There is a growing appreciation that metabolism is intimately linked to nearly all aspects of cell function and fate. The field of immunometabolism aims to understand how metabolic pathways are regulated in immune cells, how specific metabolic programs alter immune function, and how immunity in turn may influence metabolism. The Rathmell lab focuses on how metabolic pathways and tissue microenvironments influence the function and fate of lymphocytes in inflammatory diseases and anti-tumor immunity. Our work is highly interdisciplinary and collaborative involving the fields of immunology, cancer biology, and cell metabolism. We use genetic and biochemical approaches with a goal to understand and exploit the specific metabolic programs of each cell type or activation state and selectively modulate effector lymphocytes in inflammatory diseases and cancer.
The Mission of the J. Rathmell lab is to identify molecular targets and metabolic mechanisms to modify immune cell fates relevant to inflammatory diseases and cancer.
Our Vision is to be a dynamic interdisciplinary group leading with impactful immunological discoveries while promoting trainee development to reach their goals and translating our findings to improve human health.
We Value diversity of all people and thought in innovative approaches to discover novel and impactful biological mechanisms of disease.