Erin Steinbach, MD, assistant professor of medicine in the UNC Division of Rheumatology, Allergy & Immunology, recently received a K08 award from the NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for her project, “Revealing the mechanism of increased intestinal epithelial cell barrier permeability in peanut allergy”.
This project represents a five-year research career development program that will provide a strong foundation for Dr. Steinbach to build an independent basic and translational research career. The goal of this project is to learn more about the relationship between intestinal permeability and peanut allergy in order to better diagnose, predict, and treat allergic reactions to peanut and other food allergies.
The proposal builds on Dr. Steinbach’s previous mucosal immunology research and clinical allergy training and integrates the expertise of her mentor team, Dr. Shehzad Sheikh, professor of medicine & genetics in the UNC Divison of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, and Dr. Wesley Burks, Dean of the UNC School of Medicine. This work will add to the existing knowledge of a diverse group of diseases associated with increased IEC permeability and will foster the development of novel therapies targeting the intestines for severe allergic reactions.
The NCI Mentored Clinical Scientist Research Career Development Award (K08) offers support for postdoctoral researchers and non-tenured junior faculty who are clinician-scientists. This award is designed to facilitate intensive mentored research and career development in basic, translational, and/or patient-oriented cancer research.
Hear more from Dr. Steinbach on her video profile.
Her award award number is: K08 AI175655