Dr. Tiffany Scharschmidt is a Professor and the Vice Chair of Research in the Department of Dermatology at the University of California, San Francisco. Her lab studies cellular and molecular mechanisms that mediate interactions between bacteria and the developing immune system. Leveraging access to human samples as well novel immunological and microbiological tools in murine models, her lab has uncovered key mechanisms supporting early life peripheral tolerance to skin bacteria. For example, the neonatal period is marked by a heightened propensity to generate commensal-specific Tregs, which is specifically supported by CD301b+ DC2s in skin and reinforced by cues from commensal bacteria. Dr. Scharschmidt’s work has been recognized by numerous awards including those from the Burroughs Welcome Fund and the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, a NIH Director’s New Innovator Award, and election into the American Society for Clinical Investigation.