The immune system has numerous functions that are essential for human health, such as protection from infection or malignancy, regulation of metabolic homeostasis, and promotion of tissue repair. However, inappropriate immune responses drive chronic inflammatory disorders, such as inflammatory bowel disease, autoimmunity, neurodegeneration, allergies, or various cancers. Therefore, a greater understanding of the immune system will fundamentally advance biomedical research and drive the development of novel preventative, therapeutic and curative treatment strategies for human diseases. The only way to accomplish this is to fully define the complex cellular and molecular networks by which the immune system functionally interacts with itself, other mammalian cell types and beneficial or pathogenic microbes. This is the long-term research goal of the Sonnenberg Laboratory, with a focus on driving highly novel advances, innovative expertise, and paradigm-shifting research that requires out-of-the-box ideas and fresh perspectives.
The Sonnenberg Lab studies the pathways that regulate a state of health in the gastrointestinal tract. This is a considerable challenge as this organ has an enormous surface area that is continuously exposed to dietary antigens, trillions of normally beneficial microbes (termed the microbiota), and frequent pathogens. Therefore, the mucosal immune system must be tolerant to innocuous stimuli, while protecting from infections. This functional dichotomy is likely why the intestine contains the largest and most sophisticated compartment of the immune system with numerous organized lymphoid structures and complex cellular networks. The Sonnenberg Laboratory has been at the forefront of research in this area, with a focus on emerging families of lymphocytes, antigen presenting cells (APCs), and consortia of microbes. Our seminal contributions include: (i) in 2013 we discovered RORgt+ APCs and defined their essential role in immune tolerance; (ii) over the next decade, we expanded our understanding of a diverse RORgt+ APC family, defined how they are regulated and sense the environment, and identified key roles for RORgt+ APCs in allergy, autoimmunity, cancer, and associated immunotherapies; (iii) we established a paradigm that group 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3s) are genuine determinants of gut health and tissue physiology that are dysregulated in chronic diseases; and (iv) we identified novel checkpoints in the biology of cytokines, lymphocytes, APCs, and microbes that shape gut health and provide novel therapeutic opportunities.
We also developed a pioneering translational research effort involving clinical collaborators at Weill Cornell Medicine and other research institutions to examine primary human samples from both healthy individuals and defined patient populations, called the Jill Roberts Institute Live Cell Biobank. Our ongoing research will further interrogate mucosal immune responses and interactions with microbiota in healthy and diseased primary human tissue samples. We anticipate that these studies will allow us to directly translate our findings in mouse models to clinically relevant information.
Research from the Sonnenberg Laboratory has thus far has resulted in the publication of numerous primary articles in top-tier journals, including primary papers appearing in Nature, Science, Cell, Nature Medicine, Nature Immunology, Immunity, Science Immunology, Mucosal Immunology, and Cell Reports. Dr. Sonnenberg has published over 75 peer-reviewed primary and review papers and is continuously well funded by the NIH and private foundations. He is also recipient of numerous awards, including the Searle Scholar Award, the Burroughs Wellcome Fund Investigator in the Pathogenesis of Infectious Disease Award, the Society for Mucosal Immunology Young Investigator Award (inaugural year), the Cancer Research Institute Lloyd J. Old STAR Award (inaugural year), the International Cytokine & Interferon Society (ICIS)-Luminex John R. Kettman Award for Excellence in Interferon & Cytokine Research (inaugural year),the Forbes List of rising stars transforming Science and Healthcare, the AAI-BD Biosciences Investigator Award, and a NIH/NIAID MERIT Award (R37). Dr. Sonnenberg regularly serves on numerous peer review panels, including standing membership on panels for the NIH CSR Review and the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation.
Talented graduate students and postdoctoral researchers are encouraged to directly contact Dr. Sonnenberg to discuss potential rotation projects and open positions in the laboratory.
