Theresa Alenghat, VMD, PhD
Member, Division of Immunobiology
Theresa Alenghat, VMD, PhD, investigates central epigenomic pathways that regulate epithelial and immune cell homeostasis in the context of intestinal health and disease. The goal of her research is to provide insight into mechanisms underlying the host-commensal relationship and how this level of regulation affects the development of chronic diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease.
Visit the Alenghat Lab.
Artem Barski, PhD
Director, Epigenomics Data Analysis Core
Artem Barski, PhD, uses cutting-edge genomic technologies (such as ChIP-Seq and RNA-Seq) to understand contribution of epigenetic mechanisms and polymerase stalling to T cell activation, differentiation and to formation of T cell memory.
Visit the Barski Lab.
Jorge A. Bezerra, MD
Director, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition
Jorge A. Bezerra, MD, investigates the genetic, cellular and molecular basis of biliary atresia and other cholangiopathies in children. His studies use animal models of disease to identify causes of tissue injury and to develop new therapies to stop progression of liver disease.
Visit the Bezerra Research Lab.
Jose A. Cancelas Perez, MD, PhD
Director, Hoxworth Blood Center
Jose A. Cancelas Perez, MD, PhD, focuses on the study of blood-forming cells during the process of adult hematopoiesis. In particular, hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) attract clinical interest because of their potential use in stem cell and gene therapy, and because of their involvement in leukemia.
Visit the Cancelas Lab.
Hitesh S. Deshmukh, MD, PhD
Attending Neonatologist, Perinatal Institute
Hitesh Deshmukh, MD, PhD, investigates how critical events during early life developmental window set the long-term trajectory for maturation of lung immune responses. Highlights include how commensal bacteria in prime the 'granulopoietic response' in the newborns, how early-life antibiotic use triggers immune maladaptation, which continues well into adulthood and more recently, clarifying the complex interaction between the commensal bacteria, lung epithelial maturation, and expansion of lung resident immune cells in the newborns. Current projects include: Role of commensal bacteria in lung maturation (R01HL142708) and development of lung mucosal immunity (R01AI138553), mapping the unique lymphoid cell niches in the developing lung (R01HL96518) and understanding how fetal inflammation disrupts postnatal development of lung immunity (U01 ES029234). Dr. Deshmukh serves on the Perinatal Medicine Fellowship Committee. Mentorship: Dr. Deshmukh has 2 current ImmGP students in his lab (1 MSTP) and 2 Neonatal Medicine Fellows. His trainees have won Marshall Klaus Award, from American Academy of Pediatrics and Sabin Fellow Award. Graduates have gone on pursue careers in academic medicine.
513-508-8911
hitesh.deshmukh@cchmc.org
Senad Divanovic, PhD
Member, Division of Immunobiology
Senad Divanovic, PhD, investigates the molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of innate immune signaling and inflammation in: (a) development and progression of obesity; (b) development and progression of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease; and (b) induction of preterm birth. These studies, range from reductive analysis of TLR ligand signaling and challenge to the role of IL-17 axis to diverse experimental models of obesity and infection.
Visit the Divanovic Lab.
Marie-Dominique Filippi, PhD
Member, Division of Experimental Hematology & Cancer Biology
Marie-Dominique Filippi, PhD, is interested in dissecting the molecular mechanism of hematopoietic cell migration. Because hematopoietic cells are utilized for the therapy of multiple blood diseases and neutrophils are responsible for maintaining an immunocompetence status, understanding the molecular mechanism of normal hematopoietic cell functions is of potential therapeutic importance.
Visit the Filippi Lab.
H. Leighton (Lee) Grimes, PhD
Director, Cancer Pathology Program, Division of Experimental Hematology & Division of Pathology
H. Leighton (Lee) Grimes, PhD, focuses on the transcriptional control of normal and malignant hematopoiesis. The goal of his research is to understand how normal blood cells are formed, and to use this information to dissect the molecular pathogenesis of marrow failure and leukemia.
Visit the Grimes Lab.
