Dr. Erin Steinbach, Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Rheumatology, Allergy & Immunology at UNC School of Medicine, recently received a K08 award from NIH/NIAID 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, UNC Div. of Gastroenterology and Hepatology) and Dr. Wesley Burks (Dean, 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.
Award Number: K08 AI175655