The goal of our research is to better understand mechanisms of sensing and repair during diseases like cancer, infections, and neurodegenerative disorders.
During infection, cancer, or physiological changes, the membranes of our cells can be damaged. Cells evolved to respond to those changes using a range of specialized adaptive immune responses. By understanding those mechanisms, we can modify cells to boost the immune system and restore a targeted and efficient response.
Our lab uses high-throughput screening methods and cutting-edge technologies like VR and AI to study cell response mechanisms. We observe cellular changes using high-capacity microscopes and analyze those changes through machine learning.
Caroline Stefani, PhD
Featured Publications
Extracellular DNA traps in a ctenophore demonstrate immune cell behaviors in a non-bilaterian.
Nat Commun
Caveolin-1 protects endothelial cells from extensive expansion of transcellular tunnel by stiffening the plasma membrane.
Elife
LITAF protects against pore-forming protein-induced cell death by promoting membrane repair.
Sci Immunol
MicroMagnify: A Multiplexed Expansion Microscopy Method for Pathogens and Infected Tissues.
Adv Sci (Weinh)
Autophagy Induced by Toll-like Receptor Ligands Regulates Antigen Extraction and Presentation by B Cells.
Cells
Revolutionary Microscope to Fuel Immunology Breakthroughs
Using AI and VR to Advance Research
Caroline Stefani, PhD, became fascinated with the immune system while pursuing her doctorate in microbiology. She loved using imaging tools to examine the worlds of cells and bacteria. But one thing frustrated her.
Using Virtual Reality to See Inside Cells
In 2016, two of BRI's information technology experts Garrett Wright and Tom Skillman had a conversation that sparked a novel question: Could virtual reality (VR) headsets let scientists step inside cells and view them in greater detail than ever before?
LITAF Protects Against Pore-Forming Protein–Induced Cell Death by Promoting Membrane Repair: Interview with Drs. Stefani & Lacy-Hulbert
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Protein LITAF Provides Resistance to Pore-Forming Toxin-Induced Cell Death
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