Innate Immunity Researchers

The immune system is fundamentally evolved to protect against foreign pathogens and interact with the microbiome. Vanderbilt has a strong history of inquiry into mechanisms by which the immune system recognizes and eliminates pathogens. It is also now appreciated that the host microbiome plays a critical role to tune the immune response, control pathogenic bacteria, and maintain overall health. 

Christopher Aiken, PhD

Christopher Aiken, Ph.D.

Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology

Cornelius Vanderbilt Chair in Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology

Biochemistry and molecular biology of HIV infection; Antiviral mechanisms

 

Matthew R. Alexander, Ph.D., M.D.

Matthew R. Alexander, Ph.D., M.D.

Assistant Professor of Medicine

Assistant Professor of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics

Immunology, Hypertension, Vascular Biology, Inflammation, Microvasculature 

 

Holly Algood, Ph.D.

Holly Algood, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology

Assistant Professor of Medicine

Immune response to Helicobacter pylori

 

Manuel Ascano, Ph.D.

Manuel Ascano, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Biochemistry

Assistant Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology

Post-transcriptional gene regulation in innate immunity and cellular stress

 

Justin Balko, Pharm D., Ph.D.

Justin M. Balko, Pharm.D., Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Medicine

Assistant Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology

Translational cancer research focused on molecular therapeutics, onco-immunology & bioinformatics

 

Ruben Martinez Barricarte, Ph.D

Ruben Martinez Barricarte, Ph.D

Assistant Professor of Medicine

Assistant Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology

Immunogenetics, primary immunodeficiencies, inborn errors of Immunity and infectious diseases

Julia Bohannon, Ph.D.

Julia Bohannon, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Anesthesiology

Associate Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology

Innate immune responses to infection in immunocompromised hosts

Mariana Xavier Byndloss, D.V.M., Ph.D.

Mariana Xavier Byndloss, D.V.M., Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology

Linking gut microbiota, host metabolism, and disease

 

James E. Cassat, M.D., Ph.D.

James E. Cassat, M.D., Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics

Associate Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology

Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering

Associate Director, Institute for Infection, Immunology and Inflammation

Interaction between host and pathogen during invasive bacterial infections

 

Jim Connelly, M.D.

Jim Connelly, M.D.

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics

Primary Immune Deficiency, Bone Marrow Failure, Neutropenia, Sickle Cell Disease

 

Timothy L. Cover, M.D.

Timothy L. Cover, M.D.

Professor of Medicine

Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology

Bacteria-host interactions, bacterial toxins, helicobacter pylori, and gastric cancer

C. Buddy Creech, M.D., M.P.H.

C. Buddy Creech, M.D., M.P.H.

Professor of Pediatrics

Edie Carell Johnson Chair in Pediatrics

Clinical and Translational Research in S. aureus, Human immune response to staphylococcal infections, Staphylococcal vaccine development

 

James E. Crowe, M.D.

James E. Crowe, M.D.

Director, Vanderbilt Vaccine Center

Professor of Pediatrics

Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology

Ann Scott Carell Chair

Human B cell and antibody responses to infections

 

Kelly Dooley, M.D., Ph.D.

Kelly Dooley, M.D., Ph.D.

Professor of Medicine

Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology

Addison B. Scoville, Jr. Chair in Medicine

Therapeutics for drug-sensitive and drug-resistant TB, TB-HIV, and pediatric TB meningitis

 

Amanda Doran, M.D., Ph.D.

Amanda Doran, M.D., Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Medicine 

Assistant Professor of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics

Assistant Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology

Cholesterol, Lipids, Familial Hypercholesterolemia, Statin Intolerance

 

Craig L. Duvall, Ph.D.

Craig Duvall , Ph.D.

Professor of Biomedical Engineering

Drug and nanoparticle targeting, intracellular biomacromolecular delivery, and systems for controlled release of growth factors and other extracellular-acting molecules

 

Jane Freedman, M.D.

Jane Freedman, M.D.

Interim Chair of the Department of Medicine

Professor of Medicine

Gladys Parkinson Stahlman Chair in Cardiovascular Research

Immunity, infection, and inflammation on atherothrombotic disease

Jeremy A. Goettel, Ph.D.

Jeremy A. Goettel, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Medicine

Assistant Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology

Mechanisms regulating intestinal immunity

 

Raymond Harris, Jr., M.D.

Raymond Harris, Jr., M.D.

Director, Division of Nephrology

Professor of Medicine

Ann and Roscoe R. Robinson Chair in Nephrology

Professor of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics

Role of growth factors in recovery from acute renal injury

 

Alyssa H. Hasty, Ph.D.

Alyssa H. Hasty, Ph.D.

Cornelius Vanderbilt Chair in Molecular Physiology and Biophysics

Mechanisms by which obesity increases risk for disease

 

Johnathan M. Irish, Ph.D.

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

 

Spyros Kalams, M.D.

Spyros Kalams, M.D.

Professor of Medicine

Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology

Cellular immune responses directed against viral and bacterial pathogens

 

John Joseph Karijolich, Ph.D.

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

 

Tae Kon Kim, M.D., Ph.D.

Tae Kon Kim, M.D., Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Medicine, Hematology/Oncology

Immune checkpoints in hematologic malignancies and GVHD

 

Annet Kirabo, D.V.M., Ph.D.

Annet Kirabo, D.V.M., Ph.D. 

