AAIC is a patient centered practice.

We offer specialty consultation and comprehensive care of bronchial asthma, allergies, and primary immunodeficiency diseases (PIDDs) in children and adults. Our physicians are nationally recognized and board certified. They have expertise in immune evaluation (for patients with recurrent and severe infections), treatment of asthma, sinus disease, eczema, allergy to stinging insects, fire ant, latex, drug and food, eosinophilic esophagitis, hives and hereditary angioedema (HAE).

Services offered include skin testing with allergens, food, drugs and venoms and desensitization (immunotherapy), Patch Tests, Xolair (anti-IgE monoclonal antibody), intravenous or subcutaneous immunoglobulin infusions for PIDDs and C1INH infusions for HAE.

Their mission is to improve the patient's quality of life with individualized care, kindness, compassion, courtesy and respect. The doctors are known for serving the community through interaction, education, preventive medicine and outreach programs. They are peer nominated and selected as the Best Doctors in America.

At AAIC, we offer personalized medicine, at its best.

Monday through Thursday 8:00 AM till 7:00 PM

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DR-MENON - Asthma, Allergy & Immunology Centre, Baton ...

Immunology is the study of biological systems used to defend the body against microbial pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi. Evolution over the past several million years has equipped the immune system with a set of pattern recognition receptors, including the Toll-like receptors (TLRs), to distinguish self from microbial pathogens.

The innate immune response, a first line of defense, is initiated by signaling through the TLRs, by bacteria DNA, lipoproteins and polysaccharides, as well as viral RNA. Triggering TLRs activates antigen presenting cells (APCs) to upregulate costimulatory molecules and secrete cytokines, which allow these APCs to initiate immune responses.

The other arm of the immune system is the adaptive immune response, which uses antigen-specific receptors called antibodies and T-cell receptors (TCRs), found on B cells and T cells, respectively. These specific receptors drive highly efficient immunological responses that possess memory.

Please view our Research page to learn more about the exciting research taking place in the Immunology department.

The goal of MDAnderson's Immunology department is to perform multidisciplinary research and educational activities in basic and cancer immunology.

The new Center for Cancer Immunology Research (CCIR) is one of the six collaborative programs in biomedical research that make up the McCombs Institute for the Early Detection and Treatment of Cancer. The CCIR state-of-the-art facility for immunology research provides a platform for integrating basic and clinical immunology research programs.

Additionally, the Center for Inflammation and Cancer is one of several interdisciplinary research centers in the MD Anderson Institute for Basic Science, with the goal to provide an interactive platform across MD Anderson and the Texas Medical Center to study cross-regulation of inflammatory cell types and tumor microenvironments and the underlying molecular mechanisms using both animal models and patient samples.

Through our commitment to research and education, we hope to train future generations of high-caliber immunologists, as well as to advance knowledge of cancer, the immune system and how to direct the immune system toward eradicating cancer.

Physical addressSouth Campus Research Building I (SCRB I)7455 Fannin St.Houston, Texas 77030Telephone: 713-563-3203Fax: 713-563-3275

Mailing addressThe University of Texas MDAnderson Cancer CenterImmunology Department, Unit 901P.O. Box 1301402Houston, TX 77030-1903

Interested in learning more about immunotherapy clinicaltrials? Please call 1-855-873-4321 to schedule an appointment.

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Immunology Department | MD Anderson Cancer Center

What are immunology and serology?

Immunology is the study of the body's immune system and its functions and disorders. Serology is the study of blood serum (the clear fluid that separates when blood clots).

Immunology and serology laboratories focus on the following:

Identifying antibodies. These are proteins made by a type of white blood cell in response to a foreign substance (antigen) in the body.

Investigating problems with the immune system. These include when the body's immune system attacks its own tissues (autoimmune diseases) and when a body's immune system is underactive (immunodeficiency disorders).

Determining organ,tissue, and fluidcompatibility for transplantation

Test

Uses

Immunoglobulins

These are proteins in the body that have antibody activity.Excessive amounts of these proteinsmay be caused by a variety of conditions including infection, autoimmune disorders, cancers, and chronic diseases. A lack of these proteins may be caused by many conditions including cancers, medicines, and chronic diseases

Rheumatoid factor

Used tohelp classify arthritis and diagnose rheumatoid arthritis. Other tests are often used as well to classify and determine types of arthritis.

