Elizabeth A. Wohlfert Ph.D.
Elizabeth A. Wohlfert
Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Microbiology and Immunology
Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences
Specialty/Research Focus
Immunology; Infectious Disease
Professional Summary:
The focus of my laboratory is to understand regulatory mechanisms during infection and autoimmunity at mucosal sites, particularly within the gastrointestinal tract. The adult human intestine alone contains up to 100 trillion micro-organisms─and no other tissue is submitted to a greater level of antigenic pressure than the gut, which is constantly exposed to food and environmental antigens and the threat of invasion by pathogens. At birth, for example, the human gastrointestinal tract undergoes a massive exposure to these antigens, and throughout the average human life there are multiple instances of the remodeling of the gut flora following infection. All these occurrences impose a unique challenge to the gastrointestinal environment. In response, to maintain immune homeostasis, the intestinal immune system has evolved redundant regulatory strategies. Several subsets of immune cells with immune modulatory function reside within the gastrointestinal tract. Specifically, we study Foxp3 expressing regulatory T cells (Tregs), which play a central role in controlling intestinal homeostasis.
Recent studies have demonstrated that the ability of Tregs to control defined polarized settings requires plasticity, the acquisition of characteristics specific to the glycoprotein CD4+ T effector subsets. Such adaptation comes with an inherent cost, however; as my research team and other researchers have demonstrated, in extreme instances of inflammation such adaptation can actually be associated with the expression of pro-inflammatory effector cytokines (i.e., interferon gamma and interleukin 17A). We recently identified GATA3, the canonical Th2 transcription factor, as a critical regulator of Treg adaptation during inflammation in tissues. Our goal is to understand how GATA3 regulates this and to identify other factors involved in Treg adaptation during inflammation. Our laboratory employs natural enteric parasitic infections of mice and the T cell dependent model of colitis to decipher both the environmental cues and cell- intrinsic requirements for Treg cell plasticity, stability and function at mucosal sites. The ultimate goal of our research is to clarify the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and develop novel treatment modalities for patients.
Education and Training:
- PhD, Immunology, University of Connecticut Health Center (2007)
- BS, Pathobiology, University of Connecticut, Cum Laude (2002)
Employment:
- Assistant Professor, Microbiology and Immunology, University at Buffalo, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (2018-present)
- Adjunct Member, Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Program, Roswell Park Cancer Institute (2014-present)
- Research Assistant Professor, Microbiology and Immunology, University at Buffalo, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (2017–2018)
- Assistant Professor, Microbiology and Immunology, University at Buffalo, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (2013–2017)
- Research Fellow, Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institutes of Health National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases (2010–2013)
- Post Doctoral Fellow, Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institutes of Health National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases (2007–2010)
Awards and Honors:
- Early Career Faculty Travel Award (2020)
- Early Career Faculty Travel Award (2018)
- Careers in Immunology Fellowship (2016)
- Early Career Faculty Travel Award (2016)
- Ray Owen Poster Award, 52nd Midwinter Conference of Immunologists (2013)
- Fellows Award for Research Excellence, NIH (2010)
- Research Fellow Award (2009)
- Fellows Award for Research Excellence, NIH (2008)
- Keystone Travel Award, Regulatory T cells Meeting (2007)
- Lepow Fellowship (2006)
- Huang Foundation Trainee Achievement Award (2006)
- Keystone Travel Award, Tolerance, Autoimmunity and Regulation Meeting (2006)
- Keystone Travel Award, Tolerance, Autoimmunity and Regulation Meeting (2004)
Research Expertise:
- Immune Regulation and Wound Repair: Examining the interactions between Tregs, macrophages and stromal cells in skeletal muscle
- Immunobiology: Stability and function of regulatory T cell
- Immunoparasitology: Immune regulation in tissues during parasitic infections
- Mucosal immunology: Regulatory T cell function in the gastrointestinal tract
Research Centers:
- Witebsky Center for Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology
Grants and Sponsored Research:
- May 2020–April 2022
Antibody Fragments as Biochemical Tools to Interrogate CD9 Function in Inflammatory Diseases
NIH/NIGMS
Role: Co-Principal Investigator - June 2017–June 2020
Dysregulation of regulatory T cells during chronic infection in muscle
NIH
Role: Principal Investigator - November 2013–November 2016
Deciphering the mechanism of how GATA3 controls the fate of regulatory T cells at mucosal sites
Crohn‘s and Colitis Foundation of America
Role: Principal Investigator
$268,500
Journal Articles:
- Wohlfert EA, Grainger JR, Bouladoux N, Konkel JE, Oldenhove G, Ribeiro CH, Hall JA, Yagi R, Naik S, Bhairavabhotla R, Paul WE, Bosselut R, Wei G, Zhao K, Oukka M, Zhu J, Belkaid Y. (2011) GATA3 controls Foxp3+ regulatory T cell fate during inflammation in mice. J Clin Invest (Nov), 121(11): 4503-4515.
