What is your professional background?
I graduated from Johns Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and completed my internal medicine residency and chief residency at the University of Rochester Medical Center. I then started my pulmonary critical care medicine f
In what division do you work, and who is your mentor?
I work in the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care, & Sleep Medicine where I am the d
Briefly describe your research. Why is it important?
My research interest is in understanding the biology of human plasma cells. Plasma cells make antibodies which are important for eradiating microbial infections. My lab focuses on studying the “good” and “bad” plasma cell populations in the respiratory tract, blood, and bone marrow (BM). One focus is on how long-lived plasma cells (LLPC) are formed after some vaccines but not in others. In 2015, we identified a population of “good” human LLPC in the bone marrow after vaccination and infection, and now we have more insights into how early minted ones eventually mature into BM LLPC. We also study “bad” plasma cell in diseases such as allergy, autoimmunity, and transplantation. In allergic diseases, we focus on IgE plasma cells and their unique mechanisms of formation in mucosal sites to find ways to reduce their establishment. In diseases such as autoimmunity and transplantation (with collaborators at Emory), we are trying to figure out which compartments these “bad” plasma cells reside and how to target them. Hence, understanding the basic biology of plasma cells help us to better promote protective LLPC after vaccination and purge the pathogenic plasma cells in disease.
We can also use blood plasma cells to diagnose infection. While in Rochester, NY, we developed a start-up company, MicroB-plex, Inc., that uses a patented technology incorporating nascent blood plasma cells to diagnose microbial infections. We brought the company to Atlanta and with the help from the Georgia Research Alliance, CDC, and NIH, we raised over $2 million in non-dilutive funding.
What do you like most about Emory?
The scientists and clinicians are fun and inspiring. As a physician-scientist doing translational research, I reside between both worlds: clinical and research. Folks are really smart and passionate on both sides. Straddling these worlds has led to many wonderful conversations then to great collaborations. It is very fun!
What is your favorite movie or TV show? And why?
My favorite movie is Cinema Paradiso because it is a coming of age film that shows how the bonds of human relationships shape our lives. I try to remember this message when mentoring students, residents, fellows, post-docs, and young faculty.
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