MS is three times more prevalent in women, but more severe in men, and our research is also aimed at understanding why and how MS affects women and men differently. This line of investigation has uncovered a druggable molecular pathway in macrophages and microglia, which is regulated by estrogen.
Other interests in the lab include genetics of other immune-mediated diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, as well as genetics of host-pathogen interactions, especially viruses. We employ various immunologic and molecular techniques, animal and cellular models, as well as genomic approaches.