Basic Immunology
Dan Campbell, PhD (BRI, Associate Professor of Immunology) studies the development and function of effector and regulatory T cells and how their trafficking affects tolerance to self-antigens. This includes analyses of key signaling and transcriptional networks that drive T cell specialization. His collaborators include Drs. Hamerman, Rawlings, Stetson, and Ziegler.
Michael Gerner, PhD (Assistant Professor of Immunology) studies the spatiotemporal crosstalk between the innate and adaptive immune system. The lab utilizes cutting-edge microscopy approaches learned in the Schwartz Lab at NIH to study these communication events directly in vivo. Understanding how, where and when such cell-cell crosstalk occurs, as well as the molecular mechanisms of how it is regulated will uncover the fundamental underpinnings of how the immune system operates, as well as generate novel strategies for vaccine and therapeutic design. Dr. Gerner collaborates with Drs. Savan, Stetson, Gale and Oberst.
Adam Lacy Hulbert, PhD (BRI, Associate Professor of Immunology) studies the mechanisms of innate immune regulation of immune responses, and how these processes impact autoimmune disease and protective immunity to pathogens. A major research program in the lab investigates the role of the alpha-v integrin family of adhesion molecules, their function in cell adhesion, phagocytosis, signaling and activation of TGF-beta, and how these affect immunity. Dr. Lacy-Hulbert collaborates with Drs. Buckner, Campbell, Zeigler, Gale, Hamerman, and Stetson.
Andrew Oberst, PhD (SLU, Associate Professor of Immunology) studies how different forms of cell death occur, and how they influence immune responses in vivo. The lab has revealed that the processes of necroptosis and pyroptosis can be triggered by pathogen infection and contribute to inflammation and immunity. The focus of the Oberst lab is to understand the molecular mechanisms that initiate these cell death programs in response to cytokines or cellular damage. Dr. Oberst collaborates with Drs. Elkon, Gale, Clark, Stetson and Savan.
Jessica Hamerman, PhD (BRI, Associate Professor of Immunology) studies the in vitro and in vivo regulation of myeloid cells during homeostasis, infection and autoimmunity. Her work encompasses regulation of Toll-like receptor signaling in macrophages, trafficking of monocytes, and monocyte/macrophage development, with the goal of understanding how myeloid cells respond in situations of acute and chronic inflammation and infection. Training Program Faculty collaborators are Buckner, Campbell, Elkon, Rawlings, and Ziegler.
Dan Stetson, PhD (SLU, Associate Professor of Immunology, Adjunct Associate Professor Division of Rheumatology) studies antiviral immunity, autoimmune disease, and the evolution of host-pathogen relationships. The lab is focused on identifying new pathways and modes of regulation of the innate immune sensors of nucleic acids, including pathogen sensing of DNA and RNA, and defining the role of innate immune sensors and nucleic acid metabolism in innate immunity, viral infection, and autoimmunity. Dr. Stetson collaborates with Drs. Gale, Elkon, Buckner, Clark, Hamerman, Lacy-Hulbert, Oberst, Oukka, Savan, and Rawlings.
Stephen Ziegler, PhD (BRI, Immunology Program Director, Professor of Immunology) has two major research interests. One focus of interest is the role of epithelial-derived cytokines (TSLP, IL-25 and IL-33) in the initiation and progression of allergic inflammation. The second interest is the role of the transcription factor FOXP3 in regulatory T cell development and function, particularly in human T cells. Dr. Zeigler collaborates with Drs. Campbell, Buckner, Rawlings, Hamerman, Lacy-Hulbert, Gale and Stetson.
Genetics and Genome Sciences
Eric Allenspach, MD PhD (SCRI, Assistant Professor Dept. Pediatrics) is a former T32 trainee in this program. He focuses on translational work to understand immune disorders characterized by overlapping immunodeficiency and autoimmune features. The lab combines genetic and deep immunophenotyping techniques to identify novel pathogenic variants in human samples and probes molecular mechanisms of immune dysregulation using animal models.
Mary Clare King, PhD (Professor of Medicine, Genome Sciences) uses genetics and genomics to study informative families and populations in order to identify genes responsible for complex human conditions. Primary areas of interest include breast and ovarian cancer, schizophrenia, and Mendelian disorders in children. She is particularly interested in disentangling genetic heterogeneity in complex traits such as SLE, thereby discovering individually rare severe alleles that cause common disorders. Dr. King collaborates with Drs. Togerson and Stevens.
Ram Savan, PhD (SLU, Associate Professor of Immunology). His interests are in studying gene regulatory mechanisms that have evolved to modulate innate immune responses, with specific focus on exploring the effect of genetic variations in the non-coding regions in immune genes and regulation of type I and III interferon pathways in immune programming. The laboratory has a unique expertise of integrating the effect of post-transcriptional regulation on antiviral effectors and host-pathogen interactions which determine viral outcomes and risk to autoimmunity. Dr. Savan collaborates with Drs. Elkon, Stetson, Pepper, Oberst, Gale, Gerner, Clark and Buckner.
Translational Immunology
Karin Bornfeldt, PhD (SLU, Professor of Medicine and Pathology) studies metabolic risk factors determining susceptibility to cardiovascular disease caused by inflammation and atherosclerosis which are common complications in patients with SLE and RA. Specific areas of interest metabolic control of triglycerides and HDL, macrophage recruitment and arterial inflammation, Dr. Bornfeldt was a co-mentor for a T32 supported trainee and collaborators include Dr. Elkon.
