Research Interests
    Immunology and Pathogenesis of Tuberculosis
    Tuberculosis kills ~2 million people per year, worldwide. We use various animal models to study T cell, macrophage, dendritic cell, cytokine and chemokine responses to Mycobacterium tuberculosis in the lungs. Our goal is to define immune mechanisms that enhance resistance to this infection, as well as those that exacerbate pathology. We have funded projects on CD4T cells, CD8 T cells, granuloma formation, and TNF-a in tuberculosis. We study both the acute and latent phase of infection, since it is estimated that 1/3 of the world's population is latently infected, and 10% of infected persons will develop active disease. These studies may lead to improved vaccine development or immunotherapeutic strategies, as well as a clear understanding of the host-pathogen interactions in tuberculosis.

  
Selected Publications
  1. Pawar SN, Mattila JT, Sturgeon TJ, Lin PL, Narayan O, Montelaro RC, Flynn JL. Comparison of the effects of pathogenic simian human immuno-deficiency virus strains SHIV-89.6P and SHIV-KU2 in cynomolgus macaques.AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses. 2008 Apr;24(4):643-54.
  2. Via LE, Lin PL, Ray SM, Carrillo J, Allen SS, Eum SY, Taylor K, Klein E, Manujantha U, Gonzales J, Lee EG, Park SK, Raleigh JA, Cho SN, McMurray DN, Flynn JL, Barry CE 3rd. Tuberculous granulomas are hypoxic in guinea pigs, rabbits, and non-human primates. Infect Immun. 2008 Mar 17.
  3. Lerche NW, Yee JL, Capuano SV, Flynn JL. New approaches to tuberculosis surveillance in nonhuman primates. ILAR J. 2008;49(2):170-8.
  4. Khan IH, Ravindran R, Yee J, Ziman M, Lewinsohn DM, Genaro ML, Flynn JL, Goulding CW, Deriemer K, Lerche NW, Luciw PA. Profiling antibodies to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb.) by multiplex microbead suspension arrays for serodiagnosis of TB. Clin Vaccine Immunol. 2008 Mar;15(3):433-8. Epub 2007 Dec 12.
  5. Marino S, Sud D, Plessner H, Lin PL, Chan J, Flynn JL, Kirschner DE. Differences in reactivation of tuberculosis induced from anti-TNF treatments are based on bioavailability in granulomatous tissue.PLoS Comput Biol. 2007 Oct 19;3(10):1909-24. Epub 2007 Aug 22.

    Complete Publication Listing
  
Grant Support
  1. NHLBI: Latent and reactivation tuberculosis.
    Principal Investigator
  2. NIH: Immunology of Infectious Disease.
    Principal Investigator
  3. NIH: Cell migration in tuberculosis infection.
    Principal Investigator of Subcontract
  4. Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation: Grand Challenge 11: Drugs for treatment of latent tuberculosis infection.
    Principal Investigator of Subcontract
  5. Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation:
    Grand Challenge 12: Preclinical and clinical evaluation of a post-exposure TB vaccine.
    Principal Investigator of Subcontract
  
Other Links
MGB Faculty Webpage
CVR Webpage
University of Pittsburgh		  
   
     
  JoAnne L. Flynn, Ph.D.
Office:  W1157 BST
Lab:W1101
Phone:412-624-7743
joanne@pitt.edu
 
Academic Affiliations
  • Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics (Primary Appointment)

  • Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease (Secondary Appointment)
 
Education
  • B.S. Biochemistry, University of California, Davis (1982)

  • Ph.D. Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, Berkeley (1987)

  • Post-doc Scripps Clinic with Dr. Magdalene So (1987-1990)

  • Post-doc Albert Einstein College of Medicine wiht Dr. Barry Bloom (1990-1993)

  • Assistant Professor, Department of Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine (1994)

  • Associate Professor, Department of Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine (2000)
 
Lab Personnel

Graduate Students:
Angela Green, Hillarie Plessner, Thorbjorg Einarsdottir

Technicians:
Amy Myers