Directors
William C. Gause, PhD
Senior Associate Dean for Research
Director, RBHS Institute for Infectious and Inflammatory Diseases
Director, Center for Immunity & Inflammation
University Professor of Medicine
gausewc@njms.rutgers.edu
David Alland, MD
Dr. Alland led the effort that resulted in the Xpert MTB/RIF Assay, the first on-demand, point-of-care TB test, and the first replacement for the acid-fast smear to diagnose TB in over 100 years, recommended by the WHO and now used in 130 countries. This work continues in the development of rapid diagnostics for extended TB drug resistance, and blood stream detection of bioterrorism agents, S. aureus, Candida species, and more recent work on point-of-care diagnostics for COVID-19. Dr. Alland’s group along with the Sassetti laboratory discovered that phase variation in the M. tuberculosis glpK gene produced heritable, but rapidly reversible multi-drug tolerance; and suggested that phase variation may explain why TB requires months of multi-drug treatment. He has also developed innovative drug screens for inhibitors of cell wall biosynthesis and respiration, discovering novel drug candidates targeting Mtb Pks13, KasA and MenG, that are highly effective against stationary phase organisms, which promise to address the unmet need of more rapid effective TB treatment.Professor and Chief, Division of Infectious Disease
Director, The Public Health Research Institute (PHRI)
Director, The Center for COVID-19 Response and Pandemic Preparedness (CRP2)
Director, Rutgers Regional Bio-containment Laboratory (RBL)
Director, The Center for Emerging Pathogens (EP)
allandda@njms.rutgers.edu
Members
Aimee M. Beaulieu, PhD
Research in the Beaulieu Lab is focused on understanding the molecular and cellular signals that regulate immune responses by Natural Killer (NK) cells and “helper” innate lymphoid cells (ILC1s). We use a broad range of genetic, cellular, and molecular tools to identify and interrogate novel pathways that contribute to NK cell development, differentiation, and effector responses at steady-state and in settings of infection and other inflammatory processes such as pregnancy, injury, and cancer. Ongoing projects in our lab include investigation of molecular pathways that regulate: (1) antigen-specific effector and memory responses by NK cells during viral infection; (2) differentiation and function of unique tissue-resident NK cell and ILC1 populations in tissues such as the uterus and skin; (3) anti-tumor responses by NK cells; and (4) NK cell-mediated modulation of other immune and non-immune cell types in infected or inflamed tissues.Assistant Professor and Chancellor Scholar
Center for Immunity & Inflammation
Microbiology, Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics
ab1550@njms.rutgers.edu
Tessa Bergsbaken, PhD
The Bergsbaken Lab studies a subset of CD8+ T cells that traffic to the tissue and persist there after infection or immunization. These tissue-resident memory T cells (Trm) play an important role in early defense against pathogen challenge at barrier surfaces. We use bacterial and viral pathogens to understand the mechanisms of T cell activation, maintenance, and function in the intestine and other mucosal tissues in response to local infection. The density of CD8+ T cells within solid tumors often correlates with improved prognosis, and our lab is also utilizing a mouse model of colorectal cancer to examine how adoptive CD8+ T cell immunotherapy can be improved using our findings from infection models.Assistant Professor
Center for Immunity & Inflammation
Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine
t.bergsbaken@rutgers.edu
Nicholas J. Bessman, PhD
The Bessman lab is interested in the interplay between the immune system and intestinal bacteria during health and disease. We recently discovered that the immune system carefully regulates iron levels to contain and control intestinal bacteria. In ongoing work, we aim to better understand how the immune system promotes colonization by specific bacterial species that promote human health. We are developing cutting edge in vivo models using genetically modified mice and bacteria to address these questions, with the long-term goal of developing new therapeutic strategies for treating disease.Assistant Professor
Center for Immunity & Inflammation
Department of Medicine
John Chan, MD