Jane Buckner, MD (BRI, Member and Program Director, Translational Research, Professor of Medicine) studies the mechanisms by which the adaptive immune response to self-antigens becomes pathogenic in the setting of human autoimmune disease including type 1 diabetes, RA and SLE. The lab works on three areas of autoimmunity: 1) Genetic variants associated with autoimmune disease; 2) Cytokine signaling pathways in the development and progression of autoimmune disease; and 3) Antigen-specific T cells in rheumatoid arthritis. She collaborates with Drs. Campbell, Zeigler, Elkon, Stetson, Savan and Lacy-Hulbert.
Keith B. Elkon, MD, Program Director (SLU, T32 Program Director, Professor Medicine, Adjunct Professor of Immunology) research interests include studies of how innate immunity (especially the interferon pathway) responds to dying cells, the cGAS-STING pathway of inflammation and how ultraviolet light causes exacerbations of lupus. Dr. Elkon collaborates with Drs. Clark, Gale, Stetson, Hamerman, Mustelin, Lood and Himmelfarb.
Michael Gale Jr, PhD (SLU, Professor of Immunology, Director of the Center for Innate Immunity and Immune Disease) studies the innate immune processes that control virus infection, viral oncogenic potential, and inflammation. The lab has a strong interest in type 1 interferons, especially as produced by the RIG-I and RIG-I-like receptor (RLR). Dr. Gale collaborates with Drs. Stetson, Oberst, Savan, Ziegler, Gerner, Elkon, Clark, Rawlings, Lacy-Hulbert, and Oukka.
Shaun Jackson, MD PhD (SCRI, Assistant Professor of Medicine) is an ex-trainee of this program. He studies B lymphocyte regulation in autoimmunity using animal models. In addition, Dr. Jackson’s work has focused on the immune mechanisms by which the B cell survival cytokine BAFF drives autoantibody production in SLE, and on novel B cell targeted therapies for humoral autoimmunity. He collaborates with Drs. Rawlings, Buckner and Oukka. His current focus is understanding the roles that BAFF and APRIL play in B cell function, especially in SLE.
Christian Lood, PhD (SLU, Assistant Professor of Medicine) studies the role of neutrophils in inflammation and autoimmunity with an emphasis on the contribution of neutrophils to the systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) pathogenesis. His lab is currently pursuing three main research aims, a) assessing how neutrophil-derived mitochondria and mitochondrial DNA are cleared to avoid unwarranted inflammation and autoimmunity, b) investigating the interplay between TLR8 and FcgRIIA in skewing neutrophils towards an inflammatory phenotype and c) identifying novel neutrophil-derived biomarkers related to disease activity and severity, including cardiovascular disease, a leading cause of mortality in young SLE women. He collaborates with Drs. Elkon, Giltiay, Mustelin Nelson and Stevens.
Tomas Mustelin, MD PhD (SLU, Professor of Medicine) focuses on elucidating the molecular underpinnings of RA and SLE. In RA he is examining how regulation of the PAD enzymes influence citrullination and how PTPN22 variants affect disease-relevant pathways and cell types in RA, SLE. One project also addresses the hypothesis that long interspersed nuclear elements (LINE1) are the core drivers of type I interferon production in SLE and related diseases like pSS. He collaborates with Drs. Elkon, Gale, and Noss.
Paul Nghiem, MD, PhD (Professor of Medicine, Dermatology) focuses on skin injury and DNA damage following ultraviolet radiation including the mechanism by which the protein kinase ATR mediates cell cycle arrest. His current efforts focus on two topics: the in vivo effects of ATR inhibition in the replication checkpoint. and identification of small molecule inhibitors of ATR. Dr. Nghiem is currently co-mentor (with Dr. Elkon) for pediatric rheumatology fellow, Clay Sontheimer, MD who is studying the effects of UVB in relation to SLE.
David J. Rawlings, MD, Program Director (Professor of Pediatrics and Adjunct Professor of Immunology, Director, CIIT, SCRI and Head, Division of Immunology, Department of Pediatrics) research interests include altered lymphoid B cell development and signaling leading to immunodeficiency, autoimmunity or lymphoid malignancies, and the development of gene therapy for primary immune deficiency diseases. My laboratory has the ultimate goal of developing translational therapies capable of specifically modulating these disorders. Dr. Rawlings collaborates with Drs. Buckner, Clark, Gale, Hamerman, Oukka, Nickerson, Torgerson, and Ziegler.
Clinical Research
Jonathan Himmelfarb, MD (UWMC, Professor of Medicine, Director, Kidney Research Institute) studies biomarkers of cardiovascular risk in kidney disease, oxidative stress and inflammation in chronic kidney disease and mechanisms of proteinuria. The primary vehicle for his collaborative studies has been the “kidney on a chip”, a microphysiologic system that allows detailed investigation of kidney structures and organoids in response to injury.
Noel Weiss, PhD (Professor of Epidemiology, Department of Public Health). While much of his research has been in the area of cancer epidemiology, he has worked extensively in the development of epidemiologic methods and in the application of these methods to the understanding of the determinants of the outcome of illness. During the course of his career he has published over 600 articles and three books, and has trained several hundred graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. In 1999 he was the first recipient of the Distinguished Graduate Mentor Award of the University of Washington.
Anna Wald, MD (Professor, Medicine - Allergy and Infectious Disease, Professor, Epidemiology, Professor, Laboratory Medicine) studies the epidemiology and natural history of chronic viral infections in immunocompetent and immunocompromised hosts, including those treated with biologics for rheumatic disorders. She is also working on clinical trials of antiviral therapeutics and prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines for viral pathogens. Other ongoing studies address the interaction between sexually transmitted infections and microbiome.