Washington University in St. Louis (WU)
My research interests are in the genetics of immune-mediated diseases and the fundamental mechanisms of immune cell activation, immune dysregulation, and immunological tolerance. My current work focuses on delineating the mechanisms underlying a monogenic syndrome of early-onset autoimmunity caused by gain-of-function (GOF) mutations in STAT3. Specifically, I am studying the role of regulatory T cells in this immune dysregulation syndrome using a novel mouse model created with a patient-derived variant. In parallel experiments, I am investigating the mechanisms of immunological perturbation in humans with STAT3 GOF syndrome. We also seek to further our understanding of immune dysregulation and to explore immunological mechanisms of tolerance by studying exomes from patients with undiagnosed immunological disorders.