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6th in NIH funding among educational institutions and affiliates

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14th among top medical schools in terms of research excellence

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The university as a whole and the school of medicine have both more than doubled their NIH support since 1998

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Jessica Chu
Year started program: 2004
Program name: Immunology
2004 - BS, Biology, Carnegie-Mellon University

The interdisciplinary program is unique because it exposes the student to a wide variety of biomedical fields. This can be useful for those still deciding on their field of interest, whereas it may be more difficult in other programs that immediately confine the student. In my case, I knew I would join the immunology program after my first year, but felt that it was important to appreciate the other biomedical fields because they play an essential part in understanding the mechanisms governing the immune system. In particular, the first semester “Foundations of Biomedical Science” course helped to solidify key concepts that would form the basic foundation for my research. Aside from the numerous academic opportunities, the supportive students and faculty create an environment that fosters creativity, confidence in oneself, and collaboration.

My thesis work involves understanding the effects of a class of gram-positive bacterial pore-forming exotoxins, the cholesterol-dependent cytolysins (CDC), on myeloid immune cells such as dendritic cells (DC) and macrophages. These toxins are known to perforate cell membranes via cholesterol binding and subsequent oligomerization and insertion into the membrane. Overwhelming doses of toxin lead to irreparable membrane damage and subsequent cell death. We are studying the pathways that connect initial membrane damage to final cell death. On the flip side, it has been observed that at low concentrations of toxin, cells are capable of resealing their pores and maintain the ability to secrete factors such as cytokines. Specifically, we are determining the mechanisms responsible for CDC-induced cytokine IL-lbeta secretion and believe that this process involves a caspase-1-containing inflammasome complex. These studies may be useful in understanding the interactions of bacteria and host immune cells and may provide insight into useful antibacterial therapies.

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