John B. Harley, MD, PhD
Director, Center for Autoimmune Genomics and Etiology (CAGE)
John B. Harley, MD, PhD, is a rheumatologist and biochemist with special clinical and research interests in the genetic etiology of inflammatory diseases. His experimental focus is the many genetic effects and environmental causes of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and related inflammatory diseases. Through this work, nearly 50 genes are known and Epstein Barr virus has been identified to trigger the systemic autoimmunity of lupus. Dr. Harley also builds infrastructure with which to do high throughput genotyping, expression analysis, and epigenetics, which he makes available to his colleagues from around the world. In recent experiments, Dr. Harley organized the logistics of managing >18,000 subjects at >30,000 genetic markers, 3200 subjects at 1.2 million markers, and 10,000 subjects at 196,000 markers. Dr. Harley is committed to all of the steps between association detection through replication and toward identifying the possible functional genetic variants and to pursuing their biology.
513-803-3665
john.harley@cchmc.org
David B. Haslam, MD
Director, Antimicrobial Stewardship Program
David B. Haslam, MD, is a pediatric infectious diseases physician who has research programs investigating the host and microbial factors that contribute to disease severity and outcome during Clostridium difficile infection. As medical director of the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program, he is initiating additional research programs on the interplay between antibiotic exposure, the host microbiome, and the molecular epidemiology of antimicrobial resistance.
513-803-1170
david.haslam@cchmc.org
Andrew B. Herr, PhD
Director of Admissions, Immunology Graduate Program
Andrew B. Herr, PhD, studies protein-protein interactions involved in immune receptor signaling and bacterial pathogenesis. His lab uses X-ray crystallography to solve the atomic structures of proteins along with techniques of biophysical chemistry to understand their interactions in solution. The goal is to understand the molecular basis for autoimmune responses and recurrent bacterial infections, and to develop new therapeutic applications.
Visit the Herr Lab.
Gurjit (Neeru) Khurana Hershey, MD, PhD
Director, Division of Asthma Research
Gurjit (Neeru) Khurana Hershey, MD, PhD, is the principal investigator of a federally funded Asthma and Allergic Diseases Cooperative Research Center which supports, in part, the asthma and allergy-based Greater Cincinnati Pediatric Clinic Repository. She also focuses on elucidating the genetic and environmental factors that contribute to the development of asthma and eczema.
Visit the Khurana Hershey Research Lab.
513-636-7054
gurjit.hershey@cchmc.org
David A. Hildeman, PhD
Director, Immunology Graduate Program
David A. Hildeman, PhD, explores the molecular factors that control the decision between tolerance and immunity within T lymphocytes. Using genetic mouse models, viruses, and MHC tetrameric reagents, the lab is focused on the molecular regulation of antigen-specific T cell responses. Dr. Hildeman is also the current director of the Immunology Graduate Program.
Visit the Hildeman Lab.
Shouxiong Huang, PhD
Member, Immunology Graduate Program
investigates the activation and function of innate-like T cells in responses to vitamin-like and lipid antigens using metabolomic and biological approaches. The goal is to discover novel structures and presentation mechanisms of antigens that induce protective T cell responses and ultimately facilitate controlling immune disorders and environmental exposure.
513-558-7572
shouxiong.huang@uc.edu
Vivian Hwa, PhD
Basic Research Director, Cincinnati Center for Growth Disorders
Vivian Hwa, PhD, investigates the functional and cellular impacts of genetic defects identified in children with severe growth failure, who often present with a variety of co-morbidities, including immune deficiencies, insulin insensitivities, intellectual impairment, microcephaly. These pathophysiological mutations provide unique opportunities to delineate molecular mechanism(s) of actions and improve understanding of clinical phenotypes.
Visit the Hwa Lab.
Michael B. Jordan, MD
Member, Division of Bone Marrow Transplantation and Immune Deficiency
Michael B. Jordan, MD, specializes in caring for children with histiocytic disorders, primary immune deficiencies, or who are undergoing bone marrow transplantation. His laboratory focuses on understanding effector T cell function, immune regulation, and the pathogenesis of
hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis. He is also conducting preclinical scientific studies in addition to a translational clinical trial.