HLA (human leukocyte antigens) typing

Tested todetermine compatibility in organ, tissue, and bone marrowtransplantation. Also tested to determine paternity, and to diagnose HLA-related disorders such as certain autoimmune conditions.

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Immunology and Serology | Johns Hopkins Medicine Health ...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 5, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --Children's National Health System announced that Catherine "Cath" Bollard, M.D., M.B.Ch.B., currently chief of the division of allergy and immunology, has been chosen to serve as director of the Children's Research Institute's (CRI) Center for Cancer and Immunology Research (CCIR).CCIR, with annual National Institutes of Health and other external funding of more than $10 million, includes more than 50 clinicians and scientists performing groundbreaking clinical and translational research in understanding the origins and developing and testing novel therapies for childhood cancers and immunologic disorders. In her new role, Dr. Bollard will lead the promotion and oversight of cancer and immunology research performed at Children's National and will join the leadership team of CRI.

"I'm honored and excited to take on this new role," says Dr. Bollard. "Since joining Children's National, we've made incredible progress in the cancer immunotherapy field. I look forward to continuing to build on these successes and lead the way toward the next generation of innovative immunotherapy treatments."

Since 2015, Dr. Bollard has served as the chief of the Division of Allergy and Immunology at Children's National after joining the hospital in 2013 to direct the cellular immunotherapy research program. She also is Professor of Pediatrics and of Microbiology, Immunology and Tropical Medicine at The George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences and serves as the director of the Program for Cell Enhancement and Technologies for Immunotherapy.

"Cath's unique background and pioneering work in T-cell immunotherapy have established her as an international leader in research and treatment of children with cancer and immunologic disorders," says Vittorio Gallo, Ph.D., Chief Research Officer at CRI. "Her leadership will reinforce our ongoing commitment to fighting cancer and developing innovative treatments."

Dr. Bollard's research focuses on improving outcomes for patients after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, as well as the development of novel cell therapies for viral diseases and hematologic malignancies. With her move to Children's National, she and her team extended this focus to include pediatric solid tumors, human immunodeficiency virus, primary immune deficiency and more recently, allergic and autoimmune disorders.The novel cell therapies program that Dr. Bollard and her team built moves basic proof-of-principle work in the laboratory to the clinic.

"All of Children's National's progress in cellular immunotherapy can be attributed to Catherine and her leadership," says Mark L. Batshaw, M.D., Chief Academic Officer and Director of CRI. "We are confident her impact will extend even further in her new role."

An internationally recognized pioneer in cellular therapy, Dr. Bollard's publication record includes over 110 original papers, over 70 reviews and commentaries and 18 book chapters. She is a member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation and is President of the International Society for Cellular Therapy. Dr. Bollard serves as an associate editor for the journals Blood and Cytotherapy, a member of the National Cancer Institute Clinical Oncology Study Section and a member of the Cellular, Tissues and Gene Therapies Advisory Committee for the Food and Drug Administration, among other distinguished positions.

A New Zealand native, Dr. Bollard received her medical degree at University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand. Board Certified both in pediatrics and hematology, she worked both in New Zealand and London before moving to Baylor College of Medicine in Houston in 2000, where she completed her training and rapidly rose to Professor of Pediatrics, Medicine and Immunology and Director of the Texas Children's Cancer and Hematology Center Pediatric Lymphoma Program.

About Children's National Health System

Children's National Health System, based in Washington, D.C., has been serving the nation's children since 1870. Children's National is #1 for babies and ranked in every specialty evaluated by U.S. News & World Report including placement in the top 10 for:Cancer(#7),NeurologyandNeurosurgery(#9)Orthopedics(#9) andNephrology(#10). Children's National has been designated two times as a Magnet hospital, a designation given to hospitals that demonstrate the highest standards of nursing and patient care delivery. This pediatric academic health system offers expert care through a convenient, community-based primary care network and specialty outpatient centers. Home to the Children's Research Institute and the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation, Children's National is one of the nation's top NIH-funded pediatric institutions. Children's National is recognized for its expertise and innovation in pediatric care and as a strong voice for children through advocacy at the local, regional and national levels. For more information, visitChildrensNational.org, or follow us onFacebookandTwitter.

