Dr. Juan Lafaille

Biography

Juan J. Lafaille is a Professor in the Department of Cell Biology and Department of Pathology at New York University Grossman School of Medicine. His research focuses on understanding the molecular pathogenesis of autoimmune and allergic diseases, as well as cancer and immunology. His laboratory employs transgenic knockout mice to study the molecular mechanisms that control T-lymphocyte reactivity, particularly how these cells can become aggressive towards self-antigens and allergens usually present in the environment. Currently, his research examines the development of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), which is an animal model for multiple sclerosis. The laboratory works with transgenic mice carrying anti-myelin basic protein (MBP) T-lymphocytes, observing that some of these mice develop EAE spontaneously. However, crossing these mice with RAG-l knockout mice alters the T-lymphocyte population, affecting their susceptibility to EAE. A significant focus of his experiments lies in utilizing transgenic mouse models to investigate the in vivo factors that control the synthesis of critical interleukins, specifically IL-4 and IL-5, that are involved in the asthmatic process.

Research Interests