Our laboratory studies the interaction between the host and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB). Our goals are to characterize the lung immune response to Mtb, decipher the mechanisms by which Mtb evades host defense to enter a latent state and later reactivates, and develop effective anti-tuberculous interventions including vaccines. Current work in our lab seeks to: i) understand how B cells and humoral immunity shapes the host response to Mtb, with a focus on characterizing the mechanisms by which IgM and the germinal center reaction regulate the development of anti-TB immunity; ii) test the hypothesis that Mtb can exploit the host immunosuppressive tryptophan catabolic pathway initiated by the enzyme indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase to evade anti-tuberculous immunity, thereby promoting persistence; iii) elucidate how the Mtb universal stress protein Rv2623 interacts with the putative transporter of cell wall intermediates Rv1747 to modulate the level of expression of cell envelope phosphatidyl-myo-inositol-mannosides, which, by virtue of their immunoregulatory properties, affect host-bacterium interaction to influence in vivo mycobacterial growth, including in the context of latency and reactivation.Professor
Department of Medicine
jc2864@njms.rutgers.edu
Sylvia Christakos, PhD
Center for Immunity & Inflammation
Microbiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics
christak@njms.rutgers.edu
Nataki C. Douglas, MD, PhD
Associate ProfessorDirector of Translational Research, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women's Health
Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility
nataki.douglas@rutgers.edu
David Dubnau, PhD
Many bacteria take up environmental DNA in a process known as genetic transformation, which enables the cells to incorporate fitness-enhancing genes and mediates the spread of antibiotic resistance and virulence determinants. We are investigating transformation, to understand more fully how environmental DNA is taken up into the cytoplasm of competent cells. For this we are using a combination of genetics, biochemistry, cell biology and structural biology, the latter in collaboration with Dr. M. Neiditch, here at NJMS. A second project concerns the mechanism of action of the Ric complex of three proteins required for bacterial development: sporulation, biofilm formation and genetic competence. We are exploring the mechanism of Ric complex action not only in bacterial development, but importantly in the maturation of RNA transcripts encoding genes for central C and N metabolism.Public Health Research Institute
dubnauda@njms.rutgers.edu
Jerrold J. Ellner, PhD
Dr. Ellner is Professor of Medicine at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. His research interest is the natural history and immunopathogenesis of TB and related host biomarkers. He has been PI of multiple NIH-funded multidisciplinary research programs at international sites currently the TB Research Unit and FEND for TB (evaluate of new diagnostics) and the Regional Prospective Observational Research for Tuberculosis (RePORT-India) Consortium.Professor and Clinical Director
Department of Medicine
Infectious Diseases, Public Health Research Institute
ellnerjj@njms.rutgers.edu
Patricia Fitzgerald-Bocarsly, PhD
Professor & Provost-RBHS Newark
Department of Pathology, Immunology and
Laboratory Medicine
bocarsly@njms.rutgers.edu
Joel Freundlich, PhD
The Freundlich group is located at Rutgers University in the Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience and the Department of Medicine (Division of Infectious Diseases, Center for Emerging & Re-emerging Pathogens). Professor Freundlich is a member of the Infection, Immunity & Inflammation, Biomedical Engineering, and Molecular Biology, Genetics & Cancer tracks, while also holding a full member appointment in the graduate program for the Department of Medicinal Chemistry. The Freundlich laboratory is positioned at the intersection of computation, chemistry, and biology to develop new tools that contribute to our understanding of the pathogenesis of infectious diseases (caused by M. tuberculosis, ESKAPE bacteria, and select viruses) and translate these toward the discovery of novel therapeutic strategies. The group is indebted to funding primarily from the National Institutes of Health.Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience
Center for Emerging Pathogens
freundjs@njms.rutgers.edu
Chun-Chieh (Jack) Hsu, PhD
Dr. Jack Chun-Chieh Hsu received his Ph.D. from the Department of Biochemistry at Duke University. His research focused on elucidating the complex life of RNA in RNA localization and translational regulation, investigating the dual-function membrane proteins moonlighting as RNA-binding proteins on the endoplasmic reticulum. Dr. Hsu's academic journey continued in the Department of Immunobiology at Yale University, where he studied the molecular mechanism by which the antiviral protein viperin inhibits viral replication through translation inhibition. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Hsu has been focusing on diagnostic testing, host antiviral responses, viral immune evasion, and studying the biology of SARS-CoV-2. His research led to the identification of a novel SARS-CoV-2 translation inhibitory protein (NSP14), responsible for suppressing host translation and subverting the interferon antiviral response. Dr. Hsu’s long-term research interests include understanding the molecular arms race between host and virus, as they regulate the translation machinery to establish either an antiviral or pro-viral state. His lab also translates these findings into innovative approaches for developing antivirals and biomarkers.Center for Virus-Host-Innate Immunity
