Immunology Graduate Program

The Immunology Graduate Program (ImmGP) is an inter-departmental program within the University of Cincinnati and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital that offers PhD and MS degrees in Immunology. The program is managed by Director Dr. David Hildeman, and a Steering Committee composed of members of several departments/divisions at Cincinnati Children's and UC. Dr. Jonathan Katz is the Director of the MS program. 

The ImmGP provides broadly based instruction in immunology, along with rigorous research training that emphasizes cutting-edge approaches to understanding the function of the immune system in health and disease. To this end, the program currently has 51 faculty members from 6 departments and 15 divisions within the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and Cincinnati Children's. We currently have a total of 47 outstanding students (33 PhD students and 14 MS students) from around the country and abroad. This academic year we celebrated the graduation of 7 PhD students and 5 MS students. Graduates are highlighted on the below student lists in blue. Our students have distinguished themselves this year by receiving several travel and research awards (AAAAI, Yates Scholarship Award, Albert J Ryan Fellowship Award, Distinguished Dissertation Fellowship, and an NIH F30 Award). This year 2 ImmGP student also won Ryan Fellowships. 

The program is supported financially by a variety of sources. This year, tuition support was provided through University Graduate Scholarships awarded by the University of Cincinnati. Student stipends were supported through a variety of sources including funds from the University of Cincinnati, NIH NRSA grants, external grants to their advisors, and funds from Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation. 

This year the program was awarded a T32 Training Grant - Pathogenesis and Therapeutic Targeting of Immune Disorders. This NIAD NIH T32 training grant supports the training of 3 outstanding pre-doctoral candidates from the ImmGP whose research will uncover pathogenic mechanisms of immune-mediated disease and facilitate transformative therapeutic approaches. Dysregulated immune responses are of central importance to the pathogenesis of a wide spectrum of diseases that cause an immense burden of morbidity and mortality. The acquisition of this grant is a national recognition of the training program and of the generous investment made by the CCRF.

In the spring of 2013, the ImmGP has established an International Research Training Group (IRTG) with the University of Lübeck/Research Center Borstel in Lübeck, Germany. 

The research focus of the IRTG is

1. Humoral and Cellular Pathways of Allergic Inflammation
2. Immuno-regulation of infection-driven inflammation

Students interested in research projects encompassed by these areas may have the opportunity to study and perform research in the beautiful city of Lübeck in north-central Germany for a 3-6 month period.

Over this last year, the ImmGP hosted 13 research scholars (11 grad students, 1 med student and 1 post doc) from the University of Lubeck and the Research Center Borstel in Germany. These students have published over 40 scientific papers in the last 3 years.

Doctoral Students

Master Students

Student Awards

• John Wallace Fellowship, AIC 2015
• AAI Trainee abstract award

• Student Achievement Award, American College of Rheumatology Meeting, November 2016
• Student and Resident ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting Scholarship, American College of Rheumatology Meeting, November 2016
• Genome-wide association reveals novel juvenile idiopathic arthritis susceptibility loci, 2016 Immunology Retreat Poster Award 

• ORVCA Research Day - Second Place for Outstanding Poster Presentation. (September) 2016
• Trainee Abstract Award  - The American Association of Immunologists 2016.  Will give an Oral presentation at  American Association of Immunologists conference. Seattle WA  May 2016
• Abstract Award, American Association of Immunologists, Australia

• John Wallace Fellowship, AIC 2015

• Immunology Retreat, Outstanding Graduate Student Presentation
• 13th International Congress of the International Society for the Immunology of Reproduction, Outstanding Poster Award, Erfurt, Germany
• Division of Immunology Retreat, Outstanding Graduate Student Poster, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital

• Trainee Abstract Award  - The American Association of Immunologists 2016

• Trainee Abstract Award  - The American Association of Immunologists 2016.  
• Oral presentation at  American Association of Immunologists conference. Seattle WA  May 2016
• Abstract Award, American Association of Immunologists, Australia

• American Society of Hematology Minority Graduate Student Abstract Achievement Award. 57th American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL.

• Immunology Annual Retreat, Outstanding Graduate Student Presentation.

• Lupus Foundation of America Gina M. Finzi Memorial Student Summer Fellowship 

• Poster Award, American Association of Immunologists, Australia
• AAI young investigator Award, AIC 2015
• First Place Poster, College of Medicine hosted the 36th annual Graduate Student Research Forum Oct. 27, 2015.

• Immunology Annual Retreat, Outstanding Graduate Student Poster

• Chrysalis Project Participant conference and travel award, American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology 2016 Annual Meeting, Los Angeles, CA

• Awards: Graduate Student Research Fellowship/Scholarship, Research Training Group 2098 on the Biomedicine of Sphingolipids through the University of Duisburg-Essen.

