Faculty

Suzanne Teuber, MD

  • Professor Emerita
  • Department of Rheumatology, Allergy & Clinical Immunology
Research Interests: Molecular characterization of food allergens associated with life-threatening anaphylactic reactions. Effect of seed polyphenolics on immune response and the possible role in development of food allergy to peanuts and tree nuts. Cross-reactivity of a food allergy.

Charles Stephensen, PhD

  • Adjunct Professor
  • USDA Western Human Nutrition Research Center
Research Interests: My research focuses on the role of nutrition in immune function and resistance to infectious diseases and, conversely, in the impact of infection on nutritional status. Current work focuses on the role of vitamins A and D in T cell-mediated immune responses, and the relationship of gut microbiota to systemic immune activation and vaccine responses, focusing on infants. Other projects also include the impact of omega-3 fatty acids on inflammation.

Katherine Ralston, PhD

  • Assistant Professor
  • Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics
Research Interests: Interactions between the eukaryotic pathogen Entamoeba histolytica and the human host. The pathogen was named “histolytica” for its ability to destroy host tissues, which is driven by direct killing of human cells. We study how E. histolytica kills cells and invades tissue.

David Pleasure, MD

  • Professor & Director of Research
  • Neurology & Pediatrics
Research Interests: Multiple sclerosis, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, central nervous system innate immunity, development of the nervous system, neural stem cells.
Shriners Hospital for Children

Kent Pinkerton, PhD

  • Professor & Director
  • Center for Health and the Environment
Research Interests: Immunotoxicology of the respiratory system. The effects of environmental air pollutants (gases, vapors, and particles) on lung inflammation and disease. The role of cytokines and growth factors in lung maturation and development. The impact of aerosolized nanomaterials on health and disease.

Bennett Penn, MD, PhD

  • Associate Professor
  • Department of Internal Medicine, Infectious Diseases
Research Interests: Dr. Penn’s research focuses on understanding the immune response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis. We use cutting-edge techniques including quantitative mass-spectrometry and CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing to probe the interaction between M. tuberculosis and its host.

Lisa Miller, PhD

  • Professor
  • Department of Anatomy, Physiology & Cell Biology
Research Interests: Our research is focused on understanding the relationship between early life environmental exposures and development of pulmonary disease, such as asthma. We study how mucosal and systemic immunity is established during infancy, and determine the impact of air pollutants, allergens, and infectious disease on childhood lung health.
California National Primate Research Center