Immunology | Research Interests

Name	Email	PhD Program
Chung, Kay WEBSITE EMAIL PUBLICATIONS	PHD PROGRAM Cell Biology & Physiology RESEARCH INTEREST Bioinformatics, Cancer Biology, Cancer Immunology, Cancer Signaling & Biochemistry, Chemical Biology, Computational Biology, Gene Therapy, Immunology, Molecular Biology, Signal Transduction, Systems Biology, Translational Medicine, Virology	The Chung lab is engineering immune cells, particularly T cells, to achieve maximum therapeutic efficacy at the right place and timing. We explore the crossroads of synthetic biology, immunology, and cancer biology. Particularly, we are employing protein engineering, next-gen sequencing, CRISPR screening, and bioinformatics to achieve our objectives: (1) Combinatorial recipes of transcription factors for T cell programming. (2) Technologies for temporal regulation and/or rewiring of tumor and immune signal activation (chemokine, nuclear, inhibitor receptors). (3) Synthetic oncolytic virus for engineering tumor-T cell crosstalk.
Pruitt, Kevin WEBSITE EMAIL PUBLICATIONS	PHD PROGRAM Pharmacology RESEARCH INTEREST Bioinformatics, Cancer Biology, Cancer Genomics, Cell Biology, Cell Signaling, Epigenetics & Chromatin Biology, Immunology, Pharmacology	Pruitt lab research involves 3 broad areas. Interest in the first area (cancer epigenetics) stemmed from discoveries made during postdoctoral training assessing how tumor progression disrupts epigenetic mechanisms of control. The second area (Wnt pathway regulation) was the result of early screens as an Assistant Professor at LSU Health Sciences Center. We uncovered novel regulators of oncogenic Wnt signaling and published the first observation that epigenetic enzymes regulate a critical mediator of Wnt signaling (Dishevelled). The third project involves elucidating mechanisms of aromatase regulation which emerged from the obsession of early trainees in the lab with understanding mechanisms cancer-associated estrogen biosynthesis. Within the context of these three projects, I have mentored and guided multiple trainees at every level over the course of 17 years.
Graves, Christina WEBSITE EMAIL PUBLICATIONS	PHD PROGRAM Oral & Craniofacial Biomedicine RESEARCH INTEREST Gastrointestinal Biology, Immunology, Microscopy/Imaging, Molecular Mechanisms of Disease, Neurobiology, Organismal Biology	Fundamentally, our research is focused on how the nervous and immune systems are developmentally educated by infectious and non-infectious stressors across the “gum-to-gut” axis. One current major focus of the lab is to elucidate how early life stress impacts the developing gut and dentition using zebrafish as an ideal — and translational — model organism. We utilize a combination of advanced imaging, next-generation sequencing, and genetic approaches to achieve a greater understanding of how early life events dictate health outcomes across the lifespan and generations. In addition to these primary research interests, we maintain active collaborations with other groups within the Adams School of Dentistry and across campus.
Smeekens, Johanna WEBSITE EMAIL PUBLICATIONS	PHD PROGRAM Toxicology RESEARCH INTEREST Immunology, Toxicology, Translational Medicine	Our research focuses on investigating factors that contribute to the development of food allergy, with an emphasis on how we can manipulate these factors towards preventative and therapeutic strategies. Specifically, we aim to understand the role of environmental exposures, particularly early in life, in non-oral sensitization to foods that lead to allergy. We are also especially interested in testing novel therapeutics for food allergy that can induce tolerance, after allergy is already established. We utilize a combination of human samples and mouse models to address these goals.