Fellowships, Grants

Jonathan Fletcher 2013
Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Predoctoral MD/PhD Fellowship
1F30NS096796-01
Role: PI
Project Title: Cytokine signaling in neurofibroma development

Jared Travers 2013
Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Predoctoral MD/PhD Fellowship
1F30DK109573-01
Role: PI
Project Title: Role of nuclear IL-33 in mucosal inflammation

Student Publications

Maha Almanan 2012

Raynor J, Karns, R, Almanan M, Li, KP, Divanovic, S, Chougnet, C, and DA Hildeman IL-6 and ICOS antagonize Bim and promote Treg accrual with age. J Immunol. 2015 Aug. 1;195(3):944-52. PMID: 26109645

Rahul D’Mello 2011

D'Mello RJ, Caldwell JM, Azouz NP, Wen T, Sherrill JD, Hogan SP, Rothenberg ME. LRRC31 is induced by IL-13 and regulates kallikrein expression and barrier function in the esophageal epithelium. Mucosal Immunol. 2016 May;9(3):744-56. PMID: 26462420

DʼMello R, Sand CA, Pezet S, Leiper JM, Gaurilcikaite E, McMahon SB, Dickenson AH, Nandi M. Dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase 1 is involved in spinal nociceptive plasticity. Pain. 2015 Oct;156(10):2052-60. PMID: 26098438

Roger Fecher 2010

Fecher RA, Horwath MC, Friedrich D, Rupp J, Deepe GS Jr. Inverse Correlation between IL-10 and HIF-1α in Macrophages Infected with Histoplasma capsulatum. J Immunol. 2016 Jul 15;197(2):565-79. PMID: 27271565

Horwath MC, Fecher RA, Deepe GS Jr. Histoplasma capsulatum, lung infection and immunity. Future Microbiol Future Microbiol. 2015;10(6):967-75. PMID: 26059620

Mariam George 2013 (MS)

George MM, Subramanian Vignesh K, Landero Figueroa JA, Caruso JA, Deepe GS Jr. Zinc Induces Dendritic Cell Tolerogenic Phenotype and Skews Regulatory T Cell-Th17 Balance. J Immunol. 2016 Sep 1;197(5):1864-76. PMID: 27465530

Xiong Y, Lingrel JB, Wüthrich M, Klein BS, Vasudevan NT, Jain MK, George M, Deepe GS Jr. Transcription Factor KLF2 in Dendritic Cells Downregulates Th2 Programming via the HIF-1α/Jagged2/Notch Axis. MBio. 2016 Jun 14;7(3). pii: e00436-16. PMID: 27302755

Dan Giles 2011

Giles DA, Moreno-Fernandez ME, Stankiewicz TE, Cappelletti M, Huppert SS, Iwakura Y, Dong C, Shanmukhappa SK, Divanovic S. Regulation of Inflammation by IL-17A and IL-17F Modulates Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Pathogenesis. PLoS One. 2016 Feb 19;11(2):e0149783. PMID: 26895034

Schröder T, Kucharczyk D, Bär F, Pagel R, Derer S, Jendrek ST, Sünderhauf A, Brethack AK, Hirose M, Möller S, Künstner A, Bischof J, Weyers I, Heeren J, Koczan D, Schmid SM, Divanovic S, Giles DA, Adamski J, Fellermann K, Lehnert H, Köhl J, Ibrahim S, Sina C. Mitochondrial gene polymorphisms alter hepatic cellular energy metabolism and aggravate diet-induced non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. Mol Metab. 2016 Feb 2;5(4):283-95. 2016 Apr. PMID: 27069868

Mike Horwath 2011

Fecher RA, Horwath MC, Friedrich D, Rupp J, Deepe GS Jr. Inverse Correlation between IL-10 and HIF-1α in Macrophages Infected with Histoplasma capsulatum. J Immunol. 2016 Jul 15;197(2):565-79. PMID: 27271565

Horwath MC, Fecher RA, Deepe GS Jr. Histoplasma capsulatum, lung infection and immunity. Future Microbiol Future Microbiol. 2015;10(6):967-75. PMID: 26059620

Courtney Jackson 2013

Rueda CM, Jackson CM, Chougnet CA. Regulatory T-Cell-Mediated Suppression of Conventional T-Cells and Dendritic Cells by Different cAMP Intracellular Pathways. Front Immunol. 2016 Jun 2;7:216. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2016.00216. eCollection 2016. Review. PMID: 27313580

