Find a Health Care Professional / Researcher

Marsha Wills-Karp, PhD

Title

Director

Appointment

Professor, Department of Pediatrics

Email

wildc7@cchmc.org

Phone

513-636-0281

Fax

513-636-5355

Credentials

PhD University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, 1986

Postdoctoral Fellow Yale University, New Haven, CT, 1986-87

Postdoctoral Fellow Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 1987-89

Position History

2000-present Professor of Pediatrics, Director, Division of Immunobiology, Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH
2003-present Director, Immunobiology Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH
1996-2000 Associate Professor, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore MD
1990-1996 Assistant Professor, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore MD
1989-1990 Research Associate, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore MD

Awards and Honors

Academic Excellence, 1980, 1981, 1982
Beta Beta Beta Biological Honor Society, 1979-1982
Achievement and Leadership Award, 1981, 1982
NIH Post-doctoral Training Grant, 1987-1989
First Award, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, 1989
Faculty Development Award, 1994
Faculty of 1000
John Salvaggio Memorial Lectureship, 2001
Distinguished Alumni Award, 2002

Research Grants and Contracts

Positional Candidate Genes for Airway Responsiveness. August 5, 2000-July 31, 2005. NIH/NHLBI. Principal Investigator: Susan Ewart.
Asthma Positional Candidate Genes in Mice and Humans. September 29, 2000-September 28, 2005. NIH/NHLBI. Principal Investigator: Marsha Wills-Karp.
Applied Genomics in Cardiopulmonary Disease. November 1, 2000-October 31, 2004 NHLBI. Principal Investigator: Joe Garcia.
Mechanisms: IL-13-Induced Mucus Hypersecretion in Asthma. April 1, 2003-March 31, 2007. NHLBI. Principal Investigator: Marsha Wills-Karp
Immune Phenotypes in Children with Atism Spectrum Disorder. June 1, 2003-May 30, 2005. Cure Autism Now Foundation. Principal Investigator: Cynthia Molloy.
Role of Inflammatory Cytokines in the Allergic Response. July 1, 2003-June 30, 2008. NIH. Principal Investigator: Fred Finkelman.
The Role of Infant Feeding in Childhood Allergy. July 1, 2003-June 30, 2004. Translational Research Trials, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. Principal Investigator: Ardythe L. Morrow.