Vetreno, Ryan EMAIL PUBLICATIONS	PHD PROGRAM Neuroscience, Pharmacology RESEARCH INTEREST Addiction/Alcohol Research, Aging/Alzheimer's, Behavior, Biochemistry, Brain Development, Developmental Biology, Disease, Epigenetics & Chromatin Biology, Immunology, Microbiome, Molecular Biology, Molecular Mechanisms of Disease, Neurobiology, Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Neuropharmacology, Pathology, Pharmacology, Regenerative Medicine	My research interests involve investigation of proinflammatory neuroimmune and epigenetic mechanisms in animal models of developmental neurobiology and neurodegeneration, including (1) alcohol pharmacology, (2) alcohol responsivity and tolerance, (3) adolescent neurodevelopment, (4) cholinergic system and neurocircuitry, (5) microglial function, and (6) Alzheimer’s disease. A major focus of the laboratory is elucidation of neuroimmune and epigenetic mechanisms underlying adolescent binge alcohol-induced disruption of basal forebrain cholinergic neurocircuitry in adulthood. A second major focus of the laboratory is investigation of lasting adolescent binge drinking-induced neuroimmune priming as a novel etiological factor contributing to the onset and progression of basal forebrain neuropathology in Alzheimer’s disease. Our laboratory combines ex vivo and in vivo rodent models of alcohol abuse and Alzheimer’s disease with innovative molecular techniques.
Murray, Allison EMAIL	PHD PROGRAM RESEARCH INTEREST Cancer Biology, Immunology, Molecular Medicine	“I’m interested in exploring mechanisms of adaptive resistance to novel therapeutics, particularly in aggressive tumor models like PDAC, NSCLC, and CRC. I believe that transcriptional rebound mechanisms can be overpowered by the anti-tumor immune system, but the relationships among mechanisms of adaptive resistance and anti-tumor immune system dynamics have yet to be well elucidated. Thus, while I welcome the opportunity to explore both immune cell crosstalk and novel therapeutic efficacy, my hope is to identify a synergistic small-molecule/immunotherapy combo that can not only overcome adaptive resistance to single agent, but also translate well to the clinic.”
Harrison, Shenice EMAIL	PHD PROGRAM RESEARCH INTEREST Cell Biology, Immunology, Pathogenesis & Infection	“My research interests lie in the intersection of pathogenesis and host-pathogen interactions, and microbiology. I aim to explore the molecular basis of infectious diseases and develop novel treatments and vaccines. Within microbiology, I am particularly interested in investigating the genetic mechanisms that regulate microorganism biology and how this knowledge can be applied to advance medical treatments. Additionally, I aim to understand the molecular mechanisms of disease pathogenesis in microorganisms.”
Sahoo, Sneha EMAIL	PHD PROGRAM RESEARCH INTEREST Cancer Biology, Immunology, Translational Medicine	“During graduate school, I would like to work on a cancer biology problem that is heavily translational and multi-disciplinary in nature. I am really interested in the tumor microenvironment (TME) and I would like to study tumor-promoting/suppressing mechanisms promoted due to cell crosstalk in the TME. Alternatively, I am also interested in studying different molecular mechanisms that result in cancer initiation and metastasis. Ultimately, I would like to utilize my research findings to develop potential therapeutic interventions.”
Griffith, Lauren EMAIL	PHD PROGRAM RESEARCH INTEREST Cancer Biology, Immunology, Pathogenesis & Infection	“My current research interests are in cancer research, specifically how the microenvironment affects tumor development and progression. I am interested in analyzing how gut microbiota composition can impact disease formation and progression, as well as how genetic factors and mutations can impact it as well.”
Bennett, Jack EMAIL	PHD PROGRAM RESEARCH INTEREST Cancer Biology, Cell Biology, Immunology	“I am interested in understanding the genetics and mechanisms behind cancer formation and progression, evolution and its consequences, signaling pathways involved in developmental biology, the cell cycle, and the immune system. I want to ask questions such as why host genetics can cause a certain infection to be worse or less severe, why some individuals may be more susceptible to certain cancers, what are new ways we can fight cancers and other diseases, or why the cell cycle and associated proteins function the way they do.”

Research Interest: Immunology