JoAnne L. Flynn, PhD

My primary interest is in the interaction of pathogens with the host, with special emphasis on the immune mechanisms that protect against or exacerbate disease. Our focus is on Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the organism responsible for tuberculosis, which causes 2 million deaths per year worldwide. We are investigating the immune responses required for protection against tuberculosis, and the effect of these immune responses on both the host and the bacterium. We specifically study cytokine production, macrophage activation, and T cell subsets (CD4+ and CD8+ T cells) that are important in tuberculosis. Finally, we have a strong interest in the immune mechanisms responsible for maintaining a latent M. tuberculosis infection, and how deficiencies in the immune response can result in reactivation of disease. Our work is done in two model systems: mice and non-human primates. We have vaccine studies, drugs studies, and basic immunologic and pathogenesis studies ongoing. We also participate in projects involving mathematical modeling of the immune response to M. tuberculosis, and our plan is to incorporate nuclear imaging of live animals into our research.