Esther Elizabeth Brintzenhoff Associate Professor of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Pathobiology Graduate Program Co-Director

Overview

The innate immune system is the first line of defense, and as such is essential for a variety of functions that are important in maintaining homeostasis. It plays roles in clearing infections, wound repair, defense against cancer, and development. Many of these roles need to occur simultaneously, and how this occurs forms the basis of my research. We are interested in understanding tolerance mechanisms to polymicrobial lung infections, the role of toxins on the pulmonary innate immune response, the lung microbiota's influence on the innate immune response, and the impact of lung infection/damage on sterile cutaneous wound healing. Specifically we are interested in the interplay of multiple simultaneous innate immune responses at a systemic, cellular, and molecular level.

Brown Affiliations

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