Current research programs in Microbiology and Immunology span several themes. We study host responses to viral infections, including HIV/AIDS, and mechanisms related to microbial pathogenesis. We explore immunoregulatory pathways that promote immunity and self-tolerance and assess how aging impacts such pathways. We also investigate how innate immunity limits viral and bacterial infections. Many of our faculty study the microenvironments of tumors and inflamed tissue sites with an objective to develop new therapeutic approaches that promote tumor immunity or limit unwanted immune responses after transplantation of unrelated cell types, autoimmunity, or other inflammatory disorders.