View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/award-winning-immunologist-catherine-bollard-to-lead-center-for-cancer-and-immunology-research-at-the-childrens-research-institute-childrens-national-health-system-300514124.html

SOURCE Children's National Health System

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Award-winning immunologist Catherine Bollard to lead Center for Cancer and Immunology Research at the Children's ... - Markets Insider

TAMPA People who are working in Tampa and Havana on the fight against cancer say they have a lot to learn from one another.

And now, with relations between their two countries expanding if still tentative, they're ready to formalize a partnership.

For the last 18 months, cooperation has occurred below the radar for Tampa's H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute and two centers in Cuba the National Institute of Oncology and Radiobiology and the Center of Molecular Immunology.

Surgeons from Cuba have visited Moffitt to study its treatment for pediatric bone cancer and Moffitt researchers have travelled to Cuba to learn how cancer scientists there break new ground with limited resources.

Against a politically divisive backdrop, with Florida interests including Gov. Rick Scott criticizing the Obama-era outreach to Cuba, Moffitt has declined to talk about its work with Cuba.

Now, officials at the Tampa center acknowledge they drafted a memorandum of understanding with their Cuban counterparts and it was submitted to the Cuban government a year ago. They still await a decision patiently, they say.

"The memorandum broadly describes that we want to collaborate on research and education," said David de La Parte, Moffitt executive vice president. "Once approved we can have a more intensive discussion around what we might do ... to benefit patients around the world and to advance science."

The Florida Aquarium in Tampa also pursued joint research with Havana's National Aquarium and waited two years for Cuban government approval.

An estimated 24 staffers from Tampa and Havana have been involved in visits as part of the Moffitt effort, de La Parte said.

On some occasions, they attended conferences together. Other times, doctors have shadowed their counterparts.

That a nation like Cuba with a struggling economy has anything to offer top researchers in the United States might come as a surprise, de La Parte said.

In fact, Cuba has much to offer, he said in part because of its underdog status.

Most notably, the Center of Molecular Immunology developed CIMAvax, a vaccine that extends and improves the quality of life for those with advanced lung cancer.

Gail Reed, editor of MEDICC Review, a journal dedicated to publishing Cuban scientists, said the Havana center has also developed treatments for brain cancer in children and for cancer in the pancreas, head and neck.

"Necessity is the mother of invention," Reed said. "Cuban leaders saw that without abundant natural resources or stable agricultural prices, investing in science and scientists was key to securing the population's health."

CIMAvax is undergoing clinical trials in the United States through the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, N.Y.

"Roswell Park were quicker on their feet than we were and it frankly agitated some of us," Moffitt's de La Parte said. "Here is this cancer center in New York that has a relationship with a country in our back yard."

Roswell began pursuing a partnership with the Center of Molecular Immunology in 2011 and made it official in April 2015.

Moffitt representatives didn't visit Cuba until May 2015, after executive orders from the Obama administration made scientific collaboration between the former Cold War adversaries easier to pursue.

Still, the state of Florida isn't on board with expanded cooperation involving Cuba. Opposition nationwide is at its strongest in South Florida, home to many who lost property and businesses nationalized by Cuba's Communist government.

Gov. Scott has stopped the state's ports from signing memorandums with Cuba by threatening to withhold state money.

And Moffitt relies heavily on state funding $7.1 million worth from two grant programs last year alone. So does the Florida Aquarium, which received $1 million from the state last year.

Partnering with Cuba could prove divisive, de La Parte admits, but he believes the medical and scientific benefits outweigh political considerations.

"We are not going to proceed in a way that will violate any kind of regulations," he said.

"Hopefully this is something that can be celebrated by our supporters, and the governor is one of our supporters."

Contact Paul Guzzo at pguzzo@tampabay.com. Follow @PGuzzoTimes.

Moffitt cancer center trying to partner with researchers in Cuba 09/07/17 [Last modified: Thursday, September 7, 2017 10:42am] Photo reprints | Article reprints

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Moffitt cancer center trying to partner with researchers in Cuba - Tampabay.com

Nima Aghaeepour

Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94121, USA.

