Mucosal Immunology

Dr. Hurrell’s lab explores the dynamic interplay between nutrition, metabolism, and immune regulation, focusing on how specific nutrients and metabolic pathways influence the development and function of immune cells in both health and disease, particularly asthma and allergy. Utilizing a variety of cutting-edge mouse models, including genetically engineered strains, specialized diets and established asthma models, his team investigates the impact of dietary factors on immune responses and asthma pathogenesis. By applying techniques such as flow cytometry, transcriptomics, and metabolomics to profile immune cell populations and their metabolic states, the lab aims to identify innovative dietary strategies that can modulate immune function and improve lung health.

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: HIV immunopathology

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: 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: Cancer immunotherapy, viral immunology, preclinical modeling.

Research Interests: Our research is focused on understanding the relationship between early life environmental exposures and development of pulmonary disease, such as asthma. We study how mucosal and systemic immunity is established during infancy, and determine the impact of air pollutants, allergens, and infectious disease on childhood lung health.

Research Interests: Research in my lab focuses on how the immune system responds to environmental exposures—air pollution (including wildfire smoke), allergens, respiratory viruses and stress — and how these interactions contribute to chronic airway diseases like asthma and COPD. We are particularly interested in innate lymphoid cells, epithelial collectins (surfactant proteins A and D), and the molecular mechanisms that regulate airway inflammation. We use animal models, human studies, and cutting-edge cellular-molecular approaches to find new therapeutic targets and improve respiratory health. My students are exposed to interdisciplinary research, spanning immunology, lung physiology, environmental health, and translational medicine.

Research Interests: Dr. Ji’s research group is focused on elucidating the epigenetic regulation of chronic diseases such as childhood asthma and examining how epigenetic mechanisms mediate the impact of environmental exposures during critical developmental windows (e.g., infancy) on increased disease susceptibility.