Christopher J. Lessard, Ph.D.

When the scientists of the Human Genome Project sequenced the entire human genome, many thought it would immediately lead us to understand the genetic basis for human disease. We soon realized the human genome is much more complex than we’d ever imagined. Since then, technological advances allowed us to use genome-wide association studies which assess genetic differences between healthy individuals and those with a particular disease. More recently, we’ve entered a new era of affordable, rapid sequencing, providing scientists with unparalleled access to the high-quality, informative data needed to unravel the mysteries of human disease.

Yet not all diseases are created equal. Some diseases result from disruptions in a single gene. Others, including the autoimmune diseases lupus and Sjögren’s syndrome, are influenced by disruptions in multiple genes. In autoimmune diseases, the immune system mistakenly recognizes our proteins as foreign and attacks them, ultimately leading to inflammatory processes that ravage the human body. While the precise causes of autoimmune diseases are not fully known, we think lupus and Sjögren’s syndrome result from a complex interplay of multiple genetic risk factors and environmental triggers. Genetic studies in these diseases require international collaborations to assemble the large patient and healthy control populations needed to obtain meaningful results. To date researchers have identified more than 50 genes in lupus, while only 7 genes have been identified in Sjögren’s syndrome.

My lab studies the genetics of lupus and Sjögren’s syndrome. Our goal is to understand the complex interactions between the elements of the human genome to identify new biomarkers and to develop therapeutics that will ultimately improve the lives of patients affected by these serious autoimmune disorders.

Coming soon

Education
B.Sc., University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 2000
Ph.D., University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 2010

Honors and Awards
1999-present Member, Golden Key National Honor Society
2008-2009 Barrett Predoctoral Scholarship Fund Award
2008 Notable Poster Award, American College of Rheumatology Annual Scientific Meeting, San Francisco, CA
2009 Paul Kimmelstiel Graduate Student Award for Excellence in Research and Presentation Skills, Department of Pathology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
2009 American College of Rheumatology Research and Education Foundation/Abbott Health Professional Graduate Student Research Preceptorship Award
2010 Paul Kimmelstiel Graduate Student Award for Excellence in Research and Presentation Skills, Department of Pathology, OUHSC
2010 Graduate Student Association Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement, OUHSC
2010 Outstanding Graduate Award (for a 4.0 GPA), OUHSC
2010 Notable Poster Award, American College of Rheumatology Annual Scientific Meeting, Atlanta GA
2011-present Visiting Professor, Center for Autoimmune Disease Research (CREA), Universidad Del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
2011 OMRF Outstanding Paper Award for FY 2010-2011
2015 Notable Translational Abstract, EULAR 2015 (Rome, Italy)
2016 J. Donald and Patricia Capra Award for Scientific Achievement

Other Activities
Grant Reviewing: 2013: Israel Science Foundation 2016: Oklahoma Shared Clinical and Translation Resources Pilot Grants Program NIH study section 2016/05 ZRG1 SBIB-V (82)
Journal Reviewing, ad hoc: 2010-present: American Journal of Human Genetics, Scandinavian Journal of Immunology, Annals of Medicine, Genes and Immunity, Autoimmune Diseases, Lupus, Gene, Arthritis Research & Therapy, Nature Communications, Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology, Archivum Immunologiae et Therapiae Experimentalis, Annals of Rheumatic Disease, Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, PLoS One, International Journal of Clinical Rheumatology, PLoS Genetics, Clinical Rheumatology, Human Immunology, Clinical Genetics, International Journal of Molecular Sciences, Journal of Immunology Research, Case Reports in Neurological Medicine, Lupus: Open Access, Journal of Rheumatology, Human Genetics, Human Molecular Genetics, Arthritis and Rheumatology, BMC Medical Genomics, Lupus Science and Medicine, Cytokine, Modern Rheumatology, European Journal of Neurology, Neuro Molecular Medicine
Scientific Service: 2012: DNA Day Essay Contest Judge, American Society of Human Genetics 2015: Judge, Poster Session, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation Retreat 2016: Abstract Reviewer, BATTS Conference, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation 2017: Judge, Paul Kimmelstiel Graduate Student Award, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Department of Pathology
Lecturer: 2015: Principles of Pathobiology, Department of Pathology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center; 2014: Principles of Pathobiology, Department of Pathology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center; 2014: Molecular and Genetic Epidemiology, Department of Pathology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center 2016: Principles of Pathobiology, Department of Pathology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center 2017: Molecular and Genetic Epidemiology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences
Mentoring of students: Undergraduate Students: 2008: Lupus Foundation of Minnesota Summer Scholars, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation; 2009-2012: Sir Alexander Fleming Scholars, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation; Rotation Graduate Students: 2015-present: University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center; Graduate Students: 2011-present: University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation; Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation (Fulbright Scholar Program); General Exam Committee (PhD) – Oklahoma University Health Sciences Center; 2012-present: Dissertation Advisory Committee (PhD) – Oklahoma University Health Sciences Center; Post-doctoral Fellows: 2011-present: Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation; Junior Faculty: 2014-present: Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation
Invited presentations: 2011: Center for Autoimmune Diseases Research, Universidad Del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia; 2nd Colombian Symposium on Autoimmunity, Bogotá, Colombia; 2013: Illumina Seminar Series, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK; Center for Autoimmune Diseases Research, Universidad Del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia; 2014: 16th Asian Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology Congress, Cebu City, Philippines; Center for Autoimmune Diseases Research, Universidad Del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia; 2015: Statistical Genetics, Genetic Epidemiology and Bioinformatics Seminar, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, SC; 3rd Colombian Symposium on Autoimmunity, Bogotá, Colombia

