Inflammation Lab People
Inflammation Lab at UNC, Spring 2020 (technically winter, about 3 weeks before COVID lockdown!)
Principal Investigator
Nicholas Pullen, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Nick Pullen grew up in the Virginia Mountains and finished a B.S. in Biology (2005) at James Madison University in the nearby Shenandoah Valley. His first project was as an undergrad in the lab of Dr. Terrie Rife (JMU), doing work on neurodegenerative pathologies like Parkinson's Disease. In
grad school he transitioned into studying the roles of matrix metalloproteinases,
their inhibitors (TIMPs), and nitric oxide in cancer, specifically glioblastoma. In
2010 he received a Ph.D. in Anatomy & Neurobiology from Virginia Commonwealth University for this work under the guidance of Dr. Helen Fillmore (now in the UK). From 2010 to 2012 Nick was a postdoctoral fellow sponsored by the NIH-IRACDA program. He did work on cell signaling associated with the high-affinity IgE receptor in
mast cells, among many other projects on inflammation, in the lab of Dr. John J. Ryan. Part of his IRACDA time was spent in professional development and research on teaching
college STEM, and then a teaching assignment in chemistry at Elizabeth City State
University on the "Inner Banks" of North Carolina. After a few years stopover in Central Missouri, Nick landed at UNC where his lab studies inflammation, he teaches some awesome students,
and enjoys the great Colorado outdoors.
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Graduate Students
Cari Keyser
M.S. in Biological Sciences
Cari Keyser is pursuing her Master's in Biological Sciences. She is passionate about
biological research and its connection to human health. Cari obtained her Bachelor's
in Biology from Eastern Washington University in Spokane, Washington where she grew up. During her time at Eastern, she completed
research on cryoprotectants and their effects on plant roots to produce a viable way
for preserving food sources in Dr. Charles Herr’s lab. She gained field experience live trapping small mammals to study their population
structure in the Eastern Washington area with Dr. Krisztian Magori’s lab. Her primary areas of research interest include cancer biology and immunology.
In her free time, she enjoys the outdoors, photography, and reading.
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Undergraduate Researchers
Current Undergraduate Researchers:
Ally Ashbaugh
Grace Doerner
Natalie Horn
Riley Mendonca
Macy Turner
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Recent Lab Alums
David Lyons, Ph.D. (Biological Education)
Dr. Lyons completed his Ph.D. in Spring 2023. He attended the University of Arizona with double majors in Molecular/Cellular
Biology and Japanese Language. His UNC research was on the mechanisms of trained
immunity on mast cell activation, particularly the roles of TGF-β1 with other agonists
of mast cell cytokine release such as IL-33, Toll-like receptors, and, of course,
IgE. He found that TGF-β1 induces mast cell production of IL-6 independent of other
stimuli, and that mast cells also upregulate expression of IL-1β and IL-18 independent
of the NLRP3 inflammasome. He's back in Arizona getting started on a career in biotech.
Papers at UNC:
TGF-β1 and mast cells (link)
Alternative activation of mast cells (link)
Arjun Ramani, M.S., Ph.D. (Exercise Physiology)
Dr. Ramani was advised by Dr. Laura Stewart in Kinesiology. He studied immune system and psychological outcomes of a cannabis supplement in otherwise healthy and physcially active people. He is now an assistant professor in the Department of Health and Human Performance at the College of Charleston.
Lea Haverbeck Simon, Ph.D. (Exercise Physiology)
Dr. Simon was advised by Dr. Reid Hayward in Kinesiology. Her dissertation research examined the effects of exercise on circulating immune cell parameters, a clinical translation of earlier mouse studies done in the lab. She will be a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Utah starting Fall 2023.
Luke Krynski, M.S., Ph.D. (Exercise Physiology)
Dr. Krynski was advised by Dr. Reid Hayward in Kinesiology. He studied sleep quality and circadian rhythm in cancer patients enrolled in an exercise treatment program. His goal is to apply his expertise in exercise physiology as a physician. He is working on an M.D. degree at the University of Minnesota Medical School.
Janae Mudge, M.S. (Biology)
Janae graduated in the Spring of 2020 from UNC with her B.S. in dietetics. She then completed her master's degree in Biology Fall 2022. Janae’s research interests revolve around molecular approaches to nutritional interventions. At UNC she undertook a project looking at the immune regulation of both physical activity and berberine food supplementation in a model of breast cancer. She then completed her dietetic internship at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo in 2023.
Alexandra A. Vita, Ph.D. (Biological Education)
Dr. Vita compelted her Ph.D. Fall 2021 and moved on to an NIH-R90 postdoctoral program administered by NUNM and UW. She has a B.S. in Biology from Fort Lewis College in Durango, CO. Her research interests focus on novel plant compounds that have the
potential to become effective treatments for inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.
Dr. Vita began research in this area as an undergrad, studying the plant compound
berberine and its ability to inhibit the pro-inflammatory responses of TH1 cells. Currently, she is developing
a protocol to examine if berberine can effectively reduce the signs and symptoms associated
with rheumatoid arthritis.
Papers at UNC:
NAMPS in the gut (link)
Berberine phrophylaxis for RA (link)
Mechanism of berberine inhibition of Tfh cells (link)
Nick Harman, M.S., Ph.D. (Exercise Physiology)
Dr. Harman was advised by Dr. Hayward in Kinesiology. He studied neutrophil activity in a population of cancer patients enrolled in an exercise treatment program. He is a clinical research associate at Medpace.
Jacob Garritson, Ph.D. (Exercise Physiology)
Dr. Garritson was advised by Dr. Hayward in Kinesiology and conducted research in
the lab on the immune effects of exercise including its roles in: tumor growth, MDSC
expansion, and T cell suppression. He published this work June 2020. He completed a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Nutrition & Integrative
Physiology at the University of Utah. He is a regulatory scientist at Cook Research,
Inc.
Viva Rasé, M.S. (Biology)
2018-2020. Viva was born and raised in Denver, Colorado. She completed her B.S. in biological sciences with a minor in chemistry here at UNC, and then completed her M.S. in biology, May 2020. With Drs. Haughian and Pullen she studied the elusive TH22 and myeloid-derived suppressor cells, specifically how they interact in the breast cancer microenvironment. She was selected for a featured oral presentation of her work on Type 3 immune cells, and awarded travel funds, for the 2019 meeting of the Society for Leukocyte Biology. She and the other awardees are featured here. Viva is expanding her expertise in T cell receptor signaling by pursuing a Ph.D. in Microbiology & Immunology in Brian Evavold's lab at the University of Utah.
Paper at UNC:
Type 3 T cells and MDSC in response to mammary carcinoma (link)
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Past Alums
Dorothy Achiaa Agyemang, Pharm.D. McNair & Honors Scholar, 2018-2019. Dorothy graduated from UNC May 2019 with a major in chemistry. In 2023 she completed the Pharm.D. program at the Skaggs School of Pharmacy, CU-Anschutz Medical Campus.
Michael Berger, 2018-2019. Michael graduated May 2020 with a major in biology.
Jazmyn Mosqueda-Banuelos, McNair & Honors Scholar, 2016-2018. Jazmyn graduated in 2020 with a major in Spanish.
Joanie Ryan, Ph.D. 2012-2016. Dr. Ryan graduated May 2016 (WWU) with a major in biology. In 2022 she finished a Ph.D. in microbiology at Colorado State University. She is a biosafety officer.
Amanda Marty Gruber, D.V.M., 2012-2015. Dr. Gruber graduated with majors in biology and equestrian science. She then finished the DVM program at the University of Missouri and is now a practicing small animal verterinarian.