Edward A. Ganio

Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94121, USA.

David Mcilwain

Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94121, USA.

Amy S. Tsai

Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94121, USA.

Martha Tingle

Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94121, USA.

Sofie Van Gassen

Department of Information Technology, Ghent University, and the Center for Inflammation Research, Ghent, Belgium.

Dyani K. Gaudilliere

Department of Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94121, USA.

Quentin Baca

Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94121, USA.

Leslie McNeil

Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94121, USA.

Robin Okada

Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94121, USA.

Mohammad S. Ghaemi

Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94121, USA.

David Furman

Institute for Immunity, Transplantation and Infection, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.Institute for Immunogenetics, Jose de San Martin Clinical Hospital, National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Ronald J. Wong

Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94121, USA.

Virginia D. Winn

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94121, USA.

Maurice L. Druzin

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94121, USA.

Yaser Y. El-Sayed

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94121, USA.

Cecele Quaintance

Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94121, USA.

Ronald Gibbs

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94121, USA.

Gary L. Darmstadt

Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94121, USA.

Gary M. Shaw

Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94121, USA.

David K. Stevenson

Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94121, USA.

Robert Tibshirani

Departments of Biomedical Data Sciences and Statistics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94121, USA.

Garry P. Nolan

Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94121, USA.

David B. Lewis

Division of Pediatric Immunology and Allergy, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94121, USA.

Martin S. Angst

Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94121, USA.

Brice Gaudilliere

Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94121, USA.

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An immune clock of human pregnancy - Science (subscription)

Newswise The FDA today approved the first ever CAR-T cell therapy to treat cancer. Alison Sehgal, MD, is an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and a hematologist/medical oncologist at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center specializing immunotherapy and stem cell transplants for blood cancers.

This rapid pace at which immunotherapy has been transferred from the bench to the bedside to the point that we now have an FDA approved cellular therapy shows that CAR-T cells and immunotherapy in general are the future of cancer treatment. The UPMC Hillman Cancer Center is actively involved in several cutting edge immunotherapy and cellular therapy efforts both in basic science and clinical trials that will translate into advanced care being available for patients throughout the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center system. Dr. Allison Sehgal

To speak with Dr. Sehgal about the approval of CAR-T cell therapy, please contact Cyndy Patton.

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UPMC Hillman Cancer Center immunology expert available to talk about FDA approval of CAR - T cell therapy. - Newswise (press release)

View print quality imageImmunology professor Alexander Dent poses with ballroom dance instructor Lollie Henshilwood at the Arthur Murray Dance Studio in Avon.Photo by Tim Brouk, IU Communications

When he's not making CD4 regulatory and follicular helper T cells dance under the microscope, Alexander L. Dent does some moving himself.

The professor of immunology and microbiology at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis has been pursuing a passion for ballroom dancing for the past five years. He has been a student at the Avon location of Arthur Murray Dance Studio and has performed around Indiana. From swing to tango, Dent has danced them all.

"It's a wild ride," said Dent before a recent rehearsal in Avon. "It's better than anything you can do at an amusement park, I think. Once you have a routine and you can run through it, it's super-fun. It's a lot of adrenaline."

Dent first laced up his dance shoes after shepherding then-9-year-old daughter, Anjani, to her own ballroom dance lessons. It looked like fun, so he gave ballroom a go. Wife Lakshmi joined in, and now the family rehearses together and has performed together in showcases.

Description of the following video:

Video transcript

IUPUI Professor is the king of swing, immunology and microbiology video onhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8z7dd7Uz-Yc

[Words appear: IUPUI presents]

[Video: Alexander Dent dances with instructor]

[Alexander Dent speaks:It's just something I never really did before. I never really appreciated dance before, but once I started doing it, I liked it a lot. It's a good brain activity as well as reasonably good activity and there's studies that say it's good for you and that sort of thing.]

[It's neat, because it's better than anything that you could do at an amusement park, I think. Once you have a routine and you can run through it, it's just super fun to go through the whole thing. It's just a great ride and just a lot of adrenaline. Once you get into the more advanced dance, there's a lot of technique and a lot of careful things you have to think about.]

