochette A, Gentile ME, Fontes G, Fonseca GJ, Parisien M, Diatchenko L, von Moltke J, Malleshaiah M, Gregorieff A, King IL. J Exp Med. 2022 Sep 5;219(9):e20212311.
Prostaglandin E2 amplifies IL-17 production by γδ T cells during barrier inflammation
Polese B, Thurairajah B, Zhang H, Soo CL, McMahon CA, Fontes G, Hussain SNA, Abadie V, King IL. Cell Rep. 2021 Jul 27;36(4):109456.
Training the metaorganism: the microbial counterpart
King IL, Divangahi M. Cell. 2021 Jan;184(3):574-576.
NK cell recruitment limits tissue damage during an enteric helminth infection
Gentile ME, Li Y, Robertson A, Shah K, Fontes G, Kaufmann E, Polese B, Khan N, Parisien M, Munter HM, Mandl JN, Diatchenko L, Divangahi M, King IL. Mucosal Immunol. 2020 Mar;13(2):357-370.
CD109 Restrains Activation of Cutaneous IL-17-Producing γδ T Cells by Commensal Microbiota
Zhang H, Carnevale G, Polese B, Simard M, Thurairajah B, Khan N, Gentile ME, Fontes G, Vinh DC, Pouliot R and King IL. Cell Reports. 2019 Oct 8;29(2):391-405.
Intestinal dysbiosis compromises alveolar macrophage immunity to Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Khan N, Mendonca L, Dhariwal A, Fontes G, Menzies D, Xia J, Divangahi M, King IL. Mucosal Immunol. 2019 May;12(3):772-783.
T follicular helper cell-derived IL-4 is required for IgE production during intestinal helminth infection
Meli AP, Fontes G, Leung Soo C, King IL. J Immunol. 2017 Jul 1;199(1):244-252.
The integrin LFA-1 Controls T follicular Helper Cell Generation and Maintenance
Meli AP, Fontés G, Avery DT, Leddon SA, Tam M, Elliot M, Ballesteros-Tato A, Miller J, Stevenson MM, Fowell DJ, Tangye SG, King IL. Immunity. 2016 Oct 18;45(4):831-846.
In the News
MI4-Pathy Seed Fund Grant Winners
Congrats to Irah King and Dao Nguyen who received MI4-Pathy Seed Funding in support of their innovative research in infection and antimicrobial resistance.
CIHR Project Grant Results – Fall 2025
Congratulations to all RESP members who were funded in the Fall 2025 CIHR Project Grant Competition!
New MI4 Microbiomes and Rheumatic Diseases Grant to Irah King
Irah King receives MI4 funding to explore how alterations in the gut microbiome may drive the development of fibromyalgia
Breakthrough Discovery in Gut Health
Publication in Cell by Irah King reveals how immune signals protect the gut during infection
Discovery Reveals How the Immune System Protects the Gut Without Killing the Infection
New study by Irah King reveals how our immune system protect the gut during helminth infection.
Spring 2025 Student Awards
Congratulations to the 2025 recipients of FRQS and CIHR studentship and fellowship awards! We wish you much success!
Gut Fungus: A Hidden Ally in Fighting Parasites
Work by Irah King has uncovered a previously unknown role of fungi in shaping intestinal immunity.
New 2024 Grants to Meakins Faculty
Congratulations to Irah King, Dao Nguyen, Maziar Divangahi, and Gregory Fonseca on their recent grants!
2024 RESP Research Day Poster and Oral Winners
Congratulations to all of our oral and poster presenter winners from the 2024 Respiratory Research Day.
2024 Graduate Student Award Winners
Congratulations to members of the Meakins-Christie Labs who are winners of 2024 student awards. Keep up the great work!
Spring 2023 Student Awards
Congratulations to the 2023 recipients of FRQS and CIHR studentship and fellowship awards! We wish you much success!
Health Matters: Promise of Microbiome Research
Irah King describes a promising study about the microbiome and chronic pain at the McGill Centre for Microbiome Research
Contact Information
Meakins-Christie Laboratories
RI-MUHC, Block E
Office EM2.2232
Lab E03.4380
1001 Decarie Blvd.
Montreal QC H4A 3J1
Canada
Tel: 514-934-1934
E-Mail: irah.king [at] mcgill.ca
Education & Training
BA (Psychology), Ohio University, 2000
MSc (Physical Therapy), U Pittsburgh, 2002
PhD (Immunology), U Rochester, 2008
PDF Trudeau Institute, 2012