Deciphering mechanisms by which neuro-immune interaction shapes animal behaviors

Jun R. Huh, PhD
Principal Investigator | Associate Professor 
Department of Immunology, 
Harvard Medical School

This conference is hosted by Woong-Kyung Suh, PhD . This conference is part of the 2023-2024 IRCM conference calendar.

In person: 
IRCM Auditorium
110, avenue des Pins O, H2W 1R7 Montreal

About this conference
Dr. Huh obtained his Ph.D. from the California Institute of Technology and conducted his postdoctoral work at NYU School of Medicine as a recipient of the Jane Coffin Childs Memorial Fund Fellowship. He received the NIH Pathway to Independence Award and the Smith Family Awards Program for Excellence in Biomedical Research. Dr. Huh was named a 2015 Searle Scholar and a 2016 Pew Scholar. In 2019, Dr. Huh was selected as an investigator in the Pathogenesis of Infectious Disease by the Burroughs Welcome Fund. 
    
Dr. Huh’s laboratory studies mechanisms by which maternal inflammation leads to neurodevelopmental disorders in offspring. His laboratory has also uncovered that the interleukin-17 pathway can mitigate autism-like symptoms in various mouse models for neurodevelopmental disorders. Dr. Huh is also interested in identifying host- and bacteria-derived factors that regulate inflammation in the mammalian gut. Lastly, Dr. Huh aims to identify novel agents to control inflammation by modulating immune receptor activities to treat inflammatory and neurological disorders.

About Jun R. Huh
Immune cell modulation is an attractive strategy to treat inflammatory conditions and restore tissue homeostatic balance. For example, enhancing immune responses has been widely used in recent years in treating cancer patients, leading to successful clinical outcomes. Inflammation produced by immune cells is critical to protect us from dangers within (e.g., cancer) and without (e.g., pathogens). Recent data from preclinical mouse models also suggest that inflammation can be harnessed to treat neurodevelopmental and neuropathological diseases. I will discuss our ongoing efforts to understand how immune cells and their signaling molecules influence brain development and function.

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