Mentorship Certified

Program affiliation
Cancer Biology
Molecular Cell Biology
Immunology
Biochemistry Biophysics and Structural Biology

Research summary
A major component of my research program is to (1) develop strategies for improving the therapeutic ratio of radiation therapy by increasing tumor sensitivity to radiation and limiting normal tissue toxicity and (2) understand the biological mechanisms of treatment resistance.

Key words
Cancer targeting, antibodies, Translational research, Radiation, Lung Cancer, Glioblastoma, Signaling mechanisms

Program affiliation
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Neurosciences
Molecular Genetics and Genomics

Research summary
In the Kautt Lab, we combine a genomics-centered approach with molecular experiments, behavioral assays, and fieldwork to elucidate both the evolutionary and molecular mechanisms underlying organismal adaptation and diversification, with a focus on animal behavior.

Key words
Evolution, Genomics, Behavior, Adaptation, Speciation

Program affiliation
Immunology
Developmental Regenerative and Stem Cell Biology
Cancer Biology

Research summary
My goal is to understand how CAR T cells interact with their immune environment, and to manipulate these interactions to improve outcomes of treatment.

Key words
CAR T cells, HSCs, cell therapy, gene therapy, cancer

Program affiliation
Immunology
Molecular Microbiology and Microbial Pathogenesis
Computational and Systems Biology

Research summary
My lab works on the host immune response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis. We use mouse models that mimic key aspects of human disease to gain a mechanistic understanding of the host response allowing for the identification of novel targets for host-directed therapies.

Key words
Mycobacterium tuberculosis, innate immunology, macrophages, neutrophils, dendritic cells

Program affiliation
Neurosciences

Research summary
circadian system influence on the limbic system during Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis and aging

Key words
Alzheimer's Disease, Circadian System, Hippocampal Physiology, Neurodegeneration

Program affiliation
Molecular Microbiology and Microbial Pathogenesis
Immunology
Molecular Cell Biology
Biomedical Informatics and Data Science

Research summary
Modulating the complement system to mitigate pneumonia and acute lung injury

Key words
complement, pneumonia, lung injury, transplant, ICU, translational

Program affiliation
Immunology
Computational and Systems Biology
Molecular Microbiology and Microbial Pathogenesis

Research summary
Investigating the development of immunological memory in disease states

Key words
B cells, immunological memory, germinal center, virus, allergy

Program affiliation
Plant and Microbial Biosciences
Molecular Microbiology and Microbial Pathogenesis
Biochemistry Biophysics and Structural Biology
Molecular Cell Biology

Research summary
Bacterial growth and antibiotic susceptibility

Key words
Bacterial, growth size, antibiotics, tolerance, antibiotic resistance, systems biology, cytoskeleton, biochemistry, microbiology, microscopy

Program affiliation
Computational and Systems Biology
Biomedical Informatics and Data Science
Molecular Genetics and Genomics
Cancer Biology
Neurosciences

Research summary
Our research interests include developing innovative computational tools/methods and utilizing single-cell (epi)genomic techniques to gain a comprehensive understanding of gene regulation in mammalian models and human diseases, particularly in brain tumors and neuropsychiatric disorders.

Key words
Bioinformatics, Gene Regulation, Single-cell Epigenetics, Brain Tumors, Neurological Disorders

Program affiliation
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Plant and Microbial Biosciences
Molecular Microbiology and Microbial Pathogenesis

Research summary
How the environment shapes host-associated microbial communities both within and across species

Key words
Gut microbiome, nonhuman primates, environmental health