Lab Research Focus
My research is focused on mechanisms of signal transduction by antigen receptors, primarily the high affinity receptor for IgE on the surface of mast cells. I am currently engaged in studies on the role of mycoplasma infections in childhood asthma, involving 1) a long-term prospective clinical study, 2) in vitro effects of the organism on mast cell signaling, and 3) experiments in a rodent model of asthma. I am also actively engaged in collaborative studies with several faculty members to identify the genetic bases for immunodeficiency syndromes in patients in my weekly clinic at the Children's Hospital. Such patients sometimes represent natural "knockouts" or dominant negative mutations in genes with important immunologic functions, and elucidation of the molecular details can provide valuable insight.
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