Theodosia A. Kalfa, MD, PhD
Co-Director, Erythrocyte Diagnostic Laboratory
Theodosia A. Kalfa, MD, PhD, focuses on the study of intracellular signals in erythropoiesis and mature red blood cells, specifically the signals conducted by Rho GTPases regulating terminal erythroid maturation and enucleation. Her lab also studies the role of Rac GTPases in generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) within red blood cells from patients and animal models with sickle-cell disease along with the signaling mechanisms and consequences of increased ROS in sickle cells.
Visit the Kalfa Research Lab.
Kenneth M. Kaufman, PhD
Kenneth M. Kaufman, PhD, investigates the genetics of complex and rare disorders using genotyping and next-generation DNA technologies. The goal of his research is to identify the underling mechanisms and genetics that lead to complex diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus.
513-803-5385
kenneth.kaufman@cchmc.org
Raphael Kopan, PhD
Director, Division of Developmental Biology
Raphael Kopan, PhD, and his lab have the long-term goal of organogenesis in vitro. They focus their efforts on Notch signaling as their lead into mechanistic understanding of tissue diversity using genetic engineering, embryology and single cell profiling. They interrogate the mouse embryo to address critical questions regarding the circuit logic of Notch signaling in mammalian organogenesis and its integration in larger signaling context.
Visit the Kopan Lab.
513-636-1299
Leah C. Kottyan, PhD
Leah C. Kottyan, PhD, studies the molecular and immunological mechanisms driving the statistical association of genetic variants with systemic lupus erythematosus and eosinophilic esophagitis. The goal of her research is to refine the statistical analysis of genetic data while using analytical and biological tools to predict and confirm genetic variant-dependent differences that affect gene expression, cell function, and disease risk.
513-636-1316
leah.kottyan@cchmc.org
Yaping Liu, PhD
Yaping Liu, PhD, is dedicated to develop and apply machine learning and high-throughput experimental methods to understand the gene regulation and non-coding genetic variants. Specifically, he is interested in extracting genetic and multi-dimensional epigenetic information from circulating cell-free DNA, exosomal-DNA and its related cell types to explore the role of epigenetics in gene regulation and therefore bridge the gap between genetic and phenotypic variations at different healthy and pathological conditions.
513-803-3207
yaping.liu@cchmc.org
Rajat Madan, MBBS, PhD
Member, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition
The Madan Lab studies the role of obesity-associated molecule leptin in controlling host neutrophil responses to Clostridium difficile, the #1 cause of nosocomial infections in the U.S. The lab uses samples (and clinical data) from patients with C. difficile and different murine models (diet-induced obese and leptin receptor mutant mice) of C. difficile infection, to understand the role of leptin signaling in disease pathogenesis and resolution.
513-558-0220
rajat.madan@uc.edu
Punam Malik, MD
Director, Cincinnati Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center
Punam Malik, MD, works to correct the gene responsible for sickle cell anemia. One of the lab’s major projects uses gene therapy to treat sickle cell disease. The lab is also interested in gene therapy for other diseases. She has developed various methods for delivering corrective genes to cells, improving methods for gene therapy in general.
513-636-1333
punam.malik@cchmc.org
Chandrashekhar Pasare, DVM, PhD
Member, Division of Immunobiology
Chandrashekhar Pasare, DVM, PhD, investigates the mechanisms by which the innate immune system regulates adaptive immune responses. He is also interested in role of Toll-like receptors in innate immunity and inflammation. The overall goal of his research is to provide molecular and cellular insights into how the activation of pattern recognition receptors in cells of the innate immune system induces tailored adaptive immune responses necessary for elimination of specific pathogens.