Department of Medicine
jack.hsu@rutgers.edu
Huijuan Hu, PhD
Chronic pain is a debilitating condition and represents a clinical challenge for the practicing physician. The long-term goal of my research is to understand the mechanisms underlying the development of chronic pain. Increasing evidence has demonstrated that calcium signal contributes to the induction and maintenance of pain hypersensitivity. My research has been concentrated on the role of store-operated calcium channels (SOCs), calcium-selective cation channels that comprise three pore-forming subunits Orai1/2/3 and two calcium sensors STIM1 and STIM2, in pain plasticity. Currently, we are identifying endogenous upstream molecules of SOC signaling and exploring functional consequences of SOC channel activation. These studies will extend our knowledge of how SOC signaling modulates pain and will provide novel insights into mechanisms underlying chronic pain. We hope to identify SOC channels as drug targets and develop new approaches to therapeutic intervention for chronic pain associated with nerve injury and diseases.Associate Professor
Center for Immunity & Inflammation
Department of Anesthesiology
hh480@njms.rutgers.edu
Yosuke Kumamoto, PhD
Dr. Yosuke Kumamoto, Assistant Professor (tenure-track) in the Center for Immunity Inflammation and the Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, joined in June 2017, and he studies the role of dendritic cell subsets in adaptive immunity and inflammation. Dr. Kumamoto discovered a subset of dendritic cells (DCs) expressing CD301b and found that CD301b+ DCs are selectively required for the differentiation of Th2 cells as well as for the maintenance of metabolic homeostasis. His research is focused around the biology of DC-T cell interaction and the role of DCs in type 2 inflammation in the skin and lung in allergy, tumor and infectious diseases.Center for Immunity & Inflammation
Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine
yosuke.kumamoto@rutgers.edu
Alexander Lemenze, PhD
The Molecular and Genomics Informatics Core (MaGIC) provides high-throughput computational services and resources to internal and external laboratories. Our core staff provides pre-project consultations, fee-for-service workflows, and longitudinal collaborative assistance for bioinformatics analyses. Additionally, we develop novel pipelines and customize existing pipelines for both research and commercial partners to enable reproducible analyses. Paired with pipelined workflows, we have been building visualization tools to enable non-bioinformatics researchers to interrogate their data in depth. Learn more at bioinformagic.ioAssistant Professor
Center for Immunity & Inflammation
Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine
lemenzad@njms.rutgers.edu
Dongfang Liu, MD, PhD
Dr. Dongfang Liu’s research is primarily focused on the immunobiology of NK and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-NK cells. Specifically, Dr. Liu’s research includes studies of the cell biology of immunoreceptors, NK cell biology, immunotherapy, the CAR immunological synapse, HCC, and HIV-specific CTLs in chronic HIV and its related malignancies. We are interested in studying the biology of human cytotoxic lymphocytes using molecular, biochemical, and single molecule imaging strategies. We are applying live cell imaging and biophysical approaches to study the signaling and functions of the immunological synapses (IS) and human lymphocytes dysfunction in chronic infectious diseases such as HIV and HIV-related malignancy. Three specific research projects in Dr. Liu's lab are:Project #1: Use NK and CAR-NK cells Immunotherapy for Cancer and Infections
Project #2: Chimeric antigen receptors (CAR) Immunological Synapse
Project #3: The Role of Crk in Immune Response
Associate Professor
Center for Immunity & Inflammation
Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine
dl907@njms.rutgers.edu
Keri E. Lunsford, MD, PhD, FACS
