Influence of Environmental Exposures on the Development and Function of the Immune System

Our research focuses on understanding how environment influences health and the function of the immune system. Environment includes pollutants, natural products and therapeutic agents to which we are exposed across our lifespan—singly and in combination. Exposures of interest include aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) ligands, per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and endocrine active compounds. Our investigative efforts seek to define, at the cellular and molecular level, precisely how specific environmental exposures modify the immune system, and to leverage this information to reduce the burden of disease. We integrate many approaches, including mouse genetic and immunological tools, pharmacological and biochemical modifiers of cellular processes, gene-specific and genome-wide analyses, and state-of-the art multiple parametric flow cytometry.

Research focuses on two broad areas of interest:

• Impact of environmental agents on the incidence and severity of infectious, allergic and autoimmune diseases
• Impact of environmental exposures during early life development on immune responses later in life, and across generations