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Immunology
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Meet the Faculty
| VIRGINIA CAMPUS CHAIR | |
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Renee Prater, D.V.M., Ph.D.Department Chair, Assistant Professor
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ABOUT DR. PRATER: Dr. Renee Prater is an Associate Professor and Chair of Immunology at VCOM. Dr. Prater received her B.S. in Biology and her M.S. in Physiology from the University of Akron in Akron, Ohio. She then spent some time at the University of Virginia as a Laboratory Supervisor in the Department of Internal Medicine/Cardiology, and with the Upjohn Company as a pharmaceutical sales representative, before she returned to school at Virginia Tech. There she completed a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine with Honors in Government and Corporate Medicine, continued in a residency program at the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine in clinical pathology, and the completed her Ph.D. in immunotoxicology. Dr. Prater has thoroughly enjoyed teaching in a variety of undergraduate, graduate, veterinary and medical school courses in the areas of biology, histology, pathology, clinical pathology, microbiology, physiology, and immunology and understands the importance of training our new generation of health care professionals with emphasis on wellness medicine and preventive care. Dr. Prater also leads an active research team in the area of developmental biology, and is currently studying the role of maternal nutrition during pregnancy as it relates to long-term risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, osteoporosis, and hypertension in adult offspring. Dr. Prater has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Harvey Peters Foundation, and the Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science. |
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| CAROLINAS CAMPUS CHAIR | |
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Randal K. Gregg, Ph.D.
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EXPERTISE: ABOUT DR. GREGG: Dr. Gregg received his Ph.D. in Molecular Microbiology and Immunology from the University of Missouri School of Medicine. His postdoctoral work focused on the underlying mechanisms of CD8+ T cell-mediated autoimmune disease and the efficacy of adoptive transfer of tumor antigen-specific CD8+ T cells against established melanoma. Dr. Gregg is currently interested in two research areas involving host-tumor and host-pathogen interactions with a primary focus upon innate immunity, particularly concerning natural killer cells. First, he is investigating the impact of cytokine production by immune cells (Th17 and NK cells) upon the growth and development of human pancreatic cancer cells. Secondly, Dr. Gregg is examining the signal transduction occurring in NK cells exposed to HIV-1, Ebola virus lysate and Yersinia bacteria. In all cases, NK cells are rendered inactive and/or undergo apoptosis permitting establishment of chronic infection by these microbial agents. An understanding of the signals involved will aid in the development of therapies to prevent NK cell impairment thereby restoring innate immunity and potentially lead to elimination of the microbes. Most recently, Dr. Gregg has initiated work on development of a bacterial vector for use in cancer immunotherapy. Dr. Gregg has been previously funded by the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Gregg enjoys teaching in all areas of both microbiology and immunology and has experience in undergraduate and graduate institutions as well as medical schools. |
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