- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health
- T32AI007051
The Immunologic Diseases and Basic Immunology T32 Training Program at UAB is one of the institution’s longest-standing NIH-funded training programs, with continuous support since 1976, when UAB first received funding to support training in allergic and immunologic diseases and basic immunity. The program provides interdisciplinary training for predoctoral and postdoctoral scientists in both fundamental and translational immunology, drawing on expertise in cellular and molecular immunology, infectious diseases, transplantation, neuroimmunology, bioinformatics, and immune-mediated disorders. Through close collaboration between basic scientists and clinician-investigators, trainees gain rigorous research experience and exposure to human disease, preparing them for successful careers in biomedical research, medicine, and biotechnology.
This program supports 5 predoctoral trainees and 3 postdoctoral trainees each year.
Leadership
Laurie Harrington, Ph.D.
PI
Randy Cron, MD, PhD
Associate Director
Current Trainees
08/01/2026 – 07/32/2027
PreDocs:
Barr, Lewis
Mentor: Satoru Osuka, Ph.D.
Title of Project: Developing matrix binding immunotherapy to alter the immune suppressive tumor microenvironment of therapy-resistant glioblastoma
Liu, Kevin
Mentor: Masakazu Kamata, Ph.D.
Title of Project: Investigating the Impact of CD151 on mediating immunological tumor control within the lung environment
Morgan, Elizabeth Leighann
Mentor: Qing Zhao, Ph.D.
Title of Project: How Anti-Flagellin Antibodies Modulate Innate and Adaptive Immune Responses to Commensal Bacteria.
Nwokafor, Chibuzo
Mentor: Todd Green, Ph.D.
Title of Project: Not in Application
Thames, Ajasha
Mentor: Laurie Harrington, Ph.D.
Title of Project: ST6Gal-I modulates CD4 Treg induction and phenotype
Postdocs:
Arroyo Diaz, Nicole (1/1/2026 – 12/31/2026)
Mentor: Sixto Leal, Ph.D.
Title of Project: The immunomodulatory effects of kynurenine-carboxyketoalkene (Kyn-CKA)
Graves, Keonte
Mentor: Christina Muzny, Ph.D.
Title of Project: Determining host immune responses in persistent T. vaginalis infections to elucidate the relationship to treatment failure
Risley, Christopher
Mentor: Frances Lund, Ph.D.
Title of Project: Multi-omic analysis of long COVID patients reveals obesity-associated metabolic dysfunction and inflammation in adipose-residing immune cells.