Dr. Hill seeks to understand how the immune system contributes to the two most common chronic diseases of childhood: allergy and obesity. He uses clinical and epidemiological information to guide basic and translational research on the genetic, epigenetic, and immunologic basis of these important conditions.
Dr. Douglas has extensive laboratory experience investigating the cellular immunology of HIV/AIDS, primary immune deficiency diseases, and cellular immunopathologies. In addition, he has had significant involvement in studies related to immunological interactions.
Dr. Gordon is a basic immunologist and an attending physician in the Division of Neonatology who hopes to improve pre-, peri-, and post-natal outcomes for moms and babies by better understanding the immunology of the maternal-fetal interface.
Dr. Offit is director of the Vaccine Education Center at CHOP and an internationally recognized expert in the fields of virology and immunology. He is co-inventor of a landmark vaccine achievement for the prevention of rotavirus gastroenteritis.
Dr. Sullivan's research focuses on new and rare immunodeficiencies. She has a long-standing interest in one of the most common of the primary immunodeficiencies – chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome. She also investigates common variable immunodeficiency, as well as the genetics and epigenetics of systemic lupus erythematosus.
Dr. Romberg investigates the regulatory mechanisms enabling our immune systems to fight infections without injuring ourselves. He is particularly interested in the immune system of patients with primary immunodeficiency who are susceptible to both life-threatening infections and autoimmune diseases. Greater insights into these rare diseases may enable rationale development of targeted therapies for more common diseases with an immunologic basis.
Dr. Bailis aims to understand how metabolism underlies immunology and disease, by controlling the biochemistry of cells and tissues. His lab does so using in vitro and in vivo CRISPR engineering of primary human and mouse immune cells, with the goal of developing diet and metabolite based therapies.
Classic food allergies are mediated through immunoglobulin E and manifest as hives, vomiting, and anaphylaxis. Dr. Ruffner investigates the immune mechanisms of food allergy disorders which are not mediated through immunoglobulin E. In particular, the mechanisms of eosinophilic esophagitis and food-protein induced enterocolitis syndrome are of particular interest in Dr. Ruffner's laboratory.
Dr. Vella is an assistant professor of Pediatrics at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine with a primary research focus on T follicular helper cells (Tfh), chronic infections, and vaccine readiness.