- Kalem MC, Humby MS, Wohlfert EA, Jacobs A, Panepinto JC. (2021) Cryptococcus neoformans Coinfection Dampens the TNF-a Response in HIV-1-Infected Human THP-1 Macrophages. mSphere (Mar), 6(2).
- Huang WC, Zhou S, He X, Chiem K, Mabrouk MT, Nissly RH, Bird IM, Strauss M, Sambhara S, Ortega J, Wohlfert EA, Martinez-Sobrido L, Kuchipudi SV, Davidson BA, Lovell JF. (2020) SARS-CoV-2 RBD Neutralizing Antibody Induction is Enhanced by Particulate Vaccination. Adv Mater (Oct)2005637-2005637.
- Carrillo GL, Ballard VA, Glausen T, Boone Z, Teamer J, Hinkson CL, Wohlfert EA, Blader IJ, Fox MA. (2020) Toxoplasma infection induces microglia-neuron contact and the loss of perisomatic inhibitory synapses. Glia (Oct), 68(10): 1968-1986. doi:10.1002/glia.23816
- Tchalla EYI, Bhalla M, Wohlfert EA, Bou Ghanem EN. (2020) Neutrophils are required during immunization with the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine for protective antibody responses and host defense against infection. J Infect Dis (May).
- Bloom ALM, Jin RM, Leipheimer J, Bard JE, Yergeau D, Wohlfert EA, Panepinto JC. (2019) Thermotolerance in the pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans is linked to antigen masking via mRNA decay-dependent reprogramming. Nat Commun (Oct), 10(1): 4950-4950.
- Jin RM, Warunek J, Wohlfert EA. (2018) Chronic infection stunts macrophage heterogeneity and disrupts immune-mediated myogenesis. JCI insight (Sep), 3(18). doi:10.1172/jci.insight.121549
- Jin RM, Warunek J, Wohlfert EA. (2018) Therapeutic administration of IL-10 and amphiregulin alleviates chronic skeletal muscle inflammation and damage induced by infection. ImmunoHorizons (May), 2(5): 142-154. doi:10.4049/immunohorizons.1800024
- Carpenter AC, Wohlfert E, Chopp LB, Vacchio MS, Nie J, Zhao Y, Shetty J, Xiao Q, Deng C, Tran B, Cam M, Gaida MM, Belkaid Y, Bosselut R. (2017) Control of Regulatory T Cell Differentiation by the Transcription Factors Thpok and LRF. Journal of immunology (Baltimore, Md. : 1950) (Sep), 199(5): 1716-1728. doi:10.4049/jimmunol.1700181
- Wohlfert EA, Blader IJ, Wilson EH. (2017) Brains and Brawn: Toxoplasma Infections of the Central Nervous System and Skeletal Muscle. Trends Parasitol (Jan), 33(7): 519-531.
- Jin RM, Blair SJ, Warunek J, Heffner RR, Blader IJ, Wohlfert EA. (2017) Regulatory T Cells Promote Myositis and Muscle Damage in Toxoplasma gondii Infection. J Immunol (Jan), 198(1): 352-362.
- Wohlfert EA, Russell MW. (2016) Mucosal surfaces: immunological protection. eLS (Feb).
- Wohlfert EA, Carpenter AC, Belkaid Y, Bosselut R. (2016) In Vitro Analyses of T Cell Effector Differentiation. Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.) (Jan), 1323: 117-28.