Keri E. Lunsford MD, PhD, FACS is the Director of Translational and Surgical Science for the Department of Surgery, a liver transplant and hepatobiliary surgeon on faculty at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School and a member of the Center for Immunity and Inflammation. Dr. Lunsford received MD and PhD degrees from The Ohio State University, and she completed general surgery residency at Duke University followed by fellowship in abdominal transplantation and hepatobiliary surgery at UCLA. Her clinical interests include liver transplant oncology, simultaneous liver kidney transplantation, and liver transplant futility. She has an active translational transplant immunology research lab currently funded by the NIH NIDDK and NCI, the ASTS, and the NJHF. Her translational research focuses on the mechanism and impact of pre-transplant immune dysfunction in liver transplant recipient outcomes. She serves on several national and international committees and is well-published in the field of transplant surgery and transplant immunology.Center for Immunity & Inflammation
Department of Surgery
kel153@njms.rutgers.edu
Matthew Neiditch, PhD
The Neiditch lab uses diverse methods including biochemical, genetic, computational, and biophysical (mainly X-ray crystallographic and cryo-EM) techniques to study fundamentally important and broadly conserved cellular processes in bacteria. The basic science research in the Neiditch lab encompasses structure-function studies of the following areas, among others: oligopeptide- and small molecule-mediated bacterial cell-cell communication; bacterial cytidine deaminases in phage defense; second messenger signal transduction; phosphorelay signal transduction; transcriptional activators/repressors/anti-activators; and genetic transformation machinery. The translational work in the Neiditch lab focuses on developing inhibitors of Mycobacterium tuberculosis mycolic acid biosynthesis and respiration; developing broad-spectrum inhibitors of bacterial biofilm growth and cell-cell communication; and structure-function studies of cytidine deaminases in health and disease.Professor
Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics
neiditmb@njms.rutgers.edu
Dane Parker, PhD
The Parker lab investigates host-pathogen interactions in the context of bacterial infection. We currently work with the bacterium, Staphylococcus aureus, a major human pathogen responsible for a broad range of diseases including pneumonia, bloodstream and skin and soft tissue infections. We investigate the interaction of S. aureus with the host innate immune system, covering the fields of bacterial pathogenesis and innate immunity. Our more immunological studies look at innate immune cell function and development, and innate immune memory and how this impacts bacterial infection. Our studies take a multi-disciplinary approach that includes both in vitro and in vivo techniques that span microbiology, immunology, cell biology and molecular biology.
Assistant Professor
Center for Immunity & Inflammation
Department of Pathology, Immunololgy and Laboratory Medicine
dane.parker@rutgers.edu
Vasileios Petrou, PhD
The Petrou Lab is aiming to characterize the structure and function of membrane proteins using single-particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryoEM) and biophysical/biochemical techniques, with a focus on: i) Bacterial membrane enzymes involved in antibiotic resistance, and ii) Receptors and ion channels relevant to human physiology and pathology. In addition, it is my absolute pleasure and privilege to support the training of the next generation of molecular microbiologists that will use structural biology techniques to decipher biological processes relevant to antibiotic resistance and microbial pathogenesis, and molecular physiologists aiming to decipher the structural basis of synaptic physiology or pathology. I am fully committed in building an inclusive scientific environment that will enable mentees to grow into accomplished scientists.Assistant Professor and Chancellor Scholar
Center for Immunity & Inflammation
Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics
vp440@njms.rutgers.edu
Ricardo Rajsbaum, PhD
The Rajsbaum lab studies Innate immune responses, which are essential to protect host cells against pathogens. Upon infection, viruses are recognized by the host cell triggering signaling pathways leading to induction of type-I Interferons (IFN-I) and other cytokines that protect against infections. These responses need to be carefully balanced to avoid detrimental effects to the host. Post-translational modifications, including ubiquitination and phosphorylation, regulate the activity of immune signaling components. However, viruses have adapted to antagonize these responses. In addition, viruses can also take advantage of the host ubiquitin system to enhance their replication resulting in increased pathology. The Rajsbaum lab is interested in elucidating 1) How viruses are recognized by the host cell via pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) and the regulation of these pathways, 2) how viruses have adapted to inhibit these antiviral pathways, and 3) How viruses hijack factors of the ubiquitin system to promote virus replication.Associate Professor
