Roshni Roy Chowdhury
Assistant Professor/ Primary Investigator
rroychowdhury@uchicago.edu
Roshni received her postdoctoral training at Stanford University under the guidance of Prof. Yueh-hsiu Chien and holds a PhD in Immunology from Indiana State University. Throughout her postdoctoral research, Roshni used multi-dimensional, high-throughput systems biology approaches to study the immunopathogenic processes underlying tuberculosis infection, food allergies, and cardiovascular disease. As an independent investigator, she now aims to harness such integrative systems approaches to study the underlying biology of tissue-localized immunity to address the unmet clinical needs associated with tissue pathologies. She is specifically interested in unconventional lymphocytes (CD4-CD8- DN alpha beta T cells, CD8+ gamma delta T cells, and CD5+ B cells) and understanding the functional consequences of their enrichment in different tissue localizations in humans.
“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
Carmen Leon
Senior Research Tech
Carmen effectively leads the lab’s daily operations. Her responsibilities encompass a wide range of tasks, including coordinating experiments, managing inventory, and ensuring the seamless flow of research activities. She’s currently focused on developing lymph node organoids to study immune responses in various experimental contexts. In addition to her organoid research, Carmen is actively involved in TCR cloning and conducting stimulation experiments. These efforts contribute significantly to the exploration of novel therapeutic approaches and a better understanding of immune-related phenomena.
Emma Stewart
PhD Graduate Candidate
Emma is studying the association between the appendix and development of ulcerative colitis in the colon. Specifically, she is investigating the functional profiles of microbiota reactive CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in the appendix and how they might contribute to the pathology of IBD in human gut tissue. Outside of the lab, Emma enjoys visiting her friends and family, attending music festivals, and reading.
Haley Flick
PhD Graduate Student
Haley is a graduate student in the Committee on Microbiology. She received her undergraduate degree in Biology at Penn State University and her Masters in Biomedical Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh. While in Pittsburgh, she worked as a research technician studying how HIV utilizes the nuclear pore complex to by-pass the anti-viral protein Mx2. Currently, she is studying how the human microbiome shapes immune responses in different tissues and how it influences pathogenesis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. She hopes her investigations will provide new insights on how disease-modulating bacteria influence human pathophysiology, and may lead to therapeutic interventions.