Current affiliations

• Position

  Professor and Associate Dean for Research

  Company

  University of Minnesota

  Duration

  2007 - Present

  Further information

City:

None chosen

Hub:

None chosen

Dr. Srirama Rao’s overall laboratory research focuses on understanding the mechanisms underlying leukocyte trafficking, particularly eosinophils, in the context of airway allergic inflammation and asthma in addition to cancer biology. These include eosinophil generation (hematopoiesis), trafficking and recruitment to sites of inflammation using intravital imaging, modulation of Th1/Th2 cytokines, role of adhesion molecules, carbohydrate binding proteins and carbohydrate processing enzymes, cytokines and chemokines mediating leukocyte-endothelial trafficking in the lung and lymph node microcirculation, immune modulation and associated signal transduction events in models of airway allergic disease. Dr. Rao has pioneered the use of intravital imaging to understand the role of adhesion molecules, cytokines, and chemokines in promoting cell trafficking in inflammatory and allergic diseases in the systemic and pulmonary microcirculation.

The role of Galectin-3, a lectin, and Mgat5, an enzyme involved in synthesis of ligands for Galectin-3, in mediating eosinophil trafficking, modulating the allergic immune response in murine models of acute and chronic airway allergic inflammation including airway remodeling and angiogenesis.

To evaluate the role of N-deacetylase/N-sulfortransferase-1 (NDST-1), a key enzyme in the biosynthetic pathway of heparan sulfate chains, in the generation, trafficking and recruitment of inflammatory leukocytes during chronic airway allergic inflammation including airway remodeling using mice with targeted disruption of NDST-1.

The role of serotonin, a chemoattractant for eosinophils, and serotonin receptors in regulating eosinophil recruitment and airway hyperresponsiveness during allergic inflammation in murine models and to determine the role of serotonin and serotonin receptor interactions including associated signal transduction events leading to eosinophil adhesion and trafficking to sites of inflammation.