Visit the Pasare Lab
513-636-6656
chandrashekhar.pasare@cchmc.org
Joseph E. Qualls, PhD
Joseph E. Qualls, PhD, examines the cellular and molecular facets of macrophage biology during health and disease. This white blood cell has an unprecedented role in regulating inflammation, pathogen elimination and maintaining tissue homeostasis. Specifically, Dr. Qualls’ laboratory focuses on amino acid utilization by macrophages, and how this affects the outcome of infection and inflammatory disease.
513-636-9102
joseph.qualls@cchmc.org
Nancy Ratner, PhD
Co-Director, Rasopathy Program
Nancy Ratner, PhD, is working to define the interactions between glial cells and axons during nervous system development and how those interactions go awry in disease. Her goal is to develop novel therapies for patients with nervous system diseases.
Visit the Ratner Lab.
513-636-9469
nancy.ratner@cchmc.org
Marc E. Rothenberg, MD, PhD
Director, Division of Allergy and Immunology
Marc E. Rothenberg, MD, PhD, is focused on elucidating mechanisms of allergic responses, especially in mucosal tissues such as the lung and the gastrointestinal tract, in order to identify novel pharmaceutical targets for treatment of patients with eosinophilic diseases including eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders, hypereosinophilic syndromes and asthma and food allergies. His lab has identified and characterized several critical pathways that regulate allergic responses.
Visit the Rothenberg Research Lab website.
513-803-0257
marc.rothenberg@cchmc.org
Paul Spearman, MD
Director, Division of Infectious Diseases
Paul Spearman, MD, directs a laboratory engaged in uncovering basic aspects of HIV-host cell interactions and the mechanisms of HIV transmission. We are also developing novel HIV vaccine strategies. Trafficking of the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein, restriction of HIV spread by BST2/tetherin, and HIV infection of macrophages are areas of active investigation.
513-636-4509
paul.spearman@cchmc.org
Daniel T. Starczynowski, PhD
Member, Division of Experimental Hematology & Cancer Biology
Daniel T. Starczynowski, PhD, is a cancer biologist who has a basic research programs with a translational emphasis in myeloid hematological malignancies. His lab’s major effort is studying the molecular and cellular basis of myelodysplastic syndromes, bone marrow failure syndromes and acute leukemia. The goal is to identify candidate genes and understand their contribution to myeloid malignancies.
Visit the Starczynowski Lab.
Stephen N. Waggoner, PhD
is a viral immunologist whose lab studies immune regulatory mechanisms that control pathogenesis of disease. The lab uses viruses and bacteria to probe immune functions associated with disease in mice. Interests currently focus on a novel regulatory role of natural killer (NK) cells that influences vaccine efficacy, autoimmune disease, chronic viral infections, and immune dysfunction in the elderly.
513-803-4607
stephen.waggoner@cchmc.org
Sing Sing Way, MD, PhD
Pauline and Lawson Reed Chair, Division of Infectious Diseases
Sing Sing Way, MD, PhD, is an infectious disease physician-scientist. He cares for infants and children with infection related illness, and provides consultation in the diagnosis and prevention diseases caused by communicable agents. Dr. Way supervises an active basic research laboratory that uses basic immunological approaches to investigate ways to boost host defense and protection against infection. If you have interest in this work, please contact Dr. Way.
513-636-7603
singsing.way@cchmc.org
Susanne Wells, PhD
Director, Epithelial Carcinogenesis and Stem Cell Program
Susanne Wells, PhD, investigates 1) mechanisms of cancer susceptibility in human organoids, 2) anti-viral discovery using single-cell transcriptomics, and 3) molecular activities of the human DEK oncogene. The long-term goal is to understand gene-environment interactions and their effects on health and disease and to translate the results into prevention and therapy. Our favorite model systems are human epidermis and mucosa. Research approaches include iPSC culture and differentiation, tissue engineering, transcriptomic and metabolomic profiling, and genetic mouse models.
Visit the Wells Lab.
Yi Zheng, PhD
Director, Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology
Yi Zheng, PhD, studies the function and signaling mechanism of the Rho family GTPases and the mTor metabolic pathway, particularly in stem cell and cancer stem cell regulation.
Visit the Zheng Lab.