Our lab's goal is to understand the genetic circuits that control human immune cell function in health and disease. We have begun to identify how genetic risk variants for autoimmune diseases disrupt immune cell circuits (Farh and Marson et al., Nature 2015; Simeonov et al., Nature, 2017), and how pathogenic circuits may be targeted with novel therapeutics (Xiao et al., Immunity 2014). My lab has developed new tools for efficient CRISPR genome engineering in primary human T cells (Schumann et al., PNAS 2015; Roth et al., Nature 2018; Nguyen et al. Nature Biotech 2020).
Dr. Ari Molofsky is an Associate Professor at UCSF in the Department of Laboratory Medicine. Trained as a MD/PhD with a clinical specialization in hematopathology, his primary focus is leading a basic research laboratory that works at the intersection of immunology and tissue homeostasis and pathology. Dr. Molofsky uses foundation models to study organ development and remodeling, with a particular focus on stromal - immune niches, with studies that span brain, lung, liver, adipose tissue, skin, and intestine. Dr.
Clinical interests include diagnostic immunohematology, blood donor safety and transfusion therapy. Research interests include platelet alloimmunization, microbial contamination of blood products, error management and systems approach to transfusion safety.
Dr. Elena Nedelcu brings two decades of experience in clinical pathology, transfusion medicine, hematology diagnostics and cellular therapies. Her main interests are medical and post-graduate education, patient safety and quality in transfusion service, and cellular therapies.
Dr. Okada is a creative physician-scientist who has developed therapeutic modalities in the laboratory, translated them into clinical protocols, and used his expertise as both scientist and clinician to assess the clinical data from ongoing trials. Dr. Okada's work has consistently focused on immunotherapeutic strategies aimed at a daunting challenge in oncology – malignant brain tumors. Dr. Okada conducted one of the first immune gene therapy trials in patients with malignant glioma. Dr.
I am currently the Director of the Center for Research in Transfusion Medicine and Cellular Therapies at UCSF (CTMCT). This center is focused on bringing together multidisciplinary groups of individuals to collaborate in the areas of transfusion medicine (TM) and cellular therapies (CT). I am by training a translational vascular biologist with an interest in the role of endothelial dysfunction and vascular compromise in the pathogenesis of human disease.
Despite nearly three decades of focused research since the discovery of HIV-1, to date there is no cure or effective prophylactic vaccine for HIV-1 infection. Although the advent of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) has dramatically decreased the morbidity and mortality associated with HIV-1 infection, there is a pronounced demand for alternative clinical management strategies due to frequent evolution of antiretroviral resistance, toxicity, and access constraints in resource-limited settings.
