“Transcriptional and Epigenetic regulation of B cell responses”

Dr. Scharer is an Associate Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Emory University School of Medicine and serves as the Scientific Director of the Emory Integrated Genomics Core.  Dr. Scharer’s research career has focused on understanding the interplay of epigenetic mechanisms, transcription factor networks, and gene expression programs that guide cell fate changes and phenotypes within the immune system.  His lab conducts basic science research using a variety of cellular and molecular immunology approaches coupled to cutting edge genomics and bioinformatic analysis with a goal of uncovering processes and mechanisms that regulate B cell differentiation into antibody secreting plasma cells during viral infections, vaccination, and in autoimmunity.   He is highly collaborative and works with physicians and other scientists to apply these techniques and approaches to map the molecular consequences of mutations that result in immunodeficiencies and reverse engineer external signals leading to immune dysfunction in autoimmunity.