Dr. Phanstiel’s Lab
Doug Phanstiel, PhD
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 types are derived from or can be derived from monocytic precursors.
The focus of Dr. Phansteil’s research is to better understand the molecular mechanisms that drive the transition from monocytes to each of these disease-relevant cell types. He is 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 gained regarding gene regulation and cell signaling will also inform our understanding of a wide variety of biological processes and human diseases. Dr. Phansteil’s lab employs a variety of technologies including genomics, proteomics, genome editing, and bioinformatics to characterize and functionally test molecular events driving monocyte differentiation.