Education:

• Ph.D., Yale University, 2014
• B.S., Northeastern University, 2007

Research Interests:

Immunotoxicology; immunotherapy

Research Summary:

My primary research interests center around the mechanisms by which the environment influences susceptibility to immune-mediated disease.  Environmental factors are associated with the recent rise in type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune disease characterized by the destruction of insulin-producing beta cells.  One potential mechanistic link between environmental factors and T1D is the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), a transcription factor that can be activated by diverse ligands found in the diet, microbiome, chemical contaminants, and drugs.  My research aims to identify the mechanisms by which AhR activation leads to divergent CD4+ T cell fates, and tests the hypothesis that the interaction between diverse AhR ligands, the host immune system, and the microbiome influences susceptibility to type 1 diabetes

Lab Rotation Availability: Upon inquiry

PubMed listing