Innate Immunology

Research Interests: The Urbano Lab studies microbial-host interactions that involve the actin cytoskeleton. Immune signals such as IFN-g activate host cells to fight infection by stimulating expression of cellular defenses that include actin-binding proteins (ABPs). Our lab aims to characterize the functions of these ABPs in the context of the immune response and learn how actin-based immunity impacts microbial pathogenesis and pathogen clearance. One area of active research involves the role of ABPs in microbial actin-based motility and cell-to-cell dissemination (Listeria, Shigella, Burkholderia, etc.). Additionally, ABPs are important components of the host cell adhesion and motility machinery. Here we aim to understand how immune activation modifies the mechanical properties of cells to mobilize to sites of infection, capture and eliminate microbes.

Research Interests: My lab studies the olfactory neuroepithelium as an immune barrier and its involvement in neurodegenerative disease pathogenesis.

Research Interests: Dr. Snodgrass’s research is focused on understanding how diet and nutritional and metabolic status shape immune function. Active research areas include (1) investigating the impact of diet and stress on cardiovascular risk factors and immune cell function in human subjects, and (2) understanding how gut microbiota and their metabolites, both of which are influenced by diet, contribute to host immunity.

Research Interests: Research Interests: mechanistic understanding of inflammation in chronic diseases; specifically understanding the innate and adaptive immune response in diabetic kidney disease (DKD), and characterizing the role of the immune response on DKD pathogenesis. First group to identify an association between urine complement components and progression of diabetic kidney disease (DKD).

Research Interests: Dr. McElroy has a long-standing interest in understanding the injury and repair mechanisms of the developing small intestine, specifically how these relate to neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis. His laboratory has made seminal discoveries linking Paneth cells and goblet cells to the protection of the immature intestinal tract, has developed novel complementary models of necrotizing enterocolitis that shed light on pathways to develop the disease, has investigated the link between maternal chorioamnionitis and subsequent intestinal disease in offspring, and is now looking at the link between total body sodium and neonatal sepsis. Dr. McElroy has received funding from the NIH, the Children’s Miracle Network, and industry partners.

Research interests: Our laboratory focuses on the design and application of antibodies and CARs in improving Cancer immunotherapy. We are also interested in identifying regulatory mechanisms in the Cancer-Tumor microenvironment that could interfere with the efficacy of T-cell-based immunotherapy.

Research Interests: Tissue engineering, osteoimmunology, role of immune system on tissue repair and regeneration.

Research Interests: The Tsolis lab utilizes intracellular bacteria, particularly Salmonella, Brucella, and more recently Chlamydia, to study functioning of the host innate immune system as well as how microbial communities at mucosal surfaces protect against infection. One question the lab has been addressing is how host phagocytes detect subversion of their physiology by injected virulence factors of intracellular pathogens, which led to discovery of a new function for NOD1 and NOD2 in sensing endoplasmic reticulum stress induced by Chlamydia and Brucella. The lab’s work on Salmonella has advanced our understanding of how underlying comorbidities prevalent in the developing world, such as malaria and malnutrition, compromise phagocyte functions required for containment of infection to the gastrointestinal tract, thereby increasing susceptibility to disseminated infection. Most recently the lab has focused on animal modeling to generate a model to study typhoid fever, an infection that is strictly restricted to humans.

Research Interests: Dr. Penn’s research focuses on understanding the immune response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis. We use cutting-edge techniques including quantitative mass-spectrometry and CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing to probe the interaction between M. tuberculosis and its host.

Research Interests: Cancer immunotherapy, viral immunology, preclinical modeling.