Devesha Kulkarni, PhD

The gastrointestinal tract is a complex community, including microbes, immune cells and highly specialized epithelial cells that are constantly balancing pro- and anti-inflammatory responses. Dr. Kulkarni's lab focuses on understanding how this delicate balance is mai tained. They study how epithelial cells produce innate immune proteins that help maintain homeostasis in the gut. Specifically, they have studies the role of intestinal goblet cells and their ability to interact with the mononuclear phagocytic cells to maintain intestinal home stasis. Developing on their early observations, they are using our knowledge to study the changes in intestinal goblet cells in the setting of colon cancer. It is known that mucus pr ducing goblet cells undergo rapid changes within tumor environment. Using their novel an mal models and background knowledge in goblet cell biology, they aim to dissect how go let cells proliferate and influence tumor microenvironment during colon cancer.