This project aims to understand how specific natural killer (NK) cells found in tissues respond to infection with EHV-1, a virus that affects horses. In the blood, NK cells are the body’s first line of defense and are programmed to kill viruses. We think that when these immune cells migrate into the uterus during pregnancy, this function is modified based on signals from the surrounding environment. This weakened response may allow the virus to infect cells in the mother’s blood vessels more easily. By studying how the local tissue environment changes the behavior of these immune cells, we hope to uncover important clues about how the horse responds to viral infection.