Assistant Professor, Immunology

B.Tech., National Institute of Technology, Warangal, India

Ph.D., University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

Neuropathic pain has long been viewed as a disorder of the nervous system alone. However, growing evidence shows that the immune system plays a critical role in driving pain, yet efforts to target it remain limited by an incomplete understanding of neuroimmune interactions. Our research focuses on defining the cellular and molecular pathways through which immune cells regulate pain through their interactions with sensory neurons. In particular, we study T cells, which are best known for their roles in fighting infection and cancer and driving autoimmunity. We have found that T cells infiltrate damaged nerves and exhibit features strikingly similar to those seen in autoimmune diseases. These findings raise the possibility that nerve injury triggers an autoimmune-like response that contributes to chronic pain. We aim to apply principles from autoimmune disease research to understand mechanisms of neuropathic pain with the long-term goal of immune-based therapies for chronic pain.