My lab has had a long-standing interest in understanding the basis of immunological tolerance and humoral immunity following allogeneic transplantation. We have been collaborating extensively with Dr. Marisa Alegre in studying how infections prevent the induction of transplantation tolerance or destabilize established tolerance, and understanding the fundamental mechanisms of robust transplantation tolerance. We recently have developed new approaches to track a defined population of endogenous allospecific T (CD4+effectors (Th1 and Tfh), CD4+Tregs and CD8 effector) and B cells (Class I and Class II reactive), and are now asking how each of these subsets of cells behave under conditions of rejection, memory/sensitization and tolerance, with the goal of identifying new biomarkers of tolerance and rejection.
We also actively investigating the behavior of memory alloreactive B cells in the setting of transplantation, and in identifying how these cells differ from naïve B cells, with the goal of identifying immunosuppressive and tolerance inducing strategies to control this clinically important subset of cells. We are conducting these studies in experimental rodent models, and also testing our findings in humans. These studies are performed in collaboration with Dr. Roger Sciammas at UCDavis, and the clinical transplant faculty at the University of Chicago and Ohio State University.
In addition, we have stretched our research into the prevention of infections through vaccination, with the long-term goal of using this strategy as an indirect but cost-effective means of stabilizing tolerance. Towards this goal, my lab has been collaborating with Dr. Chris Montgomery, a physician scientist in the Department of Pediatrics, to identify sub-unit vaccine candidates and to investigate the immunobiology of protection from Staphylococcus aureus skin infections. My lab also has a strong program of collaborative research with Dr. Joel Collier, a bioengineer at Duke University, to develop of nanoparticulate adjuvant-free vaccines that can elicit protective immune responses with minimal inflammation. Such a vaccine that elicits minimal inflammation may be ideal for tolerant patients, as we now appreciate that inflammation can destabilize established tolerance.
University of Arizona
Tucson, AZ
Research Associate
Tufts University
Boston, MA
Post-Doctoral Fellow
Australian National University
Australia
PhD
University of Malaya
Malaysia
BS (Hons)
CAR Treg synergy with anti-CD154 promotes infectious tolerance and dictates allogeneic heart transplant acceptance.
CAR Treg synergy with anti-CD154 promotes infectious tolerance and dictates allogeneic heart transplant acceptance. JCI Insight. 2025 Apr 08; 10(7).
PMID: 40197364
Follicular regulatory T cells restrain kidney allograft rejection in mice by suppressing alloreactive B cells.
Follicular regulatory T cells restrain kidney allograft rejection in mice by suppressing alloreactive B cells. Nat Commun. 2025 Mar 04; 16(1):2151.
PMID: 40038336
Cutting to the chase: Pruning alloreactive T cells.
Cutting to the chase: Pruning alloreactive T cells. Immunity. 2025 Feb 11; 58(2):270-272.
PMID: 39938479
Sex and gender as predictors for allograft and patient-relevant outcomes after kidney transplantation.
Sex and gender as predictors for allograft and patient-relevant outcomes after kidney transplantation. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2024 12 19; 12:CD014966.
PMID: 39698949
Donor HLA-DQ reactive B cells clonally expand under chronic immunosuppression and include atypical CD21 low CD27 - B cells with high-avidity germline B-cell receptors.
Donor HLA-DQ reactive B cells clonally expand under chronic immunosuppression and include atypical CD21 low CD27 - B cells with high-avidity germline B-cell receptors. bioRxiv. 2024 Dec 10.
PMID: 39713394
Multimodal profiling of transplant rejection: Discerning the forest from the trees.
Multimodal profiling of transplant rejection: Discerning the forest from the trees. Am J Transplant. 2025 Apr; 25(4):646-647.
PMID: 39550009
CAR Treg synergy with anti-CD154 mediates infectious tolerance to dictate heart transplant outcomes.
CAR Treg synergy with anti-CD154 mediates infectious tolerance to dictate heart transplant outcomes. bioRxiv. 2024 Oct 28.
PMID: 39386649
Isolation and transcriptional profiling of antigen-presenting cells from mouse lung and MLNs following intranasal immunization.
Isolation and transcriptional profiling of antigen-presenting cells from mouse lung and MLNs following intranasal immunization. STAR Protoc. 2024 12 20; 5(4):103400.
PMID: 39427311
Update on the immunological mechanisms of primary graft dysfunction and chronic lung allograft dysfunction.
Update on the immunological mechanisms of primary graft dysfunction and chronic lung allograft dysfunction. Curr Opin Organ Transplant. 2024 Dec 01; 29(6):412-419.
PMID: 39422603
Pregnancy dedifferentiates memory CD8+ T cells into hypofunctional cells with exhaustion-enriched programs.
Pregnancy dedifferentiates memory CD8+ T cells into hypofunctional cells with exhaustion-enriched programs. JCI Insight. 2024 May 21; 9(13).
PMID: 38771643