I no longer accept dissertation students, but I still remain engaged in graduate program activities and research.

In order to investigate the genetic factors that are directly involved in the process of self-tolerance and autoimmune systemic lupus Erythematosis, my laboratory is studying the fate of B cells expressing anti-DNA self-antibodies during development in normal and autoimmune genetic backgrounds. In addition, my laboratory is interested in determining whether somatic mutations of antibody genes are occurring at the immature B cell stage as a mechanism to revise antibody receptors as a consequence of negative and/or positive selection.