The mast cell is the focus of the Mast Cell Biology Section (MCBS) research effort. This multifunctional inflammatory cell is involved in both innate and acquired immunity and plays a central role in the induction of allergic inflammation. An integrated program investigating mast cell biology includes studies into the growth and differentiation of mast cells, mast-cell signal transduction, and the products generated by mast cells that lead to disease. The MCBS program emphasizes basic research that may be translated into the clinic and from the clinic to the bench, where protocols include studies on the pathogenesis of anaphylaxis, physical urticarias and clonal mast cell disorders. Research efforts have contributed to the identification of mutations in mast cell disease, understanding signaling through KIT and the high affinity IgE receptor, and how alterations in the control of mast cell mediator production affect human disease.
First row left to right: Geethani Bandara, Annika Pfeiffer-Daniels, Andrea Luker, Ana Olivera, Melody Carter, Robin Eisch, Hyejeong Bolan
Dean D. Metcalfe, M.D., M.S.
Special Volunteer
Scientist Emeritus
Specialty(s): Allergy and Immunology, Internal Medicine, Rheumatology Provides direct clinical care to patients at NIH Clinical Center
Education:
M.D., University of Tennessee
M.S., University of Michigan
Dr. Metcalfe received his M.D. at the University of Tennessee and an M.S. in microbiology at the University of Michigan, where he also did a residency in internal medicine. Dr. Metcalfe then trained in allergy and immunology during a fellowship at NIAID, followed by training in rheumatology while a Fellow in Immunology at the Robert Brigham Hospital in Boston. In 1995, he was appointed as the...
Yun Bai, M.S.
Biologist
Education:
M.S., University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX
Languages Spoken: Chinese
Geethani Bandara, Ph.D.
Biologist
Education:
University of Pittsburgh
Languages Spoken: Sinhala
Hyejeong Bolan
Study Coordinator
Education:
University of Phoenix
Languages Spoken: Korean
Lead study coordinator responsible for education, regulatory affairs, and management of protocols for pediatric mastocytosis and for evaluation of the prevalence and significance of clonal mast cell disease in patients with idiopathic or allergen-specific anaphylaxis. Recruits and enrolls patients and healthy volunteer subjects for stimulation and apheresis collection of CD34+ cells in...
Melody C. Carter, M.D.
Staff Clinician, Mast Cell Biology Section
Education:
M. D., Tulane University Medical School
B.S., Biology, Newcomb College, Tulane University
Dr. Carter received her M.D. from Tulane University Medical School and completed her pediatric residency training at Emory University in Atlanta. She started her career in general pediatrics in an inner-city clinic. Dr. Carter was an assistant professor on the clinical faculty at Emory University for 12 years, with the final 5 years including clinical research in pediatric allergic diseases. She...
Robin Eisch
Study Coordinator
Education:
B.S., Nursing
Research Nurse working with studies of conditions affecting mast cells. Protocols include a natural history study of mastocytosis, a clinical trial using sarilumab/placebo in patients with indolent systemic mastocytosis, and a natural history study for patients with systemic capillary leak syndrome.
Guido Falduto, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Visiting Fellow
Education:
Ph.D., Biology, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina
Languages Spoken: Spanish
Hirsh D. Komarow, M.D.
Staff Clinician, Mast Cell Biology Section
Specialty(s): Allergy and Immunology, Pediatrics Provides direct clinical care to patients at NIH Clinical Center
Education:
B. S., Tulane University
M.D., Sackler School of Medicine
Languages Spoken: Hebrew
Dr. Komarow obtained his M.D. from Sackler School of Medicine in Ramat Aviv, Israel, and completed his pediatric residency at MetroHealth Medical Center/Case Western Reserve Medical Center in Cleveland, OH. Dr. Komarow completed his Allergy and Immunology Fellowship at the National Institutes of Health in 2001 and was a Research Fellow in the Genetics and Genomics Branch of the National Institute...
Andrea Luker, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Education:
Virginia Commonwealth University
Ana Olivera, Ph.D.
Associate Scientist, Mast Cell Biology Section, Laboratory of Allergic Diseases
Education:
Ph.D., Complutense University of Madrid, Spain
Languages Spoken: Spanish
Annika Pfeiffer-Daniels, Ph.D
Postdoctoral Fellow
Education:
Ph.D., Genetics, Cell Biology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
Languages Spoken: German
Linda Scott
Nurse Practitioner
Education:
MSN, Georgetown University
BSN, University of MD College Park
Linda Scott completed her master’s in nursing, with a minor in HIV studies, in 1996 from Georgetown University. She became a certified family nurse practitioner in 1996. She started her nursing career in the National Cancer Institute focusing on HIV oncology in 1991. After completing her graduate program and NP certification, she transitioned to the position of research nurse practitioner in the...
Yuzhi Yin, M.D., Ph.D.
Biologist
Education:
Beijing Medical University
Languages Spoken: Chinese
Former Research Group Members
Valerie Hox, M.D., Ph.D.- Assistant Professor Otorhinolaryngology, Cliniques universitaires, Saint-Luc, Brussels, Belgium
Rosa Muñoz-Cano, M.D., Ph.D.- Pneumonology department, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
Joseph M. Kulinski, Ph.D.- Regulatory Science Biologist, CBER, FDA
Araceli Tobio-Ageitos, Ph.D.- Assistant Professor, Pharmacology Department, Veterinary School, University of Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña, Spain
Do-Kyun Kim, Ph.D.- Full Professor, Korea Zoonosis Research Institute, Jeonbuk National University, Iksan, Jeonbuk, Republic of Korea
Andrea Naranjo-Erazo, Ph.D.- OITE Research Ethics Training Coordinator, NIH