Director, Center for Virus-Host-Innate Immunity Department of Medicine
rr1234@newark.rutgers.edu
Amariliz Rivera, PhD
Center for Immunity and Inflammation
Department of Pediatrics
riveraam@njms.rutgers.edu
Marcela Rodriguez, PhD
My current laboratory is studying pathogenesis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis a major human pathogen responsible for tuberculosis (TB). TB kills over one million people each year. There is no effective vaccine against TB and M. tuberculosis is growing increasingly resistant to antibiotics. We are focused on deciphering how M. tuberculosis evades or resists nutritional immunity, that is immune responses aimed at restricting pathogen access to iron. Iron is essential for the pathogen’s survival and replication in the host, therefore the battle between pathogen and host for this metal influences their interactions and the outcome of TB infection. Our goal is to discover novel targets to develop effective preventive and therapeutic strategies against TB.Associate Professor
Public Health Research Institute
rodrigg2@njms.rutgers.edu
Christine Rohowsky-Kochan, PhD
ProfessorDepartment of Pharmacology, Physiology & Neurosciences
rohowscm@njms.rutgers.edu
Padmini Salgame, PhD
Basic and Translation Research in Tuberculosis. The paradigm of human tuberculosis (TB) as a spectral disease is well established. However, the heterogeneity in host and pathogen interactions and the underlying mechanisms driving the spectrum of clinical states in Mycobacterium tuberculosis infected hosts, ranging from bacterial clearance to latent infection that either progresses to active disease or not remain largely unexplored. Furthermore, the role of host interactions with clinically distinct M. tuberculosis strains in driving the immunopathological response, disease severity and subsequent transmissibility of M. tuberculosis are also not well understood. In addition, with regards to disease management, there is an urgent need for TB biomarkers that can predict risk of progression to disease and response to treatment. Working with collaborators in Brazil, India and Uganda, Salgame’s research focuses on addressing these knowledge gaps. The scientific endeavors of the Salgame lab are supported by several NIH grants.Director, Graduate Medical Research Program
Department of Medicine
Center for Immunity & Inflammation
salgampa@njms.rutgers.edu
Mark Siracusa, PhD
The prevalence of helminth infections, commonly referred to as parasitic worms, is estimated to be 2 billion individuals world-wide. While these infections are rarely seen in the US and EU, they are extremely common in South America and Africa. Despite the enormous public health need, helminth infections remain understudied and are often referred to as “the world’s great neglected disease.” As a result of their understudied nature, we have a poor understanding of how the immune system initiates inflammation needed to eliminate the parasites. The Siracusa lab studies this specialized immune response, termed ‘type 2 inflammation,’ that is also responsible for promoting allergies and asthma. Dr. Siracusa’s research program has made fundamental discoveries defining the diverse roles that granulocytes and neuroimmune interactions play in regulating helminth-induced inflammation. Dr. Siracusa is also the president and founder of NemaGen Discoveries, a biotech start-up company that develops novel therapies to treat allergic inflammation based on pathways discovered while studying host-parasite interactions. Associate Professor and Chancellor Scholar
Director, Research Support Core
Center for Immunity & Inflammation
Department of Medicine
mcs294@njms.rutgers.edu
Robin Stephens, MS, PhD
The Stephens lab team is motivated by our ability to understand the basic mechanisms of disease in malaria and COVID-19 to reduce mortality and morbidity. Recent highlights include using basic immunology to prolong protection from malaria by vaccination, and understand regulation of cytokine production by T cells to improve B cell help and antibody production. Brain and Lung Histo-Pathology and functional assays, including intra-vital microscopy and electrophysiology, are the basis for our studies of the role of inflammation and coagulation in cerebral malaria and the cytokines regulating recovery in COVID-19. Our work focuses on cellular and host-pathogen interactions in these three models, and is expanding into new areas in neuro-immune cross-talk.
