Public lecture as part of the search for a professor in pathology

Abstract: Epithelial tissues serve as barriers that protect the body from external challenges. Disruption of the epithelial layer triggers the recruitment of immune cells, a process that must be tightly regulated to prevent excessive inflammation and support tissue repair. Persistent epithelial damage or immune dysregulation can lead to chronic inflammation, promoting immunopathology or tumorigenesis in mucosal tissues.
While current therapies primarily target disturbances in advanced mucosal disorders, the mechanisms that initiate these diseases remain poorly understood. My laboratory uses mouse models and patient-derived samples to investigate how communication pathways between epithelial cells and immune system components contribute to disease onset. Our goal is to uncover how early disruptions in this crosstalk drive mucosal pathology and identify ways to restore the epithelial barrier.