[I'm not naturally very, physically talented or anything like that. I'm a little clumsy, I guess, so it's probably harder for me to learn this than other people but I think it's still really good, and I feel like I've grown into it.]

[Words appear: IUPUI Fulfilling the Promise]

[End of transcript]

In his immunology lab nestled in the Indiana University School of Medicine's R2 Research building, Dent is in charge of School of Science graduate students as he pursues research to help humans resist disease and allergies. He also instructs America's future physicians in immunology classes at the medical school.

With ballroom dance, he was reminded that learning never stops. There is always the next level to attain, whether it's science or salsa dancing.

"It's a good combination of exercise and mental activity," Dent said. "I never appreciated dance before, but once I started doing it, I liked it a lot. A routine goes by in a second. I don't think I even take a breath the whole time."

Dent's work with regulatory T cells, which modulate the immune system while maintaining tolerance to self-antigens in hopes of preventing autoimmune or inflammatory disease, has been growing since his arrival to Indianapolis in 1998. His research looks to understand and eventually improve the responses of lymphocytes that help produce antibodies. His research on follicular helper cells, which are found in the spleen and lymph nodes and protect us from germs, aims to better control cellular response. His work can lead to better vaccines, and one ultimate goal is developing an effective HIV vaccine.

Testing on mice, Dent developed a model for transcription factor BCL6, which is critical for both Tfh cell differentiation and the differentiation of germinal center B cells and antibody-secreting plasma cells. The mouse model has been distributed worldwide and helps guide other immunologists as they dig into work with T cells.

Utilizing the training he received in the University of California system, Dent's current research digs deeper into finding ways to make our immune system stronger. His work also explores tumorigenesis via the BCL6 gene, which can initiate the cancer process when it is mutated.

"It's a very complicated factor in terms of it not having a straightforward pathway to how it's regulated and how it acts," Dent explained. "It turns off genes rather than turning them on, so that makes things a little trickier to look at. But we've found that it's a really important regulator that actually represses inflammatory genes."

Dent never claimed to be a natural ballroom dancer, but his love for music -- as a classically trained pianist and devourer of tunes, from heavy metal to jazz -- helped pique his interest in the activity. But most importantly, he saw the fun that young Anjani was having at her lessons, and he recognized dance's physical and mental positives. It also helped strengthen the family bond. When the Dents showed up for a recent rehearsal at Arthur Murray, the studio's staff lit up. The Dent family has become a staple in Avon.

"He has progressed so much," said Lollie Henshilwood, an Arthur Murray instructor who has worked with Dent for the past four years. "He's one of my favorite students to teach because he is so creative. There are so many different layers to him."

Henshilwood agreed that there is a science to ballroom dance.

"We could all just get out there and flop like fish, or instead, you can learn how your body moves," she explained. "You can learn from the feet up. It is a science, and he's almost mastered it. I'm very proud of him."

Back in the lab, Markus Xie, one of Dent's Ph.D. students, was familiar with his professor's dance pursuits almost as much as his breakthroughs in T cell research.

"I think outside activities help us relax," said Xie, an avid golfer. "Sometimes we also relax in the lab, but it's better to get some balance in life."

That balance has helped Xie take Dent's foundational work and apply it to some "very promising" food allergy research, namely how and why some humans suffer from peanut allergies. Xie said the work can have some future ramifications for food allergy sufferers.

While Dent doesn't plan on turning into a professional ballroom dancer, he does find the new hobby helpful. The cellular research he choreographs actually gets a boost from his artistic side.

"Once you get into the more advanced dancing, there's a lot of technique and lot of careful things you have to think about," he said. "I feel like I've grown into it."

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Immunology professor tangos between science and ballroom dancing - IU Newsroom

For flu vaccines, age matters

Development of a broad flu vaccine has been hampered by lack of clear insight into protective mechanisms across individuals to seasonal vaccines. Avey et al. perform a systems-level analysis on multiple influenza vaccination cohorts spanning distinct geographical locations and vaccination seasons and identify prevaccination predictive transcriptional signatures of influenza vaccination responses. They validated nine genes and three gene cohorts that associated with magnitude of antibody response in an independent cohort. However, these signatures were specific to young individuals and had an inverse correlation in older individuals. These data may help to predict antibody response to influenza vaccination, as well as provide insights into the distinct mechanism governing immune responses in young and older individuals.

