Professor Dr. Daniel Kaufman

Biography

Daniel Kaufman is a professor in the Pharmacology Department at UCLA. His research is focused on immunotherapeutics and the understanding of immune-mediated disorders. He has developed new therapeutics and preclinical models aimed at alleviating disorders. His lab was influential in the development of clinical tests and therapeutics for type 1 diabetes, having demonstrated the role of immune cells in expressing neurotransmitter GABA receptors. They found that activating these receptors can inhibit inflammatory activities safely. Kaufman's work has led to the discovery that GABA receptor agonists can reverse conditions such as type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple sclerosis in mouse models. His recent pivot in research focuses on the use of GABA treatment as a repurposed therapy to help manage excessive immune responses in severe COVID-19 cases, showing promising results in preventing severe disease and mortality in experimental models. Moving forward, Kaufman aims to continue developing strategies to modulate dysregulated immune responses in human diseases.

Research Interests