Autoimmunity and Inflammation Researchers | Vanderbilt Center for Immunobiology

The immune system must balance the maintenance of a capacity to eliminate an infinite array of pathogens with the necessity to not induce an immune response against oneself. Insufficient or excessive immune responses can lead to immune deficiencies, autoimmunity, or inflammatory syndromes. VCI members are exploring the cellular and genetic basis for these immune dysregulation disorders to better understand basic immunology and mechanisms of inflammation.

	Holly Algood, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology Assistant Professor of Medicine Immune response to Helicobacter pylori
	Manuel Ascano, PhD Assistant Professor of Biochemistry Assistant Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology Post-transcriptional gene regulation in innate immunity and cellular stress
	Thomas M. Aune, Ph.D. Professor of Medicine Associate Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology Functional genomic and epigenetic approaches to understanding gene regulation
	Justin M. Balko, Pharm D.,PhD. Assistant Professor of Medicine Assistant Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology Translational cancer research focused on molecular therapeutics, onco-immunology & bioinformatics
	Alexander Bick, MD, PhD Assistant Professor, Genetic Medicine
	Leslie J. Crofford, M.D. Professor of Medicine Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology Director, Division of Rheumatology & Immunology Wilson Family Chair in Medicine Innate and acquired immunity in inflammatory arthritis, myositis, scleroderma, fibromyalgia, pain
	Craig L. Duvall , Ph.D. Professor of Biomedical Engineering Rrug and nanoparticle targeting, intracellular biomacromolecular delivery, and systems for controlled release of growth factors and other extracellular-acting molecules
	P. Brent Ferrell, Jr., M.D. Assistant Professor of Medicine Molecular investigations in myeloid disease
	Todd D. Giorgio, Ph.D. Professor of Biomedical Engineering Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Professor of Cancer Biology Protease-responsive biosensors for siRNA and drug delivery in vitro and in vivo
	Jeremy A. Goettel, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Medicine Assistant Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology Mechanisms regulating intestinal immunity
	Jonathan M. Irish, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Cell & Developmental Biology Assistant Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology Cancer, precision medicine, computational biology, machine learning, cell signaling, chemical biology, single cell tools
	John Joseph Karijolich, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology Oncogenic Viruses, RNA-based mechanisms of antiviral and antitumor immunity, epigenomics, CRISPR screens
	Ken Lau, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology Single-cell, computational systems biology, inflammation, colorectal cancer, stem cells, epithelial biology, cell state specification, signal transduction
	Andrew J. Link, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology Associate Professor of Chemistry Assistant Professor of Biochemistry Functional genomics and systems biology analysis of the immune response and translation
	Meena S. Madhur, M.D., Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Medicine Assistant Professor of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics The role of T cells and T cell-derived cytokines in hypertension and renal/vascular dysfunction
	Amy S. Major, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Medicine Associate Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology Immunological mechanisms of autoimmunity in atherosclerosis
	Simon A. Mallal, M.B.B.S. Professor of Medicine Major E.B. Stahlman Chair in Infectious Diseases and Inflammation Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology Immunometabolism & Metabolic Diseases, Tumor Biology & Tumor Immunology
	Janet Markle, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology Inborn errors of immunity, Molecular and cellular immunology, pediatric immune-mediated diseases
	Daniel J. Moore, Ph.D., M.D. Assistant Professor of Pediatrics Assistant Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology Immune regulation in autoimmunity and transplantation
	Danyvid Olivares-Villagomez, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology Mucosal immunology, IEL, iCD8alpha, osteopontin, granzyme
	Dolly Padovani- Claudio, M.D., Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences Vascular diseases of the retina
	Anna Patrick, M.D., Ph.D. Pediatric Rheumatology Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics
	Mary Philip, M.D., Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Medicine Assistant Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology Hematology, Cancer Immunology, T cells, Epigenetics, Autoimmunity, Differentiation
	Heather Pua, M.D.,Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology Lung, miRNA, exRNA (extracellular RNA), extracellular vesicles, allergy, asthma, Th2
	Jeffery C. Rathmell, Ph.D. Director, Vanderbilt Center for Immunobiology Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology Professor of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics Cornelius Vanderbilt Chair in Immunobiology T cell metabolism in inflammation and anti-tumor immunity
	Michael Savona, MD Acting Chief, Hematology, Cellular Therapy and Stem Cell Transplantation; Professor of Medicine
	Ana P. Serezani, Ph.D. Research Assistant Professor of Medicine Immunology, Inflammation, T cells, lung remodeling and fibrosis.
	C. Henrique Serezani, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Medicine, Infectious Disease Assistant Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology Understanding host defense in pre-existing inflammatory conditions
	Charles C. Spurlock III, Ph.D. Research Instructor in Medicine Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology Long non-coding RNAs, autoimmune disease, RNA biology, RNA sequencing, adaptive immune system, T cells, gene regulation
	Eric P. Skaar, Ph.D., M.P.H. Director, Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology & Inflammation Director, Division of Molecular Pathogenesis Ernest W. Goodpasture Chair in Pathology Vice Chair for Basic Research, Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology Factors and processes involved in the battle for metal between bacterial pathogens and their hosts
	James W. Thomas, II, M.D. Professor of Medicine Professor of Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology Mechanisms that regulate immune tolerance and why they fail in autoimmune disorders such at type 1 diabetes
	Luc Van Kaer, Ph.D. Elizabeth and John Shapiro Chair Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology Role of innate-type regulatory lymphocytes in health and chronic inflammatory diseases
	Nicole L. Ward, Ph.D. Vice Chair for Research, Department of Dermatology Professor of Dermatology Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology Dr. Ward's research interests include psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis (PsA), osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), lupus, hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), other inflammatory skin diseases, multi-‘omics, microbiome, and skin disease co-morbidities.
	John T. Wilson, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Chemical & Biomolecular Enginering Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering Polymer science, nanotechnology, immunobiology, colloid and surface engineering, cell engineering, and drug delivery
	Keith T. Wilson, M.D. Thomas F. Frist Sr. Chair in Medicine Professor of Medicine Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology Host immune response to the gastric pathogen Helicobacter pylori
	Lan Wu, M.D. Research Associate Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology Interactions between the immune and metabolic systems, whole body metabolism
	Fiona E. Yull, D.Phil. Associate Professor of Cancer Biology Associate Professor of Pharmacology Ovarian, breast and lung cancer
	Matthew R. Alexander, Ph.D, M.D Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Clinical Pharmacology and Cardiovascular Medicine
	Sandra S. Zinkel, Ph.D., M.D Associate Professor of Medicine Associate Professor of Cancer Biology Mechanisms by which normal and malignant cells regulate programed cell death or apoptosis following DNA damage