Annual influenza vaccinations are currently recommended for all individuals 6 months and older. Antibodies induced by vaccination are an important mechanism of protection against infection. Despite the overall public health success of influenza vaccination, many individuals fail to induce a substantial antibody response. Systems-level immune profiling studies have discerned associations between transcriptional and cell subset signatures with the success of antibody responses. However, existing signatures have relied on small cohorts and have not been validated in large independent studies. We leveraged multiple influenza vaccination cohorts spanning distinct geographical locations and seasons from the Human Immunology Project Consortium (HIPC) and the Center for Human Immunology (CHI) to identify baseline (i.e., before vaccination) predictive transcriptional signatures of influenza vaccination responses. Our multicohort analysis of HIPC data identified nine genes (RAB24, GRB2, DPP3, ACTB, MVP, DPP7, ARPC4, PLEKHB2, and ARRB1) and three gene modules that were significantly associated with the magnitude of the antibody response, and these associations were validated in the independent CHI cohort. These signatures were specific to young individuals, suggesting that distinct mechanisms underlie the lower vaccine response in older individuals. We found an inverse correlation between the effect size of signatures in young and older individuals. Although the presence of an inflammatory gene signature, for example, was associated with better antibody responses in young individuals, it was associated with worse responses in older individuals. These results point to the prospect of predicting antibody responses before vaccination and provide insights into the biological mechanisms underlying successful vaccination responses.

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Multicohort analysis reveals baseline transcriptional predictors of influenza vaccination responses - Science (subscription)

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. Alex Barna, a junior from Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, has known that he wanted to be a doctor since the 7th grade. He came to Penn State with an interest in microbiology but discovered an opportunity to distinguish himself from other pre-med students in the College of Agricultural Sciences' immunology and infectious disease major.

Immunology and infectious disease students learn how the body copes with bacterial, viral or parasitic infections, cancer and other diseases. Penn State is one of only five institutions in the United States to offer an immunology major and the only one that blends the study of molecular and cellular immunology with epidemiology of infectious diseases. Barna, a third-generation Penn Stater whose grandfather also was a College of Agricultural Sciences student, says he chose the major because it seemed like a unique opportunity to study what he is interested in while preparing for medical school.

Barna hopes that his experiences will help him become not only a good doctor, but a healthcare professional with a view wider than a single patient. "A lot of doctors are being taught how to treat one patient," he said. "They can find a disease and cure what's happening, but they kind of lack the knowledge to understand populational health."

Since January, Barna has been performing undergraduate research to complement his studies. The lab he works in studies an infectious fungus that affects ants and alters their behavior so that they spread the infection to plant hosts and other ants. Barna is interested in understanding why only 10 percent of ants die when a colony becomes infected. Observing the spread of the disease through these animals is an opportunity to directly observe the populational health dynamics he has learned about in class.

He also is pursuing the selective global health minor through the College of Health and Human Development. Through this minor, he will study abroad next summer somewhere in Africa, shadowing physicians to gain an understanding of the differences and similarities between African and American healthcare.

In addition to his academic pursuits, Barna is excelling in a completely different passion music. He is a singer with Essence of Joy, a choir at Penn State dedicated to singing and preserving African-American music. "Music always has been a really huge part of my life, and I knew I didn't want to lose that coming to college, so I really made an effort to keep it a part of me," he explained.

He also is taking voice lessons for credit and has been studying with Blythe Walker, a singer with the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. "It's been really cool to learn how to sing classical music with someone who lives classical music and really understands the background and importance of it," he said.

Barna is a member of Ag Advocates, a group of high-achieving students in the college who help put together events, assist with prospective students, alumni and donors, and are overall advocates for the college. He also was one of the executive board members for Ag Day, a day for College of Agricultural Sciences clubs and organizations to advertise to the university the impact that agriculture has on everyday life.

He is part of the Tri Beta biological honor society, a national honor society to support excellence in biology and biological sciences, and has served on a Penn State Reads executive committee, where he helped plan for events related to the Penn State Reads book.

Excerpt from:
Medicine and music: Immunology major makes his own way at Penn State - Penn State News