Immunology is a complex, fast moving, and intense field of study. Immunological underpinnings can be found in most fields of research, but especially those involving the biological sciences.

Keeping up with advances and discoveries can be challenging, but keeping new discoveries in context with immunology as a whole is nearly impossible. Or, it is for any one person. Thus: Immunobites!

leadership board:

Kimberly Hagel, co-founder/editor, is a 5th year PhD candidate in the Program for Biological and Biomedical Sciences at Harvard University. Her work focuses on discovering the ways in which pancreatic cancer evades and resists immunotherapeutic insults. A cancer biologist by training, Kimberly hopes to emphasize the incredible, exciting, and novel ways in which the immune system can be therapeutically directed to fight cancer. Kimberly is passionate about science communication and, to this end, is a mentor for high school students interested in biology as well as a writer and leading editor for Science in the News, a science outreach organization at Harvard. Read posts by Kimberly.

Kerry M. Leehan, co-founder/editor, holds a PhD in Pathology and a MS in Micro/Immunology with a special interest in T cells, NKT cells, and autoimmune disease. Committed to clear scientific communication, she is currently a AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow at the Millenium Challenge Corporation. Her dissertation work focused on the role of T cells and fibrosis of salivary gland tissue in Sjögren’s Syndrome at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation. Follow her on Twitter @DrDitder. Read posts by Kerry.

Mariel Mohns, co-founder/editor, is a science writer at the Morgridge Institute for Research. She previously contributed to work surrounding T cell responses to HIV/SIV and Zika while working as a research technician at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. She earned a BA in Biology and a BMus in Piano Performance from Lawrence University, followed by a MS in Biological Sciences from Mississippi College. She is passionate about science communication and moonlights as a freelance science writer for a variety of web-based outlets. Follow her on Twitter @marielmohns. Read posts by Mariel.

Maria Rodgers, co-founder/editor, is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Connecticut.  She graduated from the University of Miami with a B.S. in Marine Science and Biology and then moved to Clemson University to obtain her Ph.D. in Biological Sciences.  For her dissertation, she studied sea turtle immunology (with an emphasis on her favorite immunoglobulin, IgY). Currently, Maria is working on developing a microfluidic chip to understand the interactions between intestinal epithelial cells, immune cells, and microbiota of the three-spined stickleback. Follow her on Twitter @compimmunol. Read posts by Maria.

Julie Bettke, editor, is a PhD candidate in the Molecular and Cellular Biology program at Stony Brook University. Here, she studies the role of inflammatory monocytes (her favorite immune cell) during Salmonella infection in mice, which mimics typhoid fever in people. She loves science writing and is passionate about science outreach. As a result, she also serves as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Emerging Investigators, which publishes research studies completed by middle and high school students. Aside from science, Julie also absolutely loves baking! Julie can be found on Twitter @JulsBettke or on Instagram @bakingbettke. Read posts by Julie.

Jessica Imperato, social media coordinator, will be graduating from Stony Brook University with her PhD in Molecular and Cellular Biology in October 2020. Her research has focused on the role that dendritic cells (her favorite type of immune cells) play in the formation of immune responses in the intestines after foodborne Listeria monocytogenes infection. She is incredibly passionate about science communication and promoting accessible science for everyone. She also serves as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Emerging Investigators, a non-profit, open-access journal dedicated to promoting scientific investigation and research amongst middle- and high school-aged students. Jess can be found on Twitter @jessimperato, or on Instagram @thesnazzyscientist. Read posts by Jessica.

Contributing Authors:

Aleks Prochera
Anastasia Yandulskaya
Amber Stedman
Ashley Zani
Bhavya Singh
Breelyn Karno
Clair Geary
Eléonore Pérès
Gabriela Khoury
Giang Pham
Hannah Berrett
Kyle Smