[Jordan Hall, Room 1-14] This seminar is hosted by Dan Gioeli and is a part of the Cancer Center Seminar Series. Ken Hsu, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Chemistry at the University of Virginia. The Hsu laboratory studies immune function and disorders using the principles of chemical biology. We study the immune system because of its ubiquitous role in physiology with the goal of using our findings to provide new insights and treatment options for human disease. We are interested in understanding how cellular phenotype and function is regulated in vivo to produce a robust and specific immune response. Upon activation, immune cells undergo global changes in cell physiology that result in acquisition of new functions including massive production of lipid and protein signals and alterations in cell proliferation and migration. In contrast, aberrant immune responses result in damage to host and can lead to excessive inflammation in disease states including cancer, metabolic syndrome, and autoimmune disorders. Central to this cellular plasticity are poorly understood metabolic and signaling pathways that support or direct immune response outcome.
Learn more: http://chem.virginia.edu/faculty-research/faculty/ku-lung-ken-hsu/