Shivashankar Othy, DVM, Ph.D.
Overview
Shiva is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Cahalan lab.Research Interests
Immune system is a powerful network of lymphocytes and molecules helps us to fight against pathogens, and control aberrant tissue responses. However, misfiring of immune system can lead to an array of autoimmune disorders e.g multiple sclerosis. I am interested in understanding how immune responses are regulated at cellular and molecular levels. During my doctoral thesis with Prof. Srini Kaveri at UPMC Paris, I studied the effect of CC chemokine receptor 4 on regulatory T cells; how natural immunoglobulins modulate antigen presentation, and T cell polarization via S1P-mTOR axis.
Regulatory T cells control lymphocytes, in turn immune responses through mechanisms that remain incompletely defined. Lymphocytes are highly dynamic and their functions are intricately associated with cell migration. Knowing the migratory behavior of cells within living tissues is critical to fully understand how immune responses are regulated. Therefore, I am using multiphoton microscopy to probe the real-time behavior of lymphocytes along with regulatory T cells in physiological setting. Currently, in the Cahalan lab, I am studying the cellular behavior of regulatory T cells and effector T cells in an animal model of multiple sclerosis.
Office
285 Irvine Hall
(949) 824-6765
Lab
285 Irvine Hall
(949) 824-6765