our major research direction
is elucidating the molecular mechanisms that cause and perpetuate infectious and sterile immune disease. Our focus is on pattern recognition by innate immune cells and the resulting inflammatory responses with an emphasis on intracellular pattern recognition receptor signaling.
While acute, localized and timed inflammation is beneficial and contributes to pathogen clearance, wound healing and tissue repair, chronic and inappropriate inflammation is linked to tissue destruction and inflammatory and immune disease. Therefore, an important goal of our studies is to define strategies to limit these excessive and uncontrolled inflammatory responses to provide novel avenues for therapeutic intervention.