Can Controlling Retinoic Acid Be a Key to Preventing Infections in the Gut?

Link Type
Funded-research
Media Type
Article
Publish or Event Date
Link URL
https://news.stonybrook.edu/newsroom/press-release/medical/can-controlling-retinoic-acid-be-a-key-to-preventing-infections-in-the-gut/
Research Institution
Stony Brook University Renaissance School of Medicine
Short Title
Can Controlling Retinoic Acid Be a Key to Preventing Infections in the Gut?
Content Coordinator
Claudia Wair
Content Manager
Catey Laube Macdonald

Rachel Sparks, M.D.

Section or Unit Name
Lymphocyte Biology Section
Exclude from directory
Off
Section/Unit: Location
NIH Main Campus, Bethesda, MD
This Researcher/Clinician’s Person Page
Rachel Sparks, M.D.
Parent Lab/Program
Laboratory of Immune System Biology
Program Description

Dr. Sparks leads a multidisciplinary team of basic scientists, bioinformaticians, and clinical staff with the goal of using systems biology approaches to study the human immune system in health and disease. Her research focuses on (1) evaluation of both known and unknown immunological disorders to better understand the molecular underpinnings of these diseases, uncover correlates of disease subtypes to help improve diagnosis and prognosis, and identify potential novel treatment targets with the goal of therapeutic trials, and (2) using vaccination and systems immunology to probe the immune system of both healthy individuals and those with immunological disorders.

Clinical Studies

Sample collection from healthy volunteers for assay optimization (Principal Investigator; NCT03538600)

Systems analyses of the immune response to the seasonal influenza vaccine (Principal Investigator; NCT04025580)

Sample collection for systems evaluation of patients with unknown or incompletely characterized immune defects (Principal Investigator; NCT04408950)

A Phase 1/2 Open-label Study to Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of Tofacitinib for Chronic Granulomatous Disease with Inflammatory Complications (Lead Associate Investigator: NCT05104723)

Selected Publications

Visit PubMed for a complete publication listing.

Major Areas of Research
  • Systems immunology approaches to investigate human immune dysregulation and immunodeficiency
  • Using multi-omics data to design targeted drug therapy trials
  • Understanding vaccine response variation in different immunological backgrounds

Some Hospitalized Patients’ Infections May Develop from Their Own Bacteria

Link Type
Funded-research
Media Type
Article
Publish or Event Date
Link URL
https://medicine.wustl.edu/news/some-patients-hospital-acquired-infections-may-develop-from-their-own-bacteria/
Research Institution
Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
Short Title
Some Hospitalized Patients’ Infections May Develop from Their Own Bacteria
Content Coordinator
Claudia Wair
Content Manager
Catey Laube Macdonald

Study Reveals New Genetic Disorder that Causes Susceptibility to Opportunistic Infections

Link Type
Funded-research
Media Type
Article
Publish or Event Date
Link URL
https://news.vumc.org/2023/01/20/stuy-reveals-new-genetic-disorder-that-causes-susceptibility-to-opportunistic-infections/
Research Institution
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Short Title
Study Reveals New Genetic Disorder that Causes Susceptibility to Opportunistic Infections
Content Coordinator
Claudia Wair
Content Manager
Catey Laube Macdonald

Host-Cell Factors Involved in COVID-19 Infections May Augur Improved Treatments

Link Type
Funded-research
Media Type
Article
Publish or Event Date
Link URL
https://today.ucsd.edu/story/host-cell-factors-involved-in-covid-19-infections-may-augur-improved-treatments
Research Institution
University of California San Diego
Short Title
Host-Cell Factors Involved in COVID-19 Infections May Augur Improved Treatments
Content Coordinator
Claudia Wair
Content Manager
Catey Laube Macdonald

Tiny Ion is Crucial for HIV Replication, Say UChicago Chemists

Rudra to Develop Materials to Improve Vaccines

Research Team Awarded $2.4 Million for Radiation Treatment Study

Computer Model of Influenza Virus Shows Universal Vaccine Promise

Mount Sinai Researchers Awarded $12 Million NIH Grant to Create a Center to Unravel Novel Causes of Food Allergy and Atopic Dermatitis

Link Type
Funded-research
Media Type
Article
Publish or Event Date
Link URL
https://www.mountsinai.org/about/newsroom/2023/mount-sinai-researchers-awarded-nih-grant-to-create-a-center-to-unravel-novel-causes-of-food-allergy-and-atopic-dermatitis
Research Institution
Mount Sinai
Short Title
Mount Sinai Researchers Awarded $12 Million NIH Grant to Create a Center to Unravel Novel Causes of Food Allergy and Atopic Dermatitis
Content Coordinator
Claudia Wair
Content Manager
Catey Laube Macdonald
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