- Rodriguez-Peña AB, Gomez-Rodriguez J, Kortum RL, Palmer DC, Yu Z, Guittard GC, Wohlfert EA, Silver PB, Misplon JA, Sommers CL, Feigenbaum L, Epstein SL, Caspi RR, Belkaid Y, Restifo NP, Samelson LE, Balagopalan L. (2015) Enhanced T-cell activation and differentiation in lymphocytes from transgenic mice expressing ubiquitination-resistant 2KR LAT molecules. Gene therapy (Oct), 22(10): 781-92. doi:10.1038/gt.2015.48
- Carson WF, Guernsey LA, Singh A, Secor ER, Wohlfert EA, Clark RB, Schramm CM, Kunkel SL, Thrall RS. (2015) Cbl-b Deficiency in Mice Results in Exacerbation of Acute and Chronic Stages of Allergic Asthma. Frontiers in immunology (Jan), 6: 592. doi:10.3389/fimmu.2015.00592
- Vacchio MS, Wang L, Bouladoux N, Carpenter AC, Xiong Y, Williams LC, Wohlfert E, Song KD, Belkaid Y, Love PE, Bosselut R, Wohlfert EA. (2014) A ThPOK-LRF transcriptional node maintains the integrity and effector potential of post-thymic CD4+ T cells. Nat Immunol (Oct), 15(10): 947-956.
- Schiering C, Krausgruber T, Chomka A, Fröhlich A, Adelmann K, Wohlfert EA, Pott J, Griseri T, Bollrath J, Hegazy AN, Harrison OJ, Owens BM, Löhning M, Belkaid Y, Fallon PG, Powrie F. (2014) The alarmin IL-33 promotes regulatory T-cell function in the intestine. Nature (Sep), 513(7519): 564-568.
- Steward-Tharp SM, Laurence A, Kanno Y, Kotlyar A, Villarino AV, Sciume G, Kuchen S, Resch W, Wohlfert EA, Jiang K, Hirahara K, Vahedi G, Sun HW, Feigenbaum L, Milner JD, Holland SM, Casellas R, Powrie F, O'Shea JJ. (2014) A mouse model of HIES reveals pro- and anti-inflammatory functions of STAT3. Blood (May), 123(19): 2978-2987.
- Gomez-Rodriguez J, Wohlfert EA, Handon R, Meylan F, Wu JZ, Anderson SM, Kirby MR, Belkaid Y, Schwartzberg PL. (2014) Itk-mediated integration of T cell receptor and cytokine signaling regulates the balance between Th17 and regulatory T cells. J Exp Med (Mar), 211(3): 529-543.
- Grainger JR, Wohlfert EA, Fuss IJ, Bouladoux N, Askenase MH, Legrand F, Koo LY, Brenchley JM, Fraser ID, Belkaid Y. (2013) Inflammatory monocytes regulate pathologic responses to commensals during acute gastrointestinal infection. Nat Med (Jun), 19(6): 713-721.
- Sommers CL, Rouquette-Jazdanian AK, Robles AI, Kortum RL, Merrill RK, Li W, Nath N, Wohlfert E, Sixt KM, Belkaid Y, Samelson LE. (2013) miRNA signature of mouse helper T cell hyper-proliferation. PloS one (Jan), 8(6): e66709. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0066709
- Hall JA, Cannons JL, Grainger JR, Dos Santos LM, Hand TW, Naik S, Wohlfert EA, Chou DB, Oldenhove G, Robinson M, Grigg ME, Kastenmayer R, Schwartzberg PL, Belkaid Y. (2011) Essential role for retinoic acid in the promotion of CD4(+) T cell effector responses via retinoic acid receptor alpha. Immunity (Mar), 34(3): 435-447.
- Wohlfert E, Belkaid Y. (2010) Plasticity of T reg at infected sites. Mucosal immunology (May), 3(3): 213-5. doi:10.1038/mi.2010.11
- Thornton AM, Korty PE, Tran DQ, Wohlfert EA, Murray PE, Belkaid Y, Shevach EM. (2010) Expression of Helios, an Ikaros transcription factor family member, differentiates thymic-derived from peripherally induced Foxp3+ T regulatory cells. Journal of immunology (Baltimore, Md. : 1950) (Apr), 184(7): 3433-41. doi:10.4049/jimmunol.0904028
- Oldenhove G, Bouladoux N, Wohlfert EA, Hall JA, Chou D, Dos Santos L, O'Brien S, Blank R, Lamb E, Natarajan S, Kastenmayer R, Hunter C, Grigg ME, Belkaid Y. (2009) Decrease of Foxp3+ Treg cell number and acquisition of effector cell phenotype during lethal infection. Immunity (Nov), 31(5): 772-786.
- Wohlfert E, Belkaid Y. (2008) Role of endogenous and induced regulatory T cells during infections. Journal of clinical immunology (Nov), 28(6): 707-15. doi:10.1007/s10875-008-9248-6
- Hall JA, Bouladoux N, Sun CM, Wohlfert EA, Blank RB, Zhu Q, Grigg ME, Berzofsky JA, Belkaid Y. (2008) Commensal DNA limits regulatory T cell conversion and is a natural adjuvant of intestinal immune responses. Immunity (Oct), 29(4): 637-649.