Publications, Most Recent

Wills-Karp M, Chiaramonte M. (2003) Interleukin-13 in asthma.Curr Opin Pulm Med 9:21-7.
Wills-Karp M, Belkaid Y, Karp CL. (2003) I-Tim-izing the pathways of counter-regulation.Nat Immunol 4:1050-2.
Wills-Karp M, Brandt D, Morrow AL. (2004) Understanding the origin of asthma and its relationship to breastfeeding.Adv Exp Med Biol 554:171-91.
Karp CL, Flick LM, Park KW, Softic S, Greer TM, Keledjian R, Yang R, Uddin J, Guggino WB, Atabani SF, Belkaid Y, Xu Y, Whitsett JA, Accurso FJ, Wills-Karp M, Petasis NA. (2004) Defective lipoxin-mediated anti-inflammatory activity in the cystic fibrosis airway.Nat Immunol 5:388-92.
Wills-Karp M. (2004) Interleukin-13 in asthma pathogenesis.Immunol Rev 202:175-90.
Hawlisch H, Wills-Karp M, Karp CL, Kohl J. (2004) The anaphylatoxins bridge innate and adaptive immune responses in allergic asthma.Mol Immunol 41:123-31.
Wills-Karp M. (2004) Interleukin-13 in asthma pathogenesis.Curr Allergy Asthma Rep 4:123-31.
Barnes KC, Caraballo L, Munoz M, Zambelli-Weiner A, Ehrlich E, Burki M, Jimenez S, Mathias RA, Stockton ML, Deindl P, Mendoza L, Hershey GK, Nickel R, Wills-Karp M. (2004) A novel promoter polymorphism in the gene encoding complement component 5 receptor 1 on chromosome 19q13.3 is not associated with asthma and atopy in three independent populations.Clin Exp Allergy 34:736-44.
Wills-Karp M, Ewart SL. (2004) Time to draw breath: asthma-susceptibility genes are identified.Nat Rev Genet 5:376-87.
Wills-Karp M, Karp CL. (2004) Biomedicine. Eosinophils in asthma: remodeling a tangled tale.Science 305:1726-9.
Wills-Karp M, Karp CL. (2004) Chitin checking--novel insights into asthma.N Engl J Med 351:1455-7.
Finkelman FD, Yang M, Perkins C, Schleifer K, Sproles A, Santeliz J, Bernstein JA, Rothenberg ME, Morris SC, Wills-Karp M. (2005) Suppressive effect of IL-4 on IL-13-induced genes in mouse lung.J Immunol 174:4630-8.
Lewkowich IP, Herman NS, Schleifer KW, Dance MP, Chen BL, Dienger KM, Sproles AA, Shah JS, Kohl J, Belkaid Y, Wills-Karp M. (2005) CD4+CD25+ T cells protect against experimentally induced asthma and alter pulmonary dendritic cell phenotype and function.J Exp Med 202:1549-61.
Hessel EM, Chu M, Lizcano JO, Chang B, Herman N, Kell SA, Wills-Karp M, Coffman RL. (2005) Immunostimulatory oligonucleotides block allergic airway inflammation by inhibiting Th2 cell activation and IgE-mediated cytokine induction.J Exp Med 202:1563-73.
Guajardo JR, Schleifer KW, Daines MO, Ruddy RM, Aronow BJ, Wills-Karp M, Hershey GK. (2005) Altered gene expression profiles in nasal respiratory epithelium reflect stable versus acute childhood asthma.J Allergy Clin Immunol 115:243-51.
Zimmermann N, Doepker MP, Witte DP, Stringer KF, Fulkerson PC, Pope SM, Brandt EB, Mishra A, King NE, Nikolaidis NM, Wills-Karp M, Finkelman FD, Rothenberg ME. (2005) Expression and regulation of small proline-rich protein 2 in allergic inflammation.Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol 32:428-35.
Goebel J, Logan B, Forrest K, Mieczkowski A, Roszman TL, Wills-Karp M. (2005) Atorvastatin affects interleukin-2 signaling by altering the lipid raft enrichment of the interleukin-2 receptor beta chain.J Investig Med 53:322-8.
Wills-Karp M, Koehl J. (2005) New insights into the role of the complement pathway in allergy and asthma.Curr Allergy Asthma Rep 5:362-9.
Keen JC, Cianferoni A, Florio G, Guo J, Chen R, Roman J, Wills-Karp M, Casolaro V, Georas SN. (2006) Characterization of a novel PMA-inducible pathway of interleukin-13 gene expression in T cells.Immunology 117:29-37.
Barnes KC, Grant AV, Baltadzhieva D, Zhang S, Berg T, Shao L, Zambelli-Weiner A, Anderson W, Nelsen A, Pillai S, Yarnall DP, Dienger K, Ingersoll RG, Scott AF, Fallin MD, Mathias RA, Beaty TH, Garcia JG, Wills-Karp M. (2006) Variants in the gene encoding C3 are associated with asthma and related phenotypes among African Caribbean families.Genes Immun 7:27-35.
Molloy CA, Morrow AL, Meinzen-Derr J, Schleifer K, Dienger K, Manning-Courtney P, Altaye M, Wills-Karp M. (2006) Elevated cytokine levels in children with autism spectrum disorder.J Neuroimmunol 172:198-205.
Kohl J, Baelder R, Lewkowich IP, Pandey MK, Hawlisch H, Wang L, Best J, Herman NS, Sproles AA, Zwirner J, Whitsett JA, Gerard C, Sfyroera G, Lambris JD, Wills-Karp M. (2006) A regulatory role for the C5a anaphylatoxin in type 2 immunity in asthma.J Clin Invest 116:783-96.
Goebel J, Forrest K, Wills-Karp M, Roszman TL. (2006) Tubulin polymerization modulates interleukin-2 receptor signal transduction in human T cells.J Recept Signal Transduct Res 26:87-106.
Follettie MT, Ellis DK, Donaldson DD, Hill AA, Diesl V, DeClercq C, Sypek JP, Dorner AJ, Wills-Karp M. (2006) Gene expression analysis in a murine model of allergic asthma reveals overlapping disease and therapy dependent pathways in the lung.Pharmacogenomics J 6:141-52.
Barnes, K.C., A. Grant, P. Gao, D. Baltadjieva, T. Berg, P. Chi, S. Zhang, A. Zambelli-Weiner, E. Ehrlich, O. Zardkoohi, M.E. Brummet, M. Stockton, T. Watkins, L. Gao, M. Gittens, M. Wills-Karp, C. Cheadle, L.A. Beck, T.H. Beaty, K.G. Becker, J.G. Garcia, and R.A. Mathias. Polymorphisms in the novel gene acyloxyacyl hydroxylase (AOAH)are associated with asthma and associated phenotypes. J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. 118(1):70-77, 2006.
Ramadas, R. A., X. Li, D. M. Shubitowski, S. Samineni, M. Wills-Karp and S. L. Ewart. IL Receptor antagonist as a positional candidate gene in a murine model of allergic asthma. Immunogenetics 58(10):851-855, 2006.
Perkins, C., M. Wills-Karp, F.D. Finkelman. IL-4 induces IL-13-independent allergic airway inflammation. J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. 118(2):410-419, 2006.
Li, X, M. Willis-Karp and S. Ewart. Investigating Gata3 as a positional candidate gene for allergic asthma in a murine model. Int. J. Immunogenet. 33(5):333-337, 2006.
Kohl, J. and M. Wills-Karp. Complement regulates inhalation tolerance at the dendritic cell/T cell interface. Mol. Immunol. 44(1-3):44-56, 2007.

