Lab Members

The intersection between chronic inflammatory skin diseases (such as atopic dermatitis and psoriasis) and the underlying immune environment during times of stimulation (such as vaccination) and disease (both viral and bacterial pathogens).

Identifying the contributions of the mycobiome to skin in health and disease.

My research focuses on investigating how S. sureus proteases contribute to the development of bullous pemphigoid (BP) pathogenesis. Using biospecimens collected from BP subjects, I am isolating S. aureus strains to quantify protease gene expression. Furthermore, I am examining the role of the S. aureus protease glutamyl endopeptidase V8 (sspA) to identify whether this specific protein contributes to BP180 cleavage (through genetically manipulating the bacteria). This work will advance our understanding of BP disease mechanisms that drive blister formation and autoimmune responses and ultimately identify microbial-derived products as clinically relevant targets for intervention in BP.