Faculty and Mentor Notice: Additional teaching mentors and faculty will be added as the Undergraduate Immunology Program expands.
Rebecca Arend
Assistant Professor, Heersink School of Medicine
Obstetrics and Gynecology
Research Interests:
My two ongoing projects in ovarian cancer translational research are (1) interaction between the Wnt pathway and the immune system in chemoresistant ovarian cancer, and (2) using Epigenetic therapy to prime the immune system to enhance response to immunotherapy.
Prescott Atkinson
Professor, Heersink School of Medicine
Pediatric/Allergy
Research Interests:
Molecular mechanisms of primary immunodeficiency; role of chronic mycoplasma infection in chronic diseases (asthma, arthritis).
Andre Ballesteros-Tato
Assistant Professor, Heersink School of Medicine
Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology
Research Interests:
My laboratory studies the cellular interactions and the molecular mechanisms that control T cell responses to viral infections.
S. Louis Bridges Jr.
Professor & Division Director, Heersink School of Medicine
Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology
Research Interests:
In collaboration with Dr. Chander Raman, we are exploring the role of the interferon-gamma-Jak/STAT pathway in Rheumatoid Arthritis. The specific aims are to: (1) identify the specific circulating cell type in which IFNGR expression is elevated in RA; (2) determine the outcome of IFNGR signals by assaying the activation of IFN-γ induced STAT1 and changes in activation of STAT3 and STAT5 in RA versus healthy controls; and (3) determine the molecular mechanism and outcome of attenuated IL-2 induced activation of STAT5 in specific subpopulations of T cells in RA.
Brent A. Carter
Professor, Heersink School of Medicine
Pulmonary, Allergy & Critical Care Medicine
Research Interests:
The role of macrophage phenotype, mitochondrial ROS, mitophagy, and mitochondrial biogenesis in pulmonary fibrosis development.
Randall Davis
Professor, Heersink School of Medicine
Hematology & Oncology
Research Interests:
The Davis laboratory studies lymphocyte development and the roles of immunoreceptors in regulating lymphocyte biology. The goal of these studies is to determine fundamental mechanisms important for modulating immune defense, but alternatively may contribute to pathogenesis in perturbed states of immunity such as lymphoma/leukemia and autoimmune disorders.
Jessy Deshane
Associate Professor, Heersink School of Medicine
Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine
Research Interests:
Our laboratory focuses on immune regulation in chronic inflammatory lung diseases. Projects involve both basic science and translational research using mouse models and human subjects.
Terje Dokland
Associate Professor, Heersink School of Medicine
Microbiology
Research Interests:
Our lab studies the structure and assembly of viruses, bacteriophages and bacteria. Our main focus is on the phage-induced mobilization of Staphylococcus aureus pathogenicity islands, mobile genetic elements that carry genes encoding virulence factors, such as superantigen toxins. We use a hybrid approach that involves structural biology, especially cryo-electron microscopy, biochemistry and genetics.
Michael Gray
Assistant Professor, Heersink School of Medicine
Neurology
Research Interests:
The Gray lab studies how bacteria sense and respond to oxidants produced by the immune system.
Tom Harris
Assistant Professor, Heersink School of Medicine
Pediatric/Pulmonary
Research Interests:
TGF-beta pathobiology in CF with specific attention on miRNA to mediate TGF-b/CFTR interaction in airway epithelia and mechanosensitive pathways upregulated in activated CF myofibroblasts.
Kevin Harrod
Professor, Heersink School of Medicine
Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine
Research Interests:
Respiratory virus pathogenesis and immunology.
Zdenek Hel
Associate Professor, Heersink School of Medicine
Pathology
Research Interests:
Research in our laboratory focuses on the (1) immunology, pathogenesis, and prevention of HIV-1 infection; (2) characterization of the role of neutrophils and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) in the regulation of immune responses in infection and cancer; (3) development of novel approaches to cancer immunotherapy; and (4) characterization of the effect of hormonal contraception on the structural and immunological changes in the human vaginal epithelial barrier and their potential consequences for HIV-1 acquisition and transmission.
Hui Hu
Associate Professor, Heersink School of Medicine
Microbiology
Research Interests:
Transcriptional control of T cell differentiation and B cell immune responses.
Janusz Kabarowski
Associate Professor, Heersink School of Medicine
Microbiology
Research Interests:
Lipid-mediated regulation of immunity in autoimmune and chronic inflammatory diseases. Imaging Mass Spectrometry for studying metabolomics and lipidomics in immune diseases.
John Kearney
Professor, Heersink School of Medicine
Microbiology
Research Interests:
Development of the immune system with respect to asthma, Type 1 diabetes, and other infectious diseases.
Robert P. Kimberly
Professor, Heersink School of Medicine
Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology
Research Interests:
Dr. Kimberly's research involves the use of molecular immunology and immunogenetics to identify susceptibility and severity factors for human autoimmune disease and to identify new targets for therapeutic approaches. He is currently applying these strategies in several key clinical areas, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and the systemic vasculitides.
