My primary research focus is to understand and treat systemic autoimmune diseases, such as lupus, Sjögren’s and rheumatoid arthritis, by translating discoveries about immune dysregulation into improved prediction, prevention, and precision therapies. Lupus and other autoimmune diseases often begin with years of silent immune changes, including the buildup of autoantibodies and inflammatory mediators, long before patients develop symptoms. My work focuses on understanding and intercepting these processes. My laboratory studies how early breaks in immune tolerance lead to autoantibody development and progression to clinical disease in longitudinal cohorts of high-risk individuals and use these insights to identify biomarkers that may enable prevention trials. We investigate how genetics, deep immune profiling, and environmental exposures, such as Epstein–Barr virus infection and geocoding-derived contextual factors, interact to initiate autoimmunity, drive disease flares, and shape clinical heterogeneity, including through our work in the NIAID Autoimmunity Centers of Excellence. By integrating mechanistic experiments with clinical trials and partnering with rural and tribal communities, we aim to improve autoimmune disease outcomes for all and translate discoveries into prediction tools and treatments accessible to populations historically underserved by research.

I started my time at OMRF as a Fleming Scholar summer student, earned my bachelor’s from Oklahoma Baptist University and was the first M.D./Ph.D. dual degree program graduate from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. Following graduation, I joined OMRF’s scientific staff in 1994.

For a detailed CV, visit my OUHSC profile.