Claire O'Leary

Focus Groups

Immunology/Immunopathology

Education

PhD, University of Pennsylvania

Research Summary

Inflammation is a hallmark of many human diseases and can lead to pain, organ dysfunction, and irreversible tissue damage. In the gastrointestinal tract, potentially inflammatory and damaging molecules–such as enzymes, acids, and the normal microbiome–are abundant, but these “normal” stressors do not lead to tissue inflammation. The O’Leary lab is studying how gastrointestinal tissues restrain immune activation in the face of harsh environments, while also retaining the capacity for a rapid response to pathogens.

Research Detail

Our research focuses on barrier function and integrity at mucosal surfaces. Specifically, we study how rare cells, called tuft cells, in the single cell epithelial barrier lining the gastrointestinal tract coordinate defensive and protective responses to changing conditions, including microbial metabolites. We are also investigating the role of barrier function and the microbiome in inflammation in the biliary tract (gallbladder and bile ducts), an understudied tissue with constant exposure to high concentrations of bile acids, which have damaging detergent-like properties. Bile acids themselves are potent signaling molecules, and modified by the microbiome. How this metabolically active set of molecules impacts immune cells remains unclear, and is another area of interest. We primarily utilize genetically modified mouse models and in vivo manipulation to study these processes, with a variety of endpoint analyses including flow cytometry.

NCBI Bibliography For Claire O’Leary