Our Faculty

Carole Ober, PhD

The research goals of my laboratory are to parse the roles of genetic variation and environmental exposures in the development of asthma and allergic diseases using genetic, transcriptomic and epigenomic markers and integrated omic and systems level analyses. We focus our studies on freshly isolated (ex vivo) blood and airway cells and in vitro cell culture models of gene-environment interactions. Our studies are in diverse U.S. populations of children and adults who have been followed longitudinally and have detailed phenotypes and environmental assessments.

Northwestern University
Evanston, IL
PhD - Biological Anthropology

George Washington University
Washington, D.C.
BA - Anthropology

Integration of functional genomics and statistical fine-mapping systematically characterizes adult-onset and childhood-onset asthma genetic associations.
Integration of functional genomics and statistical fine-mapping systematically characterizes adult-onset and childhood-onset asthma genetic associations. Genome Med. 2025 Apr 10; 17(1):35.
PMID: 40205616

EndoPRS: Incorporating endophenotype information to improve polygenic risk scores for clinical endpoints-A study in asthma.
EndoPRS: Incorporating endophenotype information to improve polygenic risk scores for clinical endpoints-A study in asthma. Am J Hum Genet. 2025 May 01; 112(5):1199-1214.
PMID: 40203832

Early-life wheeze trajectories are associated with distinct asthma transcriptomes later in life.
Early-life wheeze trajectories are associated with distinct asthma transcriptomes later in life. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2025 Apr 04.
PMID: 40189159

Integration of functional genomics and statistical fine-mapping systematically characterizes adult-onset and childhood-onset asthma genetic associations.
Integration of functional genomics and statistical fine-mapping systematically characterizes adult-onset and childhood-onset asthma genetic associations. medRxiv. 2025 Feb 17.
PMID: 40034789

Prediction and Characterization of Genetically Regulated Expression of Target Tissues in Asthma.
Prediction and Characterization of Genetically Regulated Expression of Target Tissues in Asthma. medRxiv. 2025 Feb 08.
PMID: 39974046

Genetic contributions to epigenetic-defined endotypes of allergic phenotypes in children.
Genetic contributions to epigenetic-defined endotypes of allergic phenotypes in children. medRxiv. 2024 Oct 04.
PMID: 40034775

Multi-omics in nasal epithelium reveals three axes of dysregulation for asthma risk in the African Diaspora populations.
Multi-omics in nasal epithelium reveals three axes of dysregulation for asthma risk in the African Diaspora populations. Nat Commun. 2024 May 28; 15(1):4546.
PMID: 38806494

EndoPRS: Incorporating Endophenotype Information to Improve Polygenic Risk Scores for Clinical Endpoints.
EndoPRS: Incorporating Endophenotype Information to Improve Polygenic Risk Scores for Clinical Endpoints. medRxiv. 2024 May 24.
PMID: 38826253

Population descriptors in asthma and allergy research: Time to regroup.
Population descriptors in asthma and allergy research: Time to regroup. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2024 Jul; 154(1):79-81.
PMID: 38642714

Analytical challenges in omics research on asthma and allergy: A National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases workshop.
Analytical challenges in omics research on asthma and allergy: A National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases workshop. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2024 Apr; 153(4):954-968.
PMID: 38295882

View All Publications

Distinguished Service Professor
University of Chicago
2018

Jonas Salk Health Leadership Award for Research
March of Dimes
2017

Top 10 Clinical Research Achievement Award
Clinical Research Forum
2017

John E. Salvaggio Memorial Lectureship
American Association of Asthma, Allergy and Clinical Immunology
2015

Reuben M. Cherniak Lecturer
Petty Aspen Lung Conference
2015

Fellow
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
2014

Named Blum-Riese Professor
University of Chicago
2010

Northwestern Obstetrics and Gynecology Award
Northwestern University Medical School
2005

Charles Reed Lectureship
American Association of Asthma, Allergy, and Immunology (AAAAI)
2005

J. Christian Herr Award for Excellence in Basic or Applied Research in Reproductive Immunology
American Society of Reproductive Immunology (ASRI)
1996