Associate Profesor
Director, Neuroinflammation
Department of Pharmacology, Physiology
and Neuroscience
Center for Immunity & Inflammation
spolaric@njms.rutgers.edu
Selvakumar Subbian, PhD
Prof. Dr. Selvakumar Subbian, PhD, joined the PHRI/NJMS as a Junior Research Faculty in 1998, promoted to Assistant Professor of Medicine in 2013, and to Associate Professor since 2018. He is an expert on the molecular immunologic studies of tuberculosis (TB) and COVID-19 and is well known for studies on the host-pathogen interactions using preclinical animal models in BSL3 settings, as evidenced by his publications. For the first time in literature, Dr. Subbian has reported the genome-wide transcriptome profiling of rabbit lungs with tuberculosis in 2011. Using preclinical studies, he provided proof-of-concept to a human clinical trial for the beneficial effect of a phosphodiesterase-4 inhibitor as host-directed therapy for TB. Over the years, Dr. Subbian’s research programs have been funded by several federal and private funding, and he has extensive collaboration network within and outside of Rutgers in preclinical evaluation, immunopathology, transcriptome-based biomarker discovery etc., in TB and COVID-19.Public Health Research Institute
subbiase@njms.rutgers.edu
YuanXiang Tao, PhD
Translational Research on Chronic Pain and Opioid-Associated Disorders at Tao Lab. Chronic pain, a major health problem, is caused by tissue/nerve injury and various diseases. Current treatments for this disorder are very limited. Opioids are the gold standard for chronic pain management in the clinical setting. However, the long-term use of the opioids produces severe side effects. The research projects in Tao Lab focus on understanding molecular and cellular mechanisms that underlie chronic pain/opioid-associated disorders and applying these mechanisms to develop new strategies for managements of these disorders. His team carried out distinct models of chronic pain in mice/rats, which mimic cancer pain, neuropathic pain, or arthritis-related inflammatory pan in clinic. Additionally, human tissues have been used to verify the observations from rodents. Tao Lab has made great measurable progress, including five approved patents and many excellent publications in top-rated scientific journals, including Nature Neuroscience, Advanced Science, Neuron, JCI, JEM and Nature Communications. Current projects are supported by several NIH grants.Professor and Vice Chair of Research
Center for Immunity & Inflammation
Department of Anesthesiology
yt211@njms.rutgers.edu
Jason Scott Weinstein, PhD
The interplay between B and T cells in adaptive immunity is essential for production of anti-pathogen antibodies during infections and following vaccination. Similar pathways of T-B cell interactions likely lead to genesis of potentially pathogenic antibodies in autoimmunity. Mounting evidence suggests that in autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus), CD4+ T cells drive the generation of autoantibody-producing B cells via the germinal center (GC) reaction, with initiation of autoreactive B cell memory and long-lived plasma cell formation; however, the development and interaction of pathogenic T and B cells in comparison to the acute, pathogen-specific response are not well defined. My lab examines how adaptive immune cells provide protection against pathogens, but malfunction in the GC response in autoimmunity. Assistant Professor and Chancellor Scholar
Center for Immunity & Inflammation
Department of Medicine
jw1194@njms.rutgers.edu
Darin L. Wiesner, PhD
Allergic asthma is the fastest growing childhood illness in the United States, affecting nearly 10% of American children. The Wiesner lab researches two aspects of allergic asthma: sensitization and persistence. The first project (sensitization) centers on the earliest response to allergen exposure, whereby lung epithelial cells respond to cell junction damage caused by inhalation of fungal protease allergens. We explore mechanotransduction and calcium amplification circuits within epithelial cells that lead to the priming of maladaptive immunity. The second project (persistence) focuses on allergen-specific, memory T cell residence in the lungs. Our lab developed a model system and reagents to study long term maintenance of CD4+ T cells in the lungs of allergen sensitized mice. This project aims to understand signals exchanged between allergenic T cells and the stromal tissues that supports memory T cell residence in the lungs.Assistant Professor
Center for Immunity & Inflammation
Department of Medicine
dw667@njms.rutgers.edu
Tania Wong, PhD
Assistant Professor & Chancellor Scholar
Center for Immunity & Inflammation
Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics
tw649@njms.rutgers.edu
Lok Yin Roy Wong, PhD
The overall research focus of our lab is to answer the important question of how coronaviruses cause disease. We aim to address this question by dissecting and understanding the process of pathogenesis and disease progression after coronavirus infection. We use various virology and immunology approaches to investigate virus- and immune (host)-mediated pathogenesis in various model systems. We are particularly interested in coronavirus-host interactions and how these interactions affect overall disease outcome. Another major direction of our lab is to develop cell and animal models for coronavirus infection. Robust and reliable models are not only critical to answer basic scientific questions but also essential for vaccine and antiviral development.Assistant Professor & Chancellor Scholar
Center for Virus-Host-Innate Immunity
Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics
Roy.wong@rutgers.edu
Yingda (Linda) Xie, MD
Dr. Y. (Linda) Xie and her research team conducts clinical and translational studies in tuberculosis (TB) diagnostics, biomarkers, and AI-interpreted clinical imaging. Their interests include detecting and treating TB at an early stage before it spreads or progresses to disease, multiplexing TB detection with COVID-19 and other respiratory diseases, and applying clinical imaging ranging from point-of-care ultrasound to PET/CTs to predict TB disease status and treatment response.Assistant Professor
Department of Medicine
Division of Infectious Diseases
ylx1@njms.rutgers.edu
Chaoyang Xue, PhD
Fungal diseases are serious threats to human health with very limited treatment options. The Xue lab studies the human pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans, the leading cause of life-threatening fungal meningitis. We apply multidiscipline approaches to investigate the Cryptococcus-host interactions with the long-term goal to identify new targets and develop novel therapeutic interventions to prevent and treat fungal infections. Our current research is centered on nutrient sensing in Cryptococcus brain infection, regulation of ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis in fungal immunopathogenesis, and lipid metabolism in fungal virulence and antifungal drug resistance. The lab has made efforts to characterize the functional properties of several fungal cell surface proteins, including G-protein coupled receptors, sugar sensors, and phospholipid translocases (flippases). We are also interested in fungal vaccine research and developing peptide-based antifungal inhibitors.Associate Professor
Public Health Research Institute
xuech@njms.rutgers.edu
Jason Yang, PhD
The Yang Lab seeks to develop next-generation therapies for chronic and infectious diseases using innovative systems and synthetic biology approaches. Research in the lab bring together high-throughput experimentation, predictive network modeling, and machine learning activities to advance mechanistic understanding into cellular and disease processes. Current projects in the lab focus on antimicrobial resistance, tuberculosis disease pathogenesis, and macrophage polarization. The long-term goal of these efforts is to develop platforms for enabling host-directed therapies for infectious disease and engineered immune cell therapies for chronic disease.Assistant Professor and Chancellor Scholar
Microbiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics
Center for Emerging and Re-Emerging Pathogens
jason.y@rutgers.edu
George Yap, PhD
Research in the Yap laboratory is centered on elucidating fundamental mechanisms of host resistance and disease tolerance required for survival during infection. The laboratory primarily uses mouse models of Toxoplasma infection. We are also interested in the roles of parasitic factors that interact with host tolerance pathways and have proposed the concept of parasite avirulence. We recently found that engagement of CD36 is essential for disease tolerance and survivability of the host-pathogen relationship and are currently exploring the mechanisms induced by CD36 to promote restoration of homeostasis following acute infection. A current focus of our research is on a pair of stress-associated cytokines, GDF-15 and FGF-21 that control anorexia and hypermetabolism respectively during infection. We also aim to discover the identity of avirulence factors expressed by Toxoplasma and study how virulence factors expressed by the parasite dampen their expression. We continue to study how cytokines regulate immune resistance pathways.Professor
Center for Immunity & Inflammation
Department of Medicine
yapgs@njms.rutgers.edu
