On February 3, 2016 Jason Melehani, a member of Alex Duncan’s lab, successfully defended his Ph.D.
The title of Jason’s thesis is “Mechanisms and consequences of Staphylococcus aureus Leukocidin AB-mediated activation of the host NLRP3 inflammasome.”
Jason published two papers this year: Staphylococcus aureus Leukocidin A/B (LukAB) Kills Human Monocytes via Host NLRP3 and ASC when Extracellular, but Not Intracellular on which he was first author, and Functional Amyloid Signaling via the Inflammasome, Necrosome, and Signalosome: New Therapeutic Targets in Heart Failure on which he was second author.
Jason was also highlighted in October on UNC’s Vital Signs in an article titled, “A Fitbit for Better Lung Function,” for his work to create a device to help COPD patients improve lung function, track their health, and provide data for doctors. This innovation earned Jason and his fellow team mates a second prize and a check for $2000 at the inaugural Triangle Health Innovation Challenge held in September this year.
Jason is enrolled in the UNC MD/PhD program and when he finishes his Ph.D. he will return to medical school to complete the final two years of his medical education before entering his residency. He plans to focus on pulmonology.
Our congratulations to Jason!