Dr.
Jagannath Lab Researchers
Rachel A.Moulton. B.S. Drake University, Iowa. Graduate student My research is on the biology of mouse dendritic cells. I am trying to understand the processing of mycobactera by DCs and their presentation to T cells that results in their differentiation into Th1, Th2 and Th3 pathways. I am investigating the hypothesis that the ability of DCs to process and present antigens of mycobacteria will determine the type of cell mediated immune response that ultimately determines the protective effect against tuberculosis using various in vitro and ex vivo cell culture methods besides animal models. I am also analyzing the effects of GM-CSF, IL-4 and Complement C5a as innate regulatory factors during differentiation of DCs in mice.
Mary Anne Connelly, B.S. University of South Carolina. Graduate Student. My interests are in the characterization of T-cell responses in mice during experimental tuberculosis. I use flow cytometry and in vitro methods define activation of CD4 and CD8 T-cells and study their role in the regulation of innate and acquired immunity in Complement C5 knockout mice. My major focus is on the C5 mediated regulation of IFNg synthesis in T-cells through analysis of cytokine elaboration, cytoxicity, proliferation and other functional assays .
Cherie. M. Roche. B.S. McNeese State University 2003. Graduate student. My research is on the biology of immunological memory to tuberculosis, which is the number cause of death in mankind. I am trying to understand how T cell immunity develops to tuberculosis and how CD8 and CD4 memory T cells evolve after primary infection, expand after secondary challenge and contain infection via macrophage and dendritic cell mediated activation mechanisms using the mouse model. I use state of the art flow cytometry technique and various in vitro techniques of T cell function to assay the transition of effector T cells into memory cells.
Christopher R. Singh, B.S. Boston University. Graduate Student.. My research is on the fbpA- knockout mutant that is being developed as a vaccine candidate for tuberculosis. I am investigating the molecular basis of how a vaccine is processed in the different compartments of macrophages in order to result in enhanced antigen presentation. My major focus is on the role of antigen degradative and antigen processing cathepsins in macrophage compartments.
Devin Lindsey. B.S. Sam Houston State University. Research Assistant II. My research is on understanding how mycobacteria are killed in the endocytic compartments of macrophages leading to the generation of peptides for MHC loading. My particular interests are in the delivery of various regulatory enzymes and toxic radicals in macrophages. My administrative responsibilities include lab management and bio-safety issues.