Department of Dermatology

Kaplan Lab

The skin is a barrier organ that is exposed to a wide variety of potential pathogens including bacteria, fungi, and viruses.  Within the skin, there are numerous components of both the innate and adaptive immune systems. 

The research focus of the Kaplan lab is to understand how these skin resident immune cells (e.g. dendritic cells, T cells) interact with specific pathogens and other non-immune cells in the skin to contribute to the development of both innate and adaptive immune responses that provide host protection. 

There are several major projects in the Kaplan lab:

  • Control of Cutaneous Immunity by Sensory Afferent Nerves
  • Langerhans cell and Resident memory T cell epidermal residency is maintained by Keratinocyte activation of TGFβ

  • Role of individual DC subsets in defining adaptive responses to cutaneous antigen

  • Langerhans Cells promote humoral responses

 

Detailed information about the Kaplan lab is available here

 

Publications

A current list of Dr. Kaplan's publications can be reviewed at the National Library of Medicine’s public database.