Rueda CM, Presicce P, Jackson CM, Miller LA, Kallapur SG, Jobe AH, Chougnet CA. Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Chorioamnionitis Promotes IL-1-Dependent Inflammatory FOXP3+ CD4+ T Cells in the Fetal Rhesus Macaque. J Immunol. 2016 May 1;196(9):3706-15. PMID: 27036917

Tony Jiang 2014

Kinder JM, Jiang TT, Ertelt JM, Xin L, Strong BS, Shaaban AF, Way SS Tolerance to noninherited maternal antigens, reproductive microchimerism and regulatory T cell memory: 60 years after 'Evidence for actively acquired tolerance to Rh antigens'. Chimerism. 2015 Oct 30:1-13 PMID: 26517600

Xin L, Jiang TT, Kinder JM, Ertelt JM, Way SS. Infection susceptibility and immune senescence with advancing age replicated in accelerated aging LmnaDhe mice. Aging Cell. 2015 Aug 7. PMID: 26248606

Kinder JM, Jiang TT, Ertelt JM, Xin L, Strong BS, Shaaban AF, Way SS. 2015. Cross-generational reproductive fitness enforced by microchimeric maternal cells. Cell 2015 Jul 30. PMID: 26213383

Jeremy Kinder 2012

Kinder JM, Jiang TT, Way SS. Offspring's Tolerance of Mother Goes Viral. Immunity. 2016 May 17;44(5):1085-7. PMID: 27192574

Kinder JM, Jiang TT, Ertelt JM, Xin L, Strong BS, Shaaban AF, Way SS Tolerance to noninherited maternal antigens, reproductive microchimerism and regulatory T cell memory: 60 years after 'Evidence for actively acquired tolerance to Rh antigens'. Chimerism. 2015 Oct 30:1-13 PMID: 26517600

Xin L, Jiang TT, Kinder JM, Ertelt JM, Way SS. Infection susceptibility and immune senescence with advancing age replicated in accelerated aging LmnaDhe mice. Aging Cell. 2015 Aug 7. PMID: 26248606

Kinder JM, Jiang TT, Ertelt JM, Xin L, Strong BS, Shaaban AF, Way SS. Cross-generational reproductive fitness enforced by microchimeric maternal cells. Cell 2015 Jul 30. PMID: 26213383

Jared Klarquist 2011

Klarquist J, Zhou Z, Shen N, Janssen EM. Dendritic Cells in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: From Pathogenic Players to Therapeutic Tools. Mediators Inflamm. 2016;2016:5045248. doi: 10.1155/2016/5045248. Epub 2016 Mar 30. Review. PMID: 27122656

Legein B, Janssen EM, Theelen TL, Gijbels MJ, Walraven J, Klarquist JS, Hennies CM, Wouters K, Seijkens TT, Wijnands E, Sluimer JC, Lutgens E, Zenke M, Hildner K, Biessen EA, Temmerman L. Ablation of CD8α+) dendritic cell mediated cross-presentation does not impact atherosclerosis in hyperlipidemic mice. Sci Rep. 2015 Oct 21;5:15414. PMID: 26486587

Klarquist J, Janssen EM. The bm12 Inducible Model of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) in C57BL/6 Mice. J Vis Exp. 2015 Nov 1;(105):e53319. PMID: 26554458

Kun-Po Li 2011

Ladle BH, Li KP, Phillips MJ, Pucsek AB, Haile A, Powell JD, Jaffee EM, Hildeman DA, Gamper CJ. De novo DNA methylation by DNA methyltransferase 3a controls early effector CD8+ T-cell fate decisions following activation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2016 Sep 20;113(38):10631-6 PMID: 27582468

Li, KP, Fahnrich, A., Roy, E, Cuda, C.M., Grimes, H.L., Perlman, H., Kalies, K., and D.A. Hildeman. Temporal expression of Bim limits the development of TCR+ double negative and CD8 intestinal epithelial lymphocytes. Journal of Immunology (in press).

