Faculty

Joan E. Nichols, Ph.D.

Associate Professor
jnichols@utmb.edu
Graves, Route 0435
Departments of Internal Medicine and Microbiology & Immunology
Phone: (409)747-1950
Fax: (409)772-6527

Education:	Ph.D. | 1999 | University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston
	M.A. | 1981 | State University of New York at Geneseo, New York
	B.S. | 1979 | State University of New York at Geneseo, New York

Overview

Viral pathogenesis and in?uence of aging on host response to pathogens (immunosenescence) and development of human model systems using tissue engineering.

Research Interests

The interest of my laboratory is the etiology and pathogenesis of viral infections caused by RNA viruses. Our research mixes aspects of both virology and immunology in order to assess the impact of virus and/or host factors on the development of clinical disease, generation of the immune response and development of immune memory. To delineate the role of in?uenza determinants of virulence, we are currently evaluating viral components that in?uence virulence using natural reassortants of attenuated and wild type viruses as well as manipulation of the virus genome using reverse genetics. We are interested in the role of pro-in?ammatory cytokines, expression of cell surface mediators and the processes of cellular signaling on the development of clinical disease. Currently I am developing human respiratory and immune system models using tissue engineering practices to study pathogens such as HIV, SARS, avian-in?uenza virus and others. These engineered tissue constructs allow us to study human responses to pathogens as replacements for animal models.

Recent Publications

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