James McLachlan, School of Medicine
One of the great questions in biology is why men and women differ in how they respond immunologically to various insults. It is known that women respond better to vaccines and many infections, yet this increased immune response often manifests in increased susceptibility to autoimmune disease in women compared to men. In fact, women are three times more likely to be diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and nine times more likely to have lupus when compared to men of a similar age. We are interested in understanding the mechanisms that dictate these differences. Using mouse models, we are exploring how males and females respond to infection, vaccination, and autoimmune disease induction. We are particularly interested in defining how T cell and B cells might behave differently in different tissues and whether the differences we see are cell intrinsic (programmed into the cell when it develops) or cell extrinsic (changes depending on the surrounding environment). Revealing how these disparities are established could lead to potential therapies for autoimmune diseases or help in designing more effective vaccines depending on the sex of the person receiving the immunization.
| Faculty Supervisor | James McLachlan |
| Project Start Date | 12/01/2024 |
| Number of Spots Available | 1 |
| Project Type | Basic Science |
| Location | On-Site |
| Type of Research | Animal-based, Lab-based, Data Analysis/Write-Up |
| Project Duration | Medium-term (1-3 years) |
| Supervisor | Graduate Student |
| Project Expertise | https://medicine.tulane.edu/departments/microbiology-immunology-tips-mentor/faculty/james-mclachlan-phd |
20 hours per month.
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