Mucosal Immunology

Research Interests: Focusing on how bidirectional communication between the nervous and immune system alters immune outcomes in gut and lung.

Research Interests: My lab focuses mainly on mucosal immunity in chronic HIV infection, with an emphasis on the gastrointestinal and reproductive tracts. Topics of interest include tissue-resident T-cells, regulatory T-cells (Treg), mucosa-associated invariant T-cells (MAIT) and the contributions of these cell types to host defense against mucosal pathogens.

Research Interests: My lab studies the development of the microbiota-gut-brain axis. We are interested in understanding the mechanisms of communication between the gut and brain, including the specific neuro, immune, and endocrine pathways involved.

Research Interests: PMy laboratory performed pioneering work on understanding the regulation of the composition and function of our microflora by the cells of the intestinal epithelium. We were able to show that cellular respiration of the intestinal cells and their energy metabolism play an essential role in this. If, for example, the intestinal cells change their metabolism during inflammation, the composition of the microflora changes, resulting in so‐called dysbiosis, which can have a decisive influence on the course of the disease, for example in the case of intestinal inflammation, but also in the case of cancer or cardiovascular disease. Our research provides completely new and original starting points for restoring the balance between microflora and the human body in these diseases.

Research Interests: Evaluating the immune response in children with autism and to examine the interface between the immune system and the central nervous system.

Research Interests: Research in immunogenetics, molecular genetics, functional genomics, and bioinformatics in poultry. My group is focused on elucidating the molecular and cellular mechanisms of host-pathogen interaction including disease resistance, immune response, and pathogenesis of infection.