Joyce Ellen Rauch, McGill University
Associate Professor
Microbiology and Immunology
Montreal, Quebec
joyce.rauch@mcgill.ca
Office:
(514) 934-1934 ext. 42149
Expert In
Bio/Research
My research focuses on understanding the induction and pathogenesis of autoantibodies in autoimmune disease, particularly, anti-phospholipid syndrome (APS) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). APS occurs primarily in individuals with SLE, and is defined by the presence of anti-phospholipid an...
Click to Expand >>
Click to Expand >>
Bio/Research
My research focuses on understanding the induction and pathogenesis of autoantibodies in autoimmune disease, particularly, anti-phospholipid syndrome (APS) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). APS occurs primarily in individuals with SLE, and is defined by the presence of anti-phospholipid antibodies (aPL) and a clinical event (e.g., thrombosis). However, it is unclear why only some patients with aPL develop clinical events. We propose that aPL alone are insufficient to cause thrombotic events, and that a concomitant trigger of innate immunity (e.g., toll-like receptor activation) is required. We use both in vitro and in vivo models to study the role of the innate immune system in the induction and pathogenesis of APS and SLE. Collaborative studies using clinical specimens are also an important component of the research in my laboratory, and complement the studies using murine models.
Click to Shrink <<
Click to Shrink <<