Membership
American Academy of Neurology
American College of Rheumatology
American Society of Human Genetics

Joined OMRF Scientific Staff in 2014

Recent Publications

Li H, Reksten TR, Ice JA, Kelly JA, Adrianto I, Rasmussen A, Wang S, He B, Grundahl KM, Glenn SB, Miceli-Richard C, Bowman S, Lester S, Eriksson P, Eloranta ML, Brun JG, Gøransson LG, Harboe E, Guthridge JM, Kaufman KM, Kvarnström M, Cunninghame Graham DS, Patel K, Adler AJ, Farris AD, Brennan MT, Chodosh J, Gopalakrishnan R, Weisman MH, Venuturupalli S, Wallace DJ, Hefner KS, Houston GD, Huang AJW, Hughes PJ, Lewis DM, Radfar L, Vista ES, Edgar CE, Rohrer MD, Stone DU, Vyse TJ, Harley JB, Gaffney PM, James JA, Turner S, Alevizos I, Anaya JM, Rhodus NL, Segal BM, Montgomery CG, Scofield RH, Kovats S, Mariette X, Rönnblom L, Witte T, Rischmueller M, Wahren-Herlenius M, Omdal R, Jonsson R, Ng WF; for UK Primary Sjögren's Syndrome Registry, Nordmark G, Lessard CJ, Sivils KL.  Identification of a Sjögren's syndrome susceptibility locus at OAS1 that influences isoform switching, protein expression, and responsiveness to type I interferons. PLoS Genet. 2017 Jun 22;13(6):e1006820. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 28640813

Reksten TR, Lessard CJ, Sivils KL. Genetics in Sjögren Syndrome. Rheum Dis Clin North Am. 2016 Aug;42(3):435-47.  Epub 2016 Jun 21. Review. [Abstract]

Joachims ML, Leehan KM, Lawrence C, Pelikan RC, Moore JS, Pan Z, Rasmussen A, Radfar L, Lewis DM, Grundahl KM, Kelly JA, Wiley GB, Shugay M, Chudakov DM, Lessard CJ, Stone DU, Scofield RH, Montgomery CG, Sivils KL, Thompson LF, Farris AD. Single-cell analysis of glandular T cell receptors in Sjögren's syndrome. JCI Insight. 2016 Jun 2;1(8). pii: e85609. [Abstract]

Selected Publications

Rasmussen A, Radfar L, Lewis D, Grundahl K, Stone DU, Kaufman CE, Rhodus NL, Segal B, Wallace DJ, Weisman MH, Venuturupalli S, Kurien BT, Lessard CJ, Sivils KL, Scofield RH. Previous diagnosis of Sjögren’s Syndrome as rheumatoid arthritis or systemic lupus erythematosus. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2016 Mar 21. pii: kew023. [Abstract] [Epub ahead of print]

Nocturne G, Tarn J, Boudaoud S, Locke J, Miceli-Richard C, Hachulla E, Dubost JJ, Bowman S, Gottenberg JE, Criswell LA, Lessard CJ, Sivils KL, Carapito R, Bahram S, Seror R, Ng WF, Mariette X. Germline variation of TNFAIP3 in primary Sjogren's syndrome-associated lymphoma. Ann Rheum Dis 2015. [Abstract] EPub

