Document Actions
Cell Biology & Immunology
About Cell Biology & Immunology
The Division of Cell Biology and Immunology (CBI) in the University of Utah School of Medicine Department of Pathology was established in the early 1970s by past chairman Ernst Eichwald, M.D. Dr. Eichwald, an internationally recognized clinician/scientist, recruited a group of faculty to Utah with shared interests in better understanding the immunological mechanisms underlying graft infection and transplantation tolerance. Shortly after its creation, the Division was granted graduate degree-granting status from the State of Utah, and continues today to provide high quality education and research experiences to qualified students seeking a Ph.D. or Masters degree in Experimental Pathology.
Over the past 35 years, the size, breadth of research focus and depth of scientific talent affiliated with the CBI Division have increased considerably. Efforts by the division faculty are primarily directed toward gaining a better understanding of specific diseases at the cellular and molecular levels. Ongoing research in the Divison now spans many specific areas of immunology including the molecular mechanisms underlying effective antigen presentation, vaccine development, autoimmunity, the regulation of inflammatory processes and many aspects of B and T cell biology. In addition, the division faculty also includes experts in basic transcriptional control processes, the mechanisms underlying the regulation of cellular iron transport, and has an expanding expertise in many aspects of microbial pathogenesis from the basic genetics to the molecular processes controlling host resistance and susceptibility.
The faculty affiliated with CBI represent a collegial group of internationally prominent and productive scientists whose research efforts are funded primarily through the National Institutes of Health. Collectively, the CBI faculty provide a fundamental resource to the Department of Pathology administration in the basic biomedical sciences, and are significant contributors to national efforts in many aspects of medical research. These faculty also contribute to the education of medical, dental, graduate and undergraduate students at the University by providing numerous didactic and seminar courses each academic year.
The Division of Cell Biology and Immunology is strongly committed to providing quality graduate education to students interested in many aspects of Experimental Pathology. The graduate program has had continued success over the past three decades, partially evidenced by the graduation of numerous highly qualified doctoral candidates. Many of our past graduates have now developed their own successful careers at academic institutions, biomedical research institutes or in industry.
- CBI Events
- RIP/JC Schedule PDF
- Pathology RIP / JC Schedule 2009-2010
- CBI Courses
- Courses specific to Cell Biology and Immunology
Raymond Daynes, Ph.D.
The research efforts of Dr. Daynes' laboratory are focused on understanding the molecular processes that collectively serve to regulate various cellular components of the mammalian immune system. Specifically, Dr. Daynes researches the roles played by a number of steroid hormones and their cellular receptors in controlling the initiation, types, magnitude and duration of innate and adaptive immune responses in vivo.
Sherwood Casjens, Ph.D.
Dr. Casjens’ work involves the study of the assembly of virus particles as exemplified by bacteriophages and the study of the comparative genomics of the Lyme disease bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi.
Peter Jensen, M.D.
Dr. Jensen is Professor and Chairman of the Department of Pathology at the University of Utah. His research is focused on various aspects of immunology, including antigen processing and presentation, immune regulation, and autoimmunity.
Matt Mulvey, Ph.D.
The Mulvey lab is working to understand how extraintestinal pathogenic strains of Escherichia coli (ExPEC) colonize and persist within the host. These bacteria are the major cause of urinary tract infections and are also important causative agents of pneumonia, bacteremia, neonatal meningitis, and wound infections. Our emphasis is in defining the interplay between host defense and bacterial virulence factors, in hopes that this knowledge can be used to develop more effective anti-bacterial therapeutics.
Vicente Planelles, Ph.D.
Pathogenesis by the human immunodeficiency virus: how HIV induces alterations in the cell cycle of the host cells, leading to programmed cell death.
Matthew Williams, Ph.D.
Research in the Williams lab is focused on unraveling the signals that lead to immunologic memory.
David Stillman, Ph.D.
Dr. Stillman has focused his research efforts on understanding eukaryotic transcriptional regulation at the molecular level.
Dean Tantin, Ph.D.
Dr. Tantin’s laboratory is focused on genetic, biochemical & proteomic analysis of transcription factors in mammalian cells
Diane Ward, Ph.D.
Our research focuses on two topics, iron metabolism specifically compartmentalization and utilization and membrane trafficking and the regulation of endocytic vesicle size.
Elena Enioutina, M.D., Ph.D.
My research focuses on two major topics: new strategies in the mucosal vaccine development and immunobiology of aging.
Xiao He, M.D., Ph.D.
We are interested in identifying and characterizing new genes, which regulate the functions of T lymphocytes, using molecular biology and cellular immunology approaches, and in ultimately applying the new findings to improve the diagnosis and treatment of related human diseases.
Jerry Kaplan, Ph.D.
Our research focuses on two topics, iron metabolism specifically compartmentalization and utilization and membrane trafficking and the regulation of endocytic vesicle size.
Robert S. Fujinami, Ph.D.
Dr. Fujinami investigates animal models for human disease. Using these models he investigate ways to modulate the disease. The disease he mainly studies is multiple sclerosis. He has genetically engineered a virus that will protect mice from getting a multiple sclerosis-like disease. Recently he expanded his studies to include studying the immune response to various viruses and “self” proteins in individuals with autism. He is also establishing a new virus induced model for epilepsy and examining how the innate immune response to the virus infection contributes to seizures.
Ila Singh, M.D. Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Pathology, University of Utah Associate Medical Director, Hepatitis-Retrovirus Laboratories, ARUP Laboratories