Professional Organization Memberships

Sigma Xi
American Association for the Advancement of Science
American Thoracic Society
Maryland Thoracic Society
American Academy of Allergy & Immunity
Board Member, Pulmonary Research Group, 1997-2000
American Association of Immunologists
American Association of Immunologists Finance Committee

Teaching

Graduate and Post-Graduate Training: Advisees

Stephen Gavett, Postdoctoral Fellow, Research Advisor, 1991-1994 (Received NRSA Grant, July, 1993). Currently Senior Scientist, at the EPA, Raleigh, North Carolina.
Xiaoling Chen, Thesis Advisor (Received Frederick Bang Award for Outstanding Student Research, 1993), received Ph.D. October, 1994. Currently Assistant Professor, Pennsylvania State University, Pennsylvania.
Susan Ewart, Co-advisor, Degree awarded 1994, received Clinician Scientist Award, 1994. Currently Associate Professor at Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan.
Daniel O'Hearn, Pulmonary Postdoctoral Fellowship Trainee, Research Advisor, 1994-1996. Awarded Eudowood-Baurneschmidt Research Award, 1995 and NRSA Grant, 1995. Currently Senior Scientist at the FDA.
Andrea Keane-Meyers, Pulmonary Postdoctoral Fellowship Trainee, Research Advisor, 1995-1996. Currently Staff Scientist, tenure track, NIAID, Bethesda, Maryland.
Douglas Kuperman, Thesis Advisor, 1994-1998. Student Presentation Award - Society of Leukocyte Biology, 1997. Currently Assistant Professor, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illlinois
Pamela Stetkiewicz, Thesis Advisor, 1994-1999. Currently employed at Novartis, Boston, Massachusetts.
Dianne Walters, Thesis Advisor, 1997-2002. Currently National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences, North Carolina.
Judy Keen, Thesis Advisor, 1998-2001. Currently Coriell Institute for Medical Research, Camden, New Jersey.
Lilliana Moreno, Thesis Advisor, 1998-2000. Currently Assistant Professor, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.
Joanna Santeliz, Thesis Advisor, 1999-2002. Currently Clinical Research Fellow, University of Lisandro, Alvarado School of Medicine, Venezuela.
Sorachari Srisuma, Thesis Advisor, 1999-2000. Currently Post Doctoral Fellow, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Jennifer Brzezinski, Post-Doctoral Fellowship, 2001-2002. Currently Food and Drug Administration, Cincinnati, Ohio.
David Wu, Post-Doctoral Fellowship, 2004-present
Ian Lewkowich, Post-Doctoral Fellowship, 2004-present
Xiaomeng Ren, Post-Doctoral Fellowship, 2004-present
Samuel Pope, Post-Doctoral Fellowship, 2005-present
Christina Lewis, Post-Doctoral Fellowship, 2006-present
Stephane Lajoie, Post-Doctoral Fellowship, 2007-present

Special Interests

asthma, allergy, T cell immunology, genetics of asthma, cytokines

Editing

Member Editorial Board, American Journal of Respiratory Cell Molecular Biology
Member Editorial Board, American Journal of Physiology: Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology
Reviewer, Nature Medicine
Reviewer, Nature Immunology
Reviewer, Immunity
Reviewer, Journal of Experimental Medicine
Reviewer, Journal of Clinical Investigation
Reviewer, Journal of Immunology
Reviewer, Journal of Applied Physiology
Reviewer, American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine
Reviewer, British Journal Pharmacology
Reviewer, Pulmonary Pharmacology
Reviewer, Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
Reviewer, Journal of Immunological Methods
Reviewer, International Archives of Allergy and Immunology
Reviewer, Journal of Pathology
Reviewer, Cellular Immunology
Reviewer, Environmental Research
Reviewer, Environmental Health Perspective
Reviewer, American Journal of Pathology

