Metcalfe Research Group

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.

Photo of Metcalfe Research Group

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...

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Yun Bai, M.S.

Biologist

Education:

M.S., University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX

Languages Spoken: Chinese

Focus is on the studies of the genetic analysis and specific gene expression related with human mast cell diseases. Provides research assistance on the diagnosis and treatment of allergic diseases and clonal mast cell disorders.

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Geethani Bandara, Ph.D.

Biologist

Education:

University of Pittsburgh

Languages Spoken: Sinhala

Geethani Bandara received her Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Pittsburgh. She joined the Mast Cell Biology Section in 2008. Her research interests are the identification and characterization of mast cell receptors and their contribution to pathogenesis of mast cell associated diseases.

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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...

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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...

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Melody C. Carter, M.D.

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.

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Guido Falduto, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Visiting Fellow

Education:

Ph.D., Biology, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina

Languages Spoken: Spanish

Projects include contribution of the Hedgehog signaling pathway in mast cell biology, as well as the molecular, functional and pharmacological outcomes in mast cells containing the common KIT variants D816V and/or V560G.

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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...

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Andrea Luker, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Fellow

Education:

Virginia Commonwealth University

Research focuses on germinal center reactions and antibody responses to murine models of inflammation. Specializes in high-parameter flow cytometry.

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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

Dr. Olivera received a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the Universidad Complutense of Madrid, Spain, and relocated to the US with a postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Georgetown University, Washington DC, where she later became a Research Assistant Professor.

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Ana Olivera, Ph.D.

Annika Pfeiffer-Daniels, Ph.D

Postdoctoral Fellow

Education:

Ph.D., Genetics, Cell Biology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden

Languages Spoken: German

Dr. Annika Pfeiffer received her Ph.D. in genetics and cell biology from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. She joined the Mast Cell Biology Section as a postdoctoral fellow in 2019. Dr. Pfeiffer’s research interest is to understand the formation, characteristics and functions of extracellular vesicles secreted by mast cells.

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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...

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Yuzhi Yin, M.D., Ph.D.

Biologist

Education:

Beijing Medical University

Languages Spoken: Chinese

Involved in improving culture of Human mast cells. Investigating the expression and function of CD25 and CD30 in mastocytosis patients. Also, evaluates basophil activation in mastocytosis patients.

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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

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