About

• Mentorship Training Completions:
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• Department Affiliations:
• Cell Biology & Physiology

My Research

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder that effects 1.3 million people nationwide and has no known cure. The onset and progression of rheumatoid arthritis involves the complex interplay of a variety of cell types including macrophages, osteoclasts, and dendritic cells. Many of these cell are derived from or can be derived from monocytic precursors. The focus of our research is to better understand the molecular mechanisms that drive the transition from monocytes to each of these disease-relevant cell types. We are particularly interested in the phenomena of dynamic DNA looping and kinase signaling and the role that they play in lineage specificity and cell fate decisions. By better understanding the mechanisms that give rise to these cells we can improve our understanding of rheumatoid arthritis and potentially identify novel therapeutic targets. However, the knowledge we gain regarding gene regulation and cell signaling with inform our understanding of a wide variety of biological processes and human diseases. We employ a variety of technologies including genomics, proteomics, genome editing, and bioinformatics to characterize and functionally test molecular events driving monocyte differentiation.