Associate Professor of Medicine

Associate Professor of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics

Cardiovascular disease, Hypertension, Dendritic cells, Neo-antigens, Isolevuglandins

 

Ken Lau, Ph.D.

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

 

Amy S. Major, Ph.D.

Amy S. Major, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Medicine

Associate Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology

Immunological mechanisms of autoimmunity in atherosclerosis

 

Nick Markham, M.D., Ph.D.

Nick Markham, M.D., Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Medicine

Assistant Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology

Colorectal cancer, C. difficile, cancer biology, microbiome, transcriptomics, organoids, microbial toxin pathogenesis, host-pathogen interactions

 

Janet Markle, Ph.D.

Janet Markle, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology

Inborn errors of immunity, Molecular and cellular immunology, pediatric immune-mediated diseases

 

Denis Mogilenko, Ph.D.

Denis Mogilenko, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Medicine 

Assistant Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology 

Assistant Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology

Immunometabolism, Molecular Biology, Systems Biology, Computational Biology, Cancer Biology, Obesity, Aging

 

Dawn C. Newcomb, Ph.D.

Dawn C. Newcomb, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Medicine

Assistant Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology

Estrogen, testosterone, sex hormones, T cells, innate lymphoid cells, asthma, allergy

 

Kristen Ogden, Ph.D.

Kristen Ogden, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics

Assistant Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology

Acquistion and impact of genetic diversity of segmented, double stranded RNA viruses

 

Danyvid Olivares-Villagomez, PhD

Danyvid Olivares-Villagomez, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology

Mucosal immunology, IEL, iCD8alpha, osteopontin, granzyme

 

Richard M. Peek, Jr., M.D.

Richard M. Peek, Jr., M.D.

Director, Division of Gastroenterology

Mina Cobb Wallace Chair in Immunology

Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology

Pathogenesis, helicobacter pylori, gastric cancer, carcinogenesis, infectious disease, bacterial pathogenesis, inflammation, malignancy

 

Elizabeth Phillips, M.D.

Elizabeth Phillips, M.D.

Professor of Medicine

Professor of Dermatology

John A. Oates Chair in Clinical Research

Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology

Professor of Pharmacology

HLA, T-cell Immunology, Immunogenomics, Pharmacogenomics, Drug Hypersensitivity, SJS/TEN, Adverse Drug Reactions

 

Heather Pua, M.D., Ph.D.

Heather Pua, M.D., Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology

Lung, miRNA, exRNA (extracellular RNA), extracellular vesicles, allergy, asthma, Th2

 

Marjan Rafat, Ph.D.

Marjan Rafat, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering

Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology

Effects of radiation and surgery on tumor and immune cell migration, the molecular profiles of tissues wounded from therapy, and the biomechanical properties of tissues following therapy

 

Ann Richmond, Ph.D.

Ann Richmond, Ph.D.

Associate Director for Research Education

Professor of Pharmacology

Professor of Dermatology

The role of the inflammatory response in tumor progression

 

Louise A. Rollins-Smith, Ph.D.

Louise A. Rollins-Smith, Ph.D.

Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology

Professor of Pediatrics

Amphibian immune defenses against an ancient fungal pathogen

 

Jeffery C. Rathmell, PhD

Krishnendu Roy, Ph.D.

Bruce and Bridgitt Evans Dean of Engineering

Professor of Biomedical Engineering

Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology

Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

 

Michael Savona, MD

Michael Savona, M.D.

Professor of Medicine

Hematology, Cellular Therapy and Stem Cell Transplantation

Ana P. Serezani, Ph.D.

Ana P. Serezani, Ph.D.

Research Assistant Professor of Medicine

Immunology, Inflammation, T cells, lung remodeling and fibrosis.

 

C. Henrique Serezani, Ph.D.

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

 

Anil Shanker, Ph.D.

Anil Shanker, Ph.D.

Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology

Cornelius Vanderbilt Chair in Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology

Biochemistry and molecular biology of HIV infection; Antiviral mechanisms

 

Ciara Shaver, M.D., Ph.D.

Ciara Shaver, M.D., Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Medicine

Mechanisms of acute lung injury and inflammation during critical illness and after lung transplantation

 

Ann Tate, Ph.D.

 

Ann Tate, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences

Assistant Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology

Host-Microbe Interactions, Innate Immunity, Disease Dynamics, Functional Genomics, Theoretical Modeling, Computational Biology

 

Luc Van Kaer, Ph.D.

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

 

Kasey Vickers, Ph.D.

Kasey Vickers, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Medicine

Associate Professor of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics

Assistant Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology

MicroRNAs and other sRNA-mediated gene regulation in cholesterol, glucose, lipid and lipoprotein metabolism

 

Celestine Wanjalla, M.D., Ph.D.

Celestine Wanjalla, M.D., Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Medicine

Virus-specific immune responses, chronic inflammation and aging

 

Nicole L. Ward, Ph.D.

 

Nicole L. Ward, Ph.D.

Vice Chair for Research, Department of Dermatology

Professor of Dermatology

Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology

Psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis (PsA), osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), lupus, hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), other inflammatory skin diseases, multi-‘omics, microbiome, and skin disease co-morbidities.

 

John Wilson, Ph.D.

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.

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.

Lan Wu, M.D.

Research Associate Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology

Interactions between the immune and metabolic systems, whole body metabolism

 

Sandra S. Zinkel, M.D., Ph. D.

Sandra S. Zinkel, M.D., Ph.D.

Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology

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

 

 

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