Current Research and Scholarly Interests
Our overarching objective is to elucidate the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying autoimmune and rheumatic diseases, and to leverage these insights to develop next-generation diagnostics and therapeutics.
Our laboratory is pursuing two major lines of research:
1) Autoimmunity, with a focus on rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and multiple sclerosis (MS). Autoimmune diseases affect 3-5% of the world population, yet the pathogenesis of most autoimmune diseases remains unclear. Moreover, current therapies globally modulate immune function, resulting in potentially severe side effects, and are not curative, serving only to slow disease progression.
• Defining the role of EBV in the initiation and progression of MS and SLE.
• Defining the role of mucosal breaks of bacteria in RA and ANCA vasculitis.
• Investigating the role of B cells in autoimmune disease.
2) Osteoarthritis (OA). Our second line of research is the investigation of OA, the most common form of arthritis. Unlike RA, OA is not an autoimmune disorder and has been widely believed to result from ‘wear and tear’. However, findings from our laboratory and others are revealing a key role for innate immune inflammation in the pathogenesis of OA.
• Defining the innate immune mechanisms that mediate OA.
