Paul Bollyky
Academic Appointments
- Assistant Professor, Medicine - Infectious Diseases
- Member, Child Health Research Institute
Key Documents
Contact Information
- Academic Offices
Personal Information Email Tel (650) 723-7823
Professional Overview
Honors and Awards
- Elected to membership, Western Society of Clinical Investigators (2012)
- Young Investigator Award, University of Washington Diabetes Research Council (2012)
- Career Development Award, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (2012)
- Genentech/Biogen Travel Award, FOCIS conference (2009)
- Trainee Presentation Award, Federation of Clinical Immunology Societies (FOCIS) (2008)
- K08 Mentored Clinical Scientist Award, NIH/NIAID ((2007-2012))
Professional Education
| Board Certification: | American Board of Internal Medicine, Infectious Diseases (2007) |
| Board Certification: | American Board of Internal Medicine, Internal Medicine (2004) |
| Fellowship: | University of Washington, Infectious Diseases (2007) |
| Residency: | Brigham and Women's Hospital, Internal Medicine (2004) |
| M.D.: | Harvard Medical School, Medicine (2001) |
| D.Phil: | Oxford University, Zoology (1998) |
Graduate & Fellowship Program Affiliations
Scientific Focus
Current Research Interests
Our lab studies the extracellular matrix (ECM) and it's role in the immune response to injury and infection. Our goals are 1. to understand how inflammation drives immune dysregulation, such as that seen in asthma, autoimmunity and chronic infections and 2. to devise novel strategies and tools to promote immune tolerance.
In one set of studies, we are investigating the immunologic properties of hyaluronan (HA) a long polysaccharide produced in copious amounts in inflamed tissues. Our hypothesis is that the size of HA provides contextual cues that govern immune regulation in injured and healing tissues. We and others have reported that high molecular weight hyaluronan (HMW-HA), typical of healing tissues, is anti-inflammatory via its interactions with CD44. In contrast. low molecular weight HA (LMW-HA), generated from HA catabolism at sites of active inflammation, is pro-inflammatory and an agonist of Toll-like receptors (TLR). We are funded to examine the cellular machinery underlying these interactions. Specifically, we are investigating the cross-regulation of CD44 and TLR signaling and how HA size impacts the function and number of FoxP3+ regulatory T-cells. We want to know whether strategies to promote ECM integrity in vivo can be used to prevent immune dysregulation in mouse models of autoimmune diabetes and asthma and whether bioengineered matrices can recapitulate tissue integrity signals and promote immune tolerance.
In a second set of studies, we are examining how the matrix produced by microbial pathogens modulates host immune responses. Our hypothesis is that capsular polysaccharides and biofilms influence leukocyte behavior in ways that are similar to how HA does in healing tissues. We want to know how these structures promote chronic infections and whether we can mine them for biomaterials to promote immune tolerance.
We welcome both graduate students and post-doctoral fellows, particularly individuals with interests in either matrix biology,, biochemistry, immunology or bioengineering.
Publications
- Evaluation of in vivo T cell kinetics: use of heavy isotope labelling in type 1 diabetes. Clin Exp Immunol. 2013; (3): 363-74
- Hyaluronan and versican in the control of human T-lymphocyte adhesion and migration. Matrix Biol. 2012; (2): 90-100
- Reversal of diabetes in mice with a bioengineered islet implant incorporating a type I collagen hydrogel and sustained release of vascular endothelial growth factor. Cell Transplant. 2012; (10): 2099-110
- Science and government. Obama and the promotion of international science. Science. 2012; (6107): 610-2
- The role of hyaluronan and the extracellular matrix in islet inflammation and immune regulation. Curr Diab Rep. 2012; (5): 471-80
- ECM components guide IL-10 producing regulatory T-cell (TR1) induction from effector memory T-cell precursors. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2011; (19): 7938-43
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