Presentations

January 2004 Speaker, "Immunologic and Genetic Mechanisms of Asthma", Biomedical Research Forum, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ.
February 2004 Speaker, "IL-13 in Asthma", Centocor, Inc., Malvern, PA.
March 2004 Moderator, Basic Cutting Edge Late Breaking Abstract Session - Molecular Insights into Clinical Allergy, 60th Annual Meeting, AAAAI, San Francisco, CA.
March 2004 Speaker, "Measurement of Th1 and Th2 Cytokine Gene Expression Using Microarrays", 60th Annual Meeting, AAAAI, San Francisco, CA.
March 2004 Discussion Leader, Regulation of Mucus Production in the Lower Airway, 60th Annual Meeting, AAAAI, San Francisco, CA.
March 2004 Speaker, "Mechanisms of Airway Hyperresponsiveness", 60th Annual Meeting, AAAAI, San Francisco, CA.
April 2004 Speaker, "Immunoregulation and asthma: A variety of complementary wheezins", Beirne Carter Center for Immunology Research Seminar, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA.
April 2004 Moderator, Basic Cutting Edge Late Breading Abstract Session, AAAAI 60th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA
April 2004 Speaker, "The role of cytokines in the induction of airway hyperresponsiveness", AAAAI 60th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA
April 2004 Facilitator, Workshop Mechanisms of Airway Hyperresponsiveness, AAAAI 60th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA
April 2004 Speaker, "Asthma Pathogenesis: Lessons from an Animal Model", AAI EB Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C.
October 2004 Speaker, Merck & Co., Inc., South Burlington, VT.
October 2004 Speaker, Vermont Lung Center, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT.
November 2004 Speaker in Center for Children's Health in the Urban Environment. Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD.
November 2004 Speaker, in Plenary Session entitled: "Genetics and Genomics of Autoimmunity", 33rd Autumn Immunology Conference, Chicago, IL.
January 2005 Speaker, Molecular Pathology Seminar Series, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD.
April 2005 Speaker, Pulmonary and Critical Care Grand Rounds, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA.
May 2005 Speaker, Pediatric Academic Societies 2005 Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C.
May 2005 Speaker, MedImmune, Inc., Gaithersburg, MD.
May 2005 Lead Facilitator, Thematic Poster Session, ATS, San Diego, CA.
May 2005 Chair, Poster Discussion Session, ATS, San Diego, CA.
September 2005 Keynote Speaker, NIH Immunology Retreat, Airlie, Virginia
February 2006 Speaker, "Complex role of compliment in asthma pathogenesis", Meakins-Christie International Workshop, Montreal, Canada
February 2006 Distinguished Lecturer, Benjamin Burrows Lung Immunology Seminar Series, "Immunoregulation and Asthma, A Variety of Complementary Wheezins". University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, AZ
March 2006 Speaker, "Complement Bridging Innate and Adaptive Immunity in Asthma" AAAAI Meeting, Miami Beach, FL
March 2006 Speaker, "Pathway and High Density SNP Approaches in Allergy and Asthma", AAAAI Meeting, Miami Beach, FL
March 2006 Speaker, "The Influence of the Innate Immune Response on the Adaptive Allergic Response", AAAAI Meeting, Miami Beach, FL
March 2006 Speaker, "Research Opportunities for PhDs in Allergy/Asthma Research", AAAAI Meeting, Miami Beach, FL
April 2006 Speaker, Keystone Symposia, Allergy, Allergic Inflammation and Asthma, Beaver Run Resort, Breckenridge, CO
April 2006 Speaker, "Immunopathogenesis of Asthma", Amgen, Seattle, WA
May 2006 Speaker, "Regulation of Inflammation in Airway Disease", American Thoracic Society, San Diego, CA
May 2006 Speaker, "Targeting IL-4, IL-5, IL-13 and IgE", American Thoracic Society, San Diego, CA
May 2006 Speaker, "ABX 10-0122, a High Affinity Neutralizing Fully Human Anti-IL-13 Monoclonal Antibody for the Treatment of Asthma, American Thoracic Society, San Diego, CA
May 2006 Speaker, "Experimental Asthma", American Thoracic Society, San Diego, CA
January 2007 Speaker, "Regulators of Asthma in Pre-Clinical Models and Human Disease", Abbott Research Center, Boston, MA
January 2007 Speaker, "Complement Activation Pathways: A Bridge Between the Innate and Adaptive Immune Response in Asthma", Transatlantic Airway Conference, Lucerne, Switzerland

Grant Review Committees

Member, Lung Biology and Pathology Study Section, NHLBI, National Institute of Health, 2000-2004
Ad Hoc Member, Grant Review, Veterans Administration, 1995-Present.
British Columbia Lung Association, 1997-present.