Immune & Inflammatory Rheumatic Diseases (inc. Arthritis)

BIOGRAPHY

Alisa E Koch

Academic positions:
- Professor, Department of Internal Medicine
- Frederick G.L. Huetwell and William D. Robinson, M.D. Professor of Rheumatology

Any industry positions (last five years):
None declared

Research interests:
Her laboratory research examines the immunopathogenesis of RA (an autoimmune disease where inflammation runs wild in the joints of affected patients). For this ingress of leukocytes or white blood cells, new blood vessel growth, or angiogenesis, is necessary. Her lab is studying the role of monocytes/macrophages and vascular endothelial cells in this disease. While her lab focuses on RA as an experimental paradigm, their findings quite often apply to other diseases and aspects of biology. One research area is the immunophenotypic heterogeneity of human rheumatoid synovial macrophages and endothelial cells. To this end, her lab has developed a panel of monoclonal antibodies that detect functionally distinct macrophages, as well as a subset of endothelial cells. One of these antibodies detects a cytokine-inducible endothelial antigen that may be important in inflammation. Her lab is currently exploring the biochemical and functional nature of the antigens detected by these monoclonal antibodies.

Any other information:
Dr. Koch has published 173 articles in many scientific journals, including Science and Nature. She has contributed 26 book chapters and co-edited a book on Chemokines in Disease. She serves on the editorial board of Arthritis Research & Therapy, Gene Vaccines & Therapy, Laboratory Investigation, and Vascular Pharmacology, and was previously a co-editor of Arthritis & Rheumatism.