- Wohlfert EA, Clark RB. (2007) Trends in immunology (Apr), 28(4): 154-60.
- Wohlfert EA, Nichols FC, Nevius E, Clark RB. (2007) Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) and immunoregulation: enhancement of regulatory T cells through PPARgamma-dependent and -independent mechanisms. J Immunol (Apr), 178(7): 4129-4135.
- Callahan MK, Wohlfert EA, Ménoret A, Srivastava PK. (2006) Heat shock up-regulates lmp2 and lmp7 and enhances presentation of immunoproteasome-dependent epitopes. Journal of immunology (Baltimore, Md. : 1950) (Dec), 177(12): 8393-9.
- Wohlfert EA, Gorelik L, Mittler R, Flavell RA, Clark RB. (2006) Cutting edge: deficiency in the E3 ubiquitin ligase Cbl-b results in a multifunctional defect in T cell TGF-beta sensitivity in vitro and in vivo. J Immunol (Feb), 176(3): 1316-1320.
- Wohlfert EA, Callahan MK, Clark RB. (2004) Resistance to CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells and TGF-beta in Cbl-b-/- mice. J Immunol (Jul), 173(2): 1059-1065.
Abstracts:
- (2020) Tbet-expressing Tregs protect against lethal immunopathology during T. gondii infection. Immunology 2020. (May), (864)Poster; Oral
- Warunek, J, Jin, R.M., and Wohlfert, E.A. (2019) Tbet+ Tregs protect against lethal immunopathology during T. gondii infection. 2019 New York Upstate Immunology Conference. Cooperstown, New York (Oct)Oral
- Jordan Warunek, Richard M Jin, Brandon Marzullo and Elizabeth A Wohlfert. (2018) Tbet+ Tregs protect against lethal immunopathology during T. gondii infection. Immunology 2018. Austin, Texas (May)Poster
- Jin, R.M., Blair, S.J., Heffner, R.R., Blader, I.J., and E.A. Wohlfert. (2017) Pathogenic regulatory T cells promote immunopathology during infectious myositis. 2017 American Physician Scientist Association Northeast Regional Meeting. Rochester, New York (Oct)Poster
- Jin, R.M., Blair, S.J., Heffner, R.R., Blader, I.J., and EA Wohlfert. (2017) Evaluation of immune mediated myogenesis during chronic infection with T. gondii. Keystone Symposium on Mononuclear Phagocytes in Health, Immune Defense and Disease. Austin, Texas (May)Poster
- Jin, R.M., Blair, S.J., Heffner, R.R., Blader, I.J., and E.A. Wohlfert. (2016) Pathogenic regulatory T cells promote immunopathology during infectious myositis. American Physician Scientist Association Northeast Regional Meeting. Buffalo, New York (Oct)Poster; Oral
- Blair, S.J., Grainger, J., Bouladoux, N., Urban, J., and E.A. Wohlfert. (2016) Gata3 expression by Tregs is required for mounting a Th2 immune response to the helminth gastrointestinal infection of H. polygyrus. Mucosal Immunology Course and Symposium. Toronto, (Jul)Oral
- Iluore, J.O., Jin, R.M*., Blair, S.J., Schiavoni, E., and EA Wohlfert. (2016) Infection Induced Thymic Atrophy affects development of T Regulatory Cells. University at Buffalo Annual Research Day. Buffalo, New York (Jun)Poster
- Jin, R.M., Blair, S.J., Heffner, R.R., Blader, I.J., and E.A. Wohlfert. (2016) Pathogenic regulatory T cells promote immunopathology during infectious myositis. 28th Annual Conference on Microbial Pathogenesis. Buffalo, New York (May)Poster
- Jin, R.M., Blair, S.J., Heffner, R.R., Blader, I.J., and E.A. Wohlfert. (2016) Pathogenic regulatory T cells promote immunopathology during infectious myositis. Immunology 2016. Seattle, Washington (May)Poster; Oral
- Jin, R.M, Blair, S.J., Heffner, R.R., Blader, I.J., and E.A. Wohlfert. (2016) Dysregulation of tissue-reparative regulatory T cell function in infectious myositis. 12th Annual American Physician Scientists Association Meeting. Chicago, Illinois (Apr)Poster
- Jin, R.M., Blair, S.J., Heffner, R.R., Blader, I.J., and E.A. Wohlfert. (2016) Pathogenic regulatory T cells promote immunopathology during infectious myositis. 16th Annual Woods Hole Immunoparasitology Meeting. Woods Hole, Massachusetts (Apr)Poster; Oral
- Jin, R.M., Blair, S.J., Blader, I.J., and E.A. Wohlfert. (2015) Getting the balance right: Immunoregulation of host-defense and tissue repair in skeletal muscle during T. gondii infection. 1st Annual Immune Imaging Symposium. Rochester, New York (Nov)Poster
