Dr. Michael Gunn

Biography

Michael Dee Gunn is a Professor of Medicine at Duke Cancer Institute and has made significant contributions to the understanding of lymphoid chemokines and their roles in regulating the migration of lymphocytes and dendritic cells within secondary lymphoid organs. He initially identified the chemokine CCL21, which mediates the entry of naïve T cells to activated dendritic cells in lymph nodes, as well as CXCL13, which mediates the entry of B cells into lymphoid follicles. Over time, his focus has expanded to understanding specific cell types, particularly dendritic cells, and the events of cell migration that regulate immune responses. His research has also identified murine plasmacytoid dendritic cells that are involved in pulmonary immune pathology during influenza infection and other mechanisms related to immune response activation. Currently, his lab is focused on the development of recombinant antibodies and diagnostic reagents using innovative methods such as phage display technology to generate pathogen-specific antibodies for various human infections. Moreover, he collaborates with Duke Biomedical Engineering to create new diagnostic assay platforms for emerging pathogens, including a point-of-care assay for Ebola virus that has demonstrated superior sensitivity compared to PCR assays.

Research Interests

Experience