Associate Professor of Immunology
Associate Chair for Undergraduate Studies
School of Biological Sciences
Illinois State University
Campus Box 4120
Normal, IL 61790-4120
Phone: 309-438-2479
FAX: 309-438-3722
Email: lavogel@ilstu.edu
My research focus is immunology, particularly how immune responses are regulated. We study interactions between white blood cells known as B lymphocytes and T lymphocytes using the mouse as a model system. Below are some of the on-going projects in our laboratory.
Aging and the immune system: Why does the immune system of the elderly function poorly and what can we do to improve their health? In particular we are interested in B cell responses and antibodies in aged individuals.
B cell-T cell interactions: We are interested in how immune responses are regulated to turn on and turn off quickly. In particular, we have developed a model to identify and track these cells during an immune response. We are also interested in the differences in immune responses that occur in various lymphoid organs.
Extra pair mating in birds to enhance immunocompetence of offspring: In many socially monogamous species, females will engage in extra-pair mating. The reason why females choose to mate with another male is unclear, but one explanation is that she is deriving genetic benefits to enhance the health of her offspring. In collaboration with Drs. Charles Thompson and Scott Sakaluk, we are investigating this hypothesis in house wrens.
Chronic pain, inflammation and immunosuppression: Thousands of individuals suffer from chronic pain which is caused by inflammation produced by the immune system. We are working with the Millennium Pain Center, Drs. Jeff Kramer, Ricardo Vallejo and Ramsin Benyamin, to study the effects of different pain management therapies on immune function.
Estrogens and Immune Function in reptiles: Endocrine-immune interactions are complex and are generally not well understood. Estrogens are primarily immunoenhancing in mammals. It is also known that the potential exists for maternal transfer of both steroids and immune molecules to offspring. Thus, there is the potential for offspring immune function to be enhanced or impaired by maternal condition during either pregnancy or vitellogenesis. The primary goal of this project is to elucidate the benefits and costs of non-genetic maternal contributions to offspring development by examining how maternally derived steroid hormones directly affect the development of immune function and post-hatching immune response in a long-lived vertebrate the red-eared slider turtle (Trachemys scripta elegans).We will also examine how steroids influence the immune system of adult females, which may indirectly affect offspring immunity.
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