* Kottyan LC, Zoller EE, Bene J, Lu X, Kelly JA, Rupert AM, Lessard CJ, Vaughn SE, Marion M, Weirauch MT, Namjou B, Adler A, Rasmussen A, Glenn S, Montgomery CG, Hirschfield GM, Xie G, Coltescu C, Amos C, Li H, Ice JA, Nath SK, Mariette X, Simon Bowman for UK primary Sjogren's syndrome registry, Rischmueller M, Lester S, Brun JG, Goransson LG, Harboe E, Omdal R, Cunninghame-Graham DS, Vyse T, Miceli-Richard C, Brennan MT, Lessard JA, Wahren-Herlenius M, Kvarnstrom M, Illei GG, Witte T, Jonsson R, Eriksson P, Nordmark G, Wan-Fai Ng for UK primary Sjogren's syndrome registry, Anaya JM, Rhodus NL, Segal BM, Merrill JT, James JA, Guthridge JM, Scofield RH, Alarcon-Riquelme M, Bae SC, Boackle SA, Criswell LA, Gilkeson G, Kamen DL, Jacob CO, Kimberly R, Brown E, Edberg J, Alarcon GS, Reveille JD, Vila LM, Petri M, Ramsey-Goldman R, Freedman BI, Niewold T, Stevens AM, Tsao BP, Ying J, Mayes MD, Gorlova OY, Wakeland W, Radstake T, Martin E, Martin J, Siminovitch K, Moser Sivils KL, Gaffney PM, Langefeld CD, Harley JB, Kaufman KM. The IRF5-TNPO3 association with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has two components that other autoimmune disorders variably share. Hum Mol Genet 24:582-596, 2014. [Abstract]

Maier-Moore JS, Koelsch KA, Smith K, Lessard CJ, Radfar L, Lewis D, Kurien BT, Wolska N, Deshmukh U, Rasmussen A, Sivils KL, James JA, Farris AD, Scofield RH. Antibody-secreting cell specificity in labial salivary glands reflects clinical presentation and serology in Sjogren's syndrome patients. Arthritis Rheumatol 66:3445-3456, 2014. [Abstract]

Rasmussen A, Ice JA, Li H, Grundahl K, Kelly JA, Radfar L, Stone DU, Hefner KS, Anaya JM, Rohrer M, Gopalakrishnan R, Houston GD, Lewis DM, Chodosh J, Harley JB, Hughes P, Maier-Moore JS, Montgomery CG, Rhodus NL, Farris AD, Segal BM, Jonsson R, Lessard CJ, Scofield RH, Sivils KL. Comparison of the American-European Consensus Group Sjogren's syndrome classification criteria to newly proposed American College of Rheumatology criteria in a large, carefully characterised SICCA cohort. Ann Rheum Dis 73:31-38, 2014. [Abstract]

Lessard CJ, Li H, Adrianto I, Ice JA, Rasmussen A, Grundahl KM, Kelly JA, Dozmorov MG, Miceli-Richard C, Bowman S, Lester S, Eriksson P, Eloranta ML, Brun JG, Goransson LG, Harboe E, Guthridge JM, Kaufman KM, Kvarnstrom M, Jazebi H, Graham DS, Grandits ME, Nazmul-Hossain AN, Patel K, Adler AJ, Maier-Moore JS, Farris AD, Brennan MT, Lessard JA, Chodosh J, Gopalakrishnan R, Hefner KS, Houston GD, Huang AJ, Hughes PJ, Lewis DM, Radfar L, Rohrer MD, Stone DU, Wren JD, Vyse TJ, Gaffney PM, James JA, Omdal R, Wahren-Herlenius M, Illei GG, Witte T, Jonsson R, Rischmueller M, Ronnblom L, Nordmark G, Ng WF, for UK Primary Sjogren's Syndrome Registry, Mariette X, Anaya JM, Rhodus NL, Segal BM, Scofield RH, Montgomery CG, Harley JB, Sivils KL. Variants at multiple loci implicated in both innate and adaptive immune responses are associated with Sjogren's syndrome. Nat Genet 45:1284-1292, 2013. [Abstract]

 View publications in PubMed

Arthritis and Immunology Research Program, MS 24
Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation
825 N.E. 13th Street
Oklahoma City, OK 73104

Phone: (405) 271-2539
Fax: (405) 271-2578
E-mail: chris-lessard@omrf.org

Michelle Joachims, Ph.D.
Associate Staff Scientist

John Ice, M.D.
Postdoc

Kylie Gilcrest
Senior Research Technician

Nick Means
Graduate Student

Ania Stolarczyk
Research Technician

Louise Williamson
Administrative Assistant III