- Jin, R.M., Blair, S.J., Heffner, R.R., Blader, I.J., and E.A. Wohlfert. (2015) Getting the balance right: Immunoregulation of host-defense and tissue repair in skeletal muscle during T. gondii infection. 2015 American Physician Scientist Association Northeast Regional Meeting. Syracuse, New York (Oct)Poster
- Jin, R.M., Blair, S.J., Heffner, R.R., Blader, I.J., and E.A. Wohlfert. (2015) Getting the balance right: Immunoregulation of host-defense and tissue repair in skeletal muscle during T. gondii infection. 18th Annual New York Upstate Immunology Conference. Bolton Landing, New York (Oct)Poster
- Schiavoni, E., Blair, S.J., Jin, R.M., Iluore, J.O., and E.A. Wohlfert. (2015) The Development of T Regulatory Cells During Toxoplasma gondii Infection Induced Thymic Atrophy. 18th Annual New York Upstate Immunology Conference. Bolton Landing, New York (Oct)Poster
- Blair, S.J., Iluore, J.O., Jin, R.M. and E.A. Wohlfert. (2015) The Development of T Regulatory Cells During Toxoplasma gondii Infection Induced Thymic Atrophy. Buffalo Immunology Conference. Chautauqua, New York (Mar)Poster
- Jin, R.M., Blair, S.J., Blader, I.J., and E.A. Wohlfert. (2015) Tissue-specific immunoregulation of skeletal muscle during chronic T. gondii infection. Buffalo Immunology Conference. Chautauqua, New York (Mar)Poster
Professional Memberships:
- American Association of Immunologists (2016–present)
Presentations:
- "Infection Induced Pathogenic Tregs and the consequences on tissue repair during chronic muscle infection" Mechanisms of Parasitism Seminar Series, Immunology Program, University of Iowa (2018)
- "Pathogenic Tregs promote myositis during skeletal muscle Infection" British Society of Immunology Manchester University, Department of Immunology (2016)
- "Regulatory Affairs of Gata3" American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Annual Meeting (2016)
- "Tregs impair tissue repair program in skeletal muscle during Infection" Department of Immunology Seminar Series (2015)
- "Dynamics of Regulatory T cells throughout infection: What happens Next" Upstate Immunology Conference Annual Meeting (2015)
- "Dynamics of Tregs during Infection" University at Buffalo Department of Oral Biology (2014)
- "Stability and Function of Tregs during inflammation; They just GATA have it" Buffalo Immunology Conference (2014)
- "Transcription Factor Networks Control Regulatory T cell Stability and Function During Inflammation" University at Buffalo Department of Biochemistry (2014)
- "Transcription Factor Networks Control Regulatory T Cell Stability and Function During Inflammation" Uniformed Services University, School of Medicine, Department of Medicine (2013)
Service Activities:
- ; Assistant Director of Graduate Studies (2021–present)
- Agence Nationale de la Recherche, Paris, France (2021)
- American Association of Immunologists, Abstract Programming Committee; Abstract Programming Committee (2019–present)
- Collegiate Science & Technology Entry Program Research Symposium, University at Buffalo; Poster Judge (2019)
- National Medical Research Council, Ministry of Health, Singapore; National Medical Research Council (2019)
- Immunity and Host Defense, CSR; Early Career Reviewer (2017)
- Medical Research Council, Infections and Immunity Board (2017)
- MD/PhD Admissions Committee (2016–2018)
- Redesigned the departmental curriculum for the graduate students; Curriculum Review Committee (2013–2014)
- New York Immunology Conference, Scientific Advisory Board member; Member (2013–present)
- New York Upstate Immunology Conference; Scientific Advisory Board member (2013–present)
- ; Graduate Affairs Committee Member (2013–2018)
- J Leuk Biol, J Immunol, Nat Communications, Immunol Invest, Plos Path, Plos One, Cytokine, Front Immunol, Front Cell Inf Micro, Nat Com Bio, Scientific Reports, American J Path; Reviewer (2012–present)