Associate Professor of Pathology
| Address: | 845 19th Street South Bevill Biomedical Research Building, 868D2 UAB Birmingham, AL 35294 |
| Telephone: | (205) 975-5537 |
| FAX: | (205) 975-8310 |
| Email: | rdzialo@uab.edu |
| Publications |
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Education
BS (Biotechnology), Worcester Polytechnic Institute
PhD, University of Alabama at Birmingham
Post-doctoral training, University of Alabama at Birmingham
Research Interests
The studies in our laboratory are concerned with the interactions of antigen presenting cells and CD4 T cells and their regulation during an immune response. My primary interest is the molecular mechanisms that drive effector T cell development both in normal and disease states, focusing specifically on the transcriptional regulation of the Th1 expressed molecules, interferon gamma (IFNγ) and Fas ligand and the regulation of expression of IL-10 in regulatory T cells. We have identified a conserved distal regulatory element that is critical for lineage specific expression of IFNγ and we are currently investigating its function in both activating and silencing IFNγ expression. We have developed a powerful set of tools that includes a transgenic mouse system that allows for gene delivery into primary T cells, and the use of recombineering to develop BAC transgenic and gene targeted mice. The combination of both systems in addition to conventional molecular biological techniques allows for a unique approach to this very import aspect of the immune response.