| EMAIL: |
| PERSONAL WEBSITE: |
| PUBLICATIONS: |
The overriding goal is to identify novel treatments for immune related conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, addiction, cancer and trauma. Studies in addiction focus on alcohol use disorder and cocaine use disorder. Further description of these projects include:
Prevention and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD): The goal of this project is to identify cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the increased risk for AD caused by modifiable risk factors such as heavy alcohol use and obesity.
Treatment of symptomatology of Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) and Cocaine Use Disorder (CUD): This project examines the overall hypothesis that innate immune signaling contributes to key features of AUD and CUD such as stress, neuronal damage, and substance use. Specific immune pathways are investigated in models of addiction.
Improving efficacy of cancer immunotherapy: This project studies the impact that common exposures have on anti-PD1 efficacy such as alcohol use and stress.
Identifying novel immune regulators in settings of severe trauma: This project studies the impact of novel immune regulators such as extracellular vesicles in the pathology of trauma.
| UNC AFFILIATIONS: |
CLINICAL/RESEARCH INTERESTS:
Addiction/Substance Use Disorder, Aging/Geriatrics, Behavior, Cancer Biology, Cell Biology, Drug Delivery, Immunology, Mental illness |