Raynor J, Karns, R, Almanan M, Li, KP, Divanovic, S, Chougnet, C, and DA Hildeman IL-6 and ICOS antagonize Bim and promote Treg accrual with age. J Immunol. 2015 Aug. 1;195(3):944-52. PMID: 26109645

Ke Liu 2010

Liu K, Kurien BT, Zimmerman SL, Kaufman KM, Taft DH, Kottyan LC, Lazaro S, Weaver CA, Ice JA, Adler AJ, Chodosh J, Radfar L, Rasmussen A, Stone DU, Lewis DM, Li S, Koelsch KA, Igoe A, Talsania M, Kumar J, Maier-Moore JS, Harris VM, Gopalakrishnan R, Jonsson R, Lessard JA, Lu X, Gottenberg JE, Anaya JM, Cunninghame-Graham DS, Huang AJ, Brennan MT, Hughes P, Illei GG, Miceli-Richard C, Keystone EC, Bykerk VP, Hirschfield G, Xie G, Ng WF, Nordmark G, Eriksson P, Omdal R, Rhodus NL, Rischmueller M, Rohrer M, Segal BM, Vyse TJ, Wahren-Herlenius M, Witte T, Pons-Estel B, Alarcon-Riquelme ME, Guthridge JM, James JA, Lessard CJ, Kelly JA, Thompson SD, Gaffney PM, Montgomery CG, Edberg JC, Kimberly RP, Alarcón GS, Langefeld CL, Gilkeson GS, Kamen DL, Tsao BP, McCune WJ, Salmon JE, Merrill JT, Weisman MH, Wallace DJ, Utset TO, Bottinger EP, Amos CI, Siminovitch KA, Mariette X, Sivils KL, Harley JB, Scofield RH. X Chromosome Dose and Sex Bias in Autoimmune Diseases: Increased 47,XXX in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Sjögren's Syndrome. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2015 Dec 29. PMID:26713507

Xioaming Lu 2012

Yu H, Batenchuk C, Badzio A, Boyle TA, Czapiewski P, Chan DC, Lu X, Gao D, Ellison K, Kowalewski AA, Rivard CJ, Dziadziuszko R, Zhou C, Hussein M, Richards D, Wilks S, Monte M, Edenfield W, Goldschmidt J, Page R, Ulrich B, Waterhouse D, Close S, Jassem J, Kulig K, Hirsch FR. PD-L1 expression by two complementary diagnostic assays and mRNA in situ hybridization in small cell lung cancer. J Thorac Oncol. 2016 Sep 14. pii: S1556-0864(16)30947-9. PMID: 27639678

Miller DE, Patel ZH, Lu X, Lynch AT, Weirauch MT, Kottyan LC. Screening for Functional Non-coding Genetic Variants Using Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay (EMSA) and DNA-affinity Precipitation Assay (DAPA). J Vis Exp. 2016 Aug 21;(114). PMID: 27585267

Michael Moran 2014 (MS)

Waggoner SN, Reighard SD, Gyurova IE, Cranert SA, Mahl SE, Karmele EP, McNally JP, Moran MT, Brooks TR, Yaqoob F, Rydyznski CE. Roles of natural killer cells in antiviral immunity. Curr Opin Virol. 2015 Nov 16;16:15-23. Review. PMID: 26590692

Katelyn Melgar 2014

Varney ME, Melgar K, Niederkorn M, Smith MA, Barreyro L, Starczynowski DT. Deconstructing innate immune signaling in myelodysplastic syndromes. Exp Hematol. 2015 Aug;43(8):587-98. PMID: 26143580

Zubin Patel 2013

Miller DE, Patel ZH, Lu X, Lynch AT, Weirauch MT, Kottyan LC. Screening for Functional Non-coding Genetic Variants Using Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay (EMSA) and DNA-affinity Precipitation Assay (DAPA). J Vis Exp. 2016 Aug 21;(114). PMID: 27585267

Shannon Rapovy 2012

Rapovy SM, Zhao J, Bricker RL, Schmidt SM1, Setchell KD2, Qualls JE3. Differential Requirements for L-Citrulline and L-Arginine during Antimycobacterial Macrophage Activity. J Immunol. 2015 Oct 1;195(7):3293-300. PMID: 26311904

Hesham Shehata 2010

Chougnet CA, Thacker RI, Shehata HM, Hennies CM, Lehn MA, Lages CS, Janssen EM. Loss of Phagocytic and Antigen Cross-Presenting Capacity in Aging Dendritic Cells Is Associated with Mitochondrial Dysfunction.