Chris Klug
Professor, Heersink School of Medicine
Microbiology
Research Interests:
Our laboratory has had a longstanding interest in questions related to hematopoietic stem cell biology and acute myeloid leukemia. We are also interested in utilizing deep sequencing and high throughput drug sensitivity screening to identify novel treatment approaches for leukemia and breast cancer.
Jianmei Leavenworth
Assistant Professor, Heersink School of Medicine
Neurosurgery
Research Interests:
Cancer and immune cell crosstalk in the tumor microenvironment; discovery of new targets for cancer immunotherapy.
Frances Lund
Professor, Heersink School of Medicine
Microbiology
Research Interests:
The Lund lab studies how B lymphocytes provide protection from infection and cause pathology in the settings of autoimmunity and allergy.
Craig Maynard
Assistant Professor, Heersink School of Medicine,
Pathology/Molecular & Cellular
Research Interests:
We have two major research objectives: (1) to elucidate the cellular and molecular networks that enhance regulatory T cell function during chronic inflammation, and (2) to understand the dynamic interplay between the intestinal microbiota and host-derived inflammatory mediators.
William Meador
Assistant Professor, Heersink School of Medicine
Neurology
Research Interests:
We are interested in clinical and translational research to evaluate the basic understanding of Multiple Sclerosis and to assess our clinical management of patients with MS.
John Mountz
Professor, Heersink School of Medicine
Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology
Research Interests:
Dr. Mountz’ research interests are rooted in the molecular and cell interactions that drive autoimmune responses in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and the development of targeted therapeutic strategies and gene therapy. Recently, Dr. Mountz research focuses on using the BXD2 mouse model of complex autoimmunity to dissect the fundamental mechanisms of systemic autoimmunity.
Moon H. Nahm
Professor, Heersink School of Medicine
Allergy and Critical Care
Research Interests:
The Nahm lab primarily studies pneumococcal infections and vaccines.
Michael Niederweis
Professor, Heersink School of Medicine
Microbiology
Research Interests:
Tuberculosis pathogenesis.
Lyse Norian
Associate Professor, Heersink School of Medicine
Nutrition Sciences
Research Interests:
The Norian lab studies immune responses to solid tumors, and has two main areas of focus: (1) understanding how obesity alters protective immunity to tumors, and (2) developing improved immune-based therapies for breast and renal cancers.
Jan Novak
Professor, Heersink School of Medicine
Microbiology
Research Interests:
The Novak lab studies glycobiology of autoimmune and infectious diseases. Main topics include IgA nephropathy and the origin of aberrantly glycosyalted IgA1 and the corresponding autoantibodies and functional glycomics of HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein as it relates to vaccine development and virus biology.
Carlos Orihuela
Associate Professor, Heersink School of Medicine
Microbiology
Research Interests:
Our laboratory explores how pneumococcal toxins trigger cell death during invasive pneumococcal disease. We are specifically exploring the role of necrptosis and how its inhibition might be a way to prevent tissue damage.
Rakesh Patel
Professor, Heersink School of Medicine
Pathology
Research Interests:
Oxidative and nitrosative stress signaling and modulation of endothelial inflammation.
Jennifer Pollock
Professor, Heersink School of Medicine
Nephrology
Research Interests:
Cardiovascular disease, such as hypertension, is an inflammatory disease. We study the relationship of the innate and adaptive immune system with hemodynamic mediators of cardiovascular disease.
Chander Raman
Professor, Heersink School of Medicine
Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology
Research Interests:
The overall focus of the laboratory is to elucidate immunopathogenic mechanisms of autoimmunity with a focus on multiple sclerosis (MS) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The ongoing research bridges immune mechanisms in human with reductionist studies in mouse models.
Troy Randall
Professor, Heersink School of Medicine
Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology
Research Interests:
The Randall lab studies pulmonary immunity to viruses and tumor immunology.
Steffanie Sabbaj
Assistant Professor, Heersink School of Medicine
Infectious Diseases
Research Interests:
Our studies focus on understanding the establishment of memory T cells in human mucosal tissues, with a focus on the female genital tract of HIV-infected women. Additional studies include breast milk T cells in women who are CMV seropositive.
Alex Szalai
Professor, Heersink School of Medicine
Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology
Research Interests:
The theme of our research has been on inflammation and its contribution to the maintenance of health, the propagation of disease, and the tissue response to injury, with a major focus on the biology of C-reactive protein.
Mark Walter
Professor, Heersink School of Medicine
Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology
Research Interests:
Design of anti-viral cytokines using structural biology, protein design, and cell signaling studies. Development of methods to measure cytokine biological activity in single cells obtained from patients with auto immune disease.
Robert Welner
Assistant Professor, Heersink School of Medicine
Hematology & Oncology
Research Interests:
Major advances have been made in describing the transcriptional networks dictating self-renewal of stem cells, and a number of important transcriptional regulators have been characterized during hematopoiesis; meanwhile, understanding how these processes become dysregulated in their function in stem cells has not been well established. Our research investigates the role of steady-state and perturbed immune cells and microenvironments on the stem cell self-renewal and differentiation, as well as the crosstalk between these contradictory forces.
Nabiha Yusuf
Assistant Professor, Heersink School of Medicine
Dermatology
Research Interests:
We study the role of innate immune receptors in the development of cancer and inflammatory diseases.