Immunology research focuses on

• antibody and cell-mediated immunity,
• gene expression,
• immunochemistry,
• immunogenetics,
• immunomodulation,
• leukocyte signal transduction,
• and mucosal immunity.

Immunology deals with the ability of multicellular organisms to distinguish “foreign” materials called antigens.  Infectious agents, tumors, tissue transplants and the organism’s own tissues can be recognized as antigenic.  Typical student projects range from analysis of the molecular mechanisms of immune cell function to investigation of the cellular mechanisms involved in responses to viruses, bacteria, organ transplants, and in autoimmune disease states. 

• UAB Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Center
• Division of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology 
• Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology Clinical Services
• Adult Clinical Immunology
• Center for AIDS Research
• UAB Center for Surgical Research

• First UAB "Kidney Swap" Performed for Patients with No Eligible Donor
• Bland Assesses Present, Focuses on Future
• UAB Dedicates New Shelby Research Building
• UAB Launches Mucosal HIV and Immunobiology Center: Unraveling the Mechanisms of Mucosal Diseases
• UAB Is Autoimmunity Center of Excellence: Uncovering the Mechanisms of Autoimmune Disease

Molecular & Cellular Pathology
Immunology Research Faculty

Bucy, Pat, M.D, Ph.D.

Research Focus: Regulation of in vivo immune responses by T cells

Select Highlights and Articles:

• Training Tomorrow's Biomedical Scientists
• Enhanced Responsiveness to Antigen Contributes More to Immunological Memory in CD4 T Cells than Increases the Number of Cells
• Activation and Migration of Allo-peptide Specific TCR Transgenic T Cells in Cardiac Allograft Rejection
• Evidence for Cooperativity in Rejection of Cardiac Grafts Mediated by CD4 TCR Tg T Cells Specific for a Defined Allopeptide
• CD4+ T-cell Receptor Transgenic T Cells Alone Can Reject Vascularized Heart Transplants through the Indirect Pathway of Alloantigen Recognition
• Initial Increase in Blood CD4+ Lymphocytes after HIV Antiretroviral Therapy Reflects Redistribution from Lymphoid Tissues

Hel, Zdenek, Ph.D.

Research Focus: Development and testing of novel HIV/AIDS vaccine strategies

Select Highlights and Articles:

Kubagawa, Hiromi, M.D.

Research Focus: Immunoglobulin-like receptors

Select Highlights and Articles:

• Prethymic T-cell Development Defined by the Expression of Paired Immunoglobulin-like Receptors
• HLA-B27 Heavy Chain Homodimers Are Expressed in HLA-B27 Transgenic Rodent Models of Spondyloarthritis and Are Ligands for Paired Ig-like Receptors
• V(D)J Recombinatorial Repertoire Diversification During Intraclonal Pro-B to B-cell Differentiation

Lorenz, Robin, M.D., Ph.D.

Research Focus: Immune mediators of gastrointestinal disease

Select Highlights and Articles:

• Animal Models of Intestinal Inflammation: Ineffective Communication between Coalition Members
• Increased Prevalence of Celiac Disease and Need for Routine Screening Among Patients with Osteoporosis
• Isolated Lymphoid Follicles Can Function as Sites for Induction of Mucosal Immune Responses
• TNFR1 Mediates the Radioprotective Effects of Lipopolysaccharide in the Mouse Intestine
• Isolated Lymphoid Follicle Formation Is Inducible and Dependent upon Lymphotoxin-sufficient B Lymphocytes, Lymphotoxin Beta Receptor, and TNF Receptor I Function

Nahm, Moon, M.D.

Research Focus: Immune response to pneumococcal polysaccharide antigens

Select Highlights and Articles:

• Platelet-activating Factor-acetylhydrolase Can Monodeacylate and Inactivate Lipoteichoic Acid
• Use of Opsonophagocytosis for Serological Evaluation of Pneumococcal Vaccines
• Lipoteichoic Acid-induced Nitric Oxide Production Depends on the Activation of Platelet-activating Factor Receptor and Jak2
• Anti-idiotypic Antibody As a Potential Candidate Vaccine for Neisseria Meningitidis Serogroup B
• Simplified Method to Automatically Count Bacterial Colony Forming Unit

Weaver, Casey, M.D.

Research Focus: CD4 T cells

Select Highlights and Articles:

• UAB Launches Mucosal HIV and Immunobiology Center
• Program in Immunology Seminar Series
• Antigen and Lipopolysaccharide Play Synergistic Roles in the Effector Phase of Airway Inflammation in Mice
• Expanding the Effector CD4 T-cell Repertoire: the Th17 Lineage
• Both Th1 and Th2 Cells Require P-selectin Glycoprotein Ligand-1 for Optimal Rolling on Inflamed Epithelium
• Generation of Antigen-specific, Foxp3-expressing CD4+ Regulatory T cells by Inhibition of APC Proteosome Function
• Regulatory T Cell Suppression and Anergy Are Differentially Regulated by Proinflammatory Cytokines Produced by TLR-activated Dendritic Cells