J Immunol. 2015 Sep 15;195(6):2624-32. PMID: 26246142

Seth Reighard 2015

Waggoner SN, Reighard SD, Gyurova IE, Cranert SA, Mahl SE, Karmele EP, McNally JP, Moran MT, Brooks TR, Yaqoob F, Rydyznski CE. Roles of natural killer cells in antiviral immunity. Curr Opin Virol. 2015 Nov 16;16:15-23. Review. PMID: 26590692

Carolyn Rydyznski 2012

Waggoner SN, Reighard SD, Gyurova IE, Cranert SA, Mahl SE, Karmele EP, McNally JP, Moran MT, Brooks TR, Yaqoob F, Rydyznski CE. Roles of natural killer cells in antiviral immunity. Curr Opin Virol. 2015 Nov 16;16:15-23. Review. PMID: 26590692

Jared Travers 2013

Travers J, Rochman M, Miracle CE, Cohen JP, Rothenberg ME. Interleukin-33: Linking impaired skin barrier function to esophageal allergic inflammation. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2016 Sep 21. PMID: 27664378

Davis BP, Stucke EM, Khorki ME, Litosh VA, Rymer JK, Rochman M, Travers J, Kottyan LC, Rothenberg ME. Eosinophilic esophagitis-linked calpain 14 is an IL-13-induced protease that mediates esophageal epithelial barrier impairment. JCI Insight. 2016 Apr;1(4):e86355. PMID: 27158675

Presentations

Maha Almanan 2012
CD4+ FoxP3+ Regulatory T cells Control Effector T cell Responses to Murine Cytomegalovirus, Annual Meeting of the American Association of Immunologists New Orleans, Louisiana
44th Annual Autumn Immunology Conference, Chicago, IL – Poster

Kaitlin Carrol 2013
44th Annual Autumn Immunology Conference, Chicago, IL – Poster

Laura Brungs 2012
Genome-wide association reveals novel juvenile idiopathic arthritis susceptibility loci, 2016 Immunology Retreat Poster
Genome-wide association reveals novel juvenile idiopathic arthritis susceptibility loci, American College of Rheumatology Meeting, November 2016. Oral

Courtney Jackson
44th Annual Autumn Immunology Conference, Chicago, IL – Oral and poster presentation.

Jeremy Kinder 2012
Feto-maternal Immune Cross-talk Seminar, Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany. Invited lecturer
44th Annual Autumn Immunology Conference, Chicago, IL – Oral and Poster
13th Congress of International Society for Immunology of Reproduction, Erfurt, Germany – Poster

Rahul D’Mello 2011
2015 UC Graduate Student Research Forum – Poster Presentation
2015 APSA/ASCI/AAP Joint Annual Meeting – Poster Presentation
2015 AAAAI Annual Meeting – Poster Presentation
2015 UC MSTP Spring Retreat – Selected Student Talk
2015 Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center Digestive Health Center Annual Scientific Symposium – Poster Presentation

Kun Po Li 2011
44th Annual Autumn Immunology Conference, Chicago, IL – Oral and poster presentation.

Katelyn Melgar 2014
57th American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL, Poster
Eleventh International Workshop on Molecular Aspects of Myeloid Stem Cell Development and Leukemia, Cincinnati, OH. Poster

Andrew Patterson 2013
ORVCA Annual Meeting, Sept. 2015: Poster
Annual Immunology Retreat, Oct. 2015 – Oral Presentation
Annual UC College of Medicine GSRF 2015 - Poster
Autoimmune Hepatitis fundraiser (Cincinnati Children's) – 5 min Oral Presentation

Zubin Patel 2013
44th Annual Autumn Immunology Conference, Chicago, IL – Oral and poster presentation.

Shannon Rapovy 2012
44th Annual Autumn Immunology Conference, Chicago, IL – Oral and poster presentation.

Carolyn Rydyznski 2012
2015 Annual Immunology Retreat, University of Cincinnati- oral and poster presentation
2015 Graduate Student Research Forum Poster Award, University of Cincinnati- poster presentation
2015 AI Young Investigator Award, Autumn Immunology Conference, Chicago, IL- poster and oral presentation
2016 St. Jude National Graduate Student Symposium participant- poster and oral presentation
44th Annual Autumn Immunology Conference, Chicago, IL – Poster

Sara Stoffers 2011
Molecular mechanisms of synergy between IL-13 and IL-17A in severe asthma. Poster presentation. American Thoracic Society. Denver, USA. May 2015.
Dissecting molecular mechanisms of synergy between IL-13 and IL-17A in severe asthma. Poster presentation. The American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology. Houston, USA. Feb 2015.
Molecular mechanisms of synergy between IL-13 and IL-17A in severe asthma. Oral and poster presentation. Autumn Immunology Conference. Chicago, USA. Nov 2014.

Jared Travers 2013
IL-33 is selectively expressed by esophageal epithelial cells during allergic inflammation, Presented poster at the 9th Biennial Symposium of the International Eosinophil Society, Chicago, IL, 2015.

Brynne Whitacre 2015 (MS)
Talk and poster: 3rd Molecular Medicine of Sphingolipids conference, September 2016.
Title: "in a murine two-hit sepsis/pneumonia model, lung microparticles activate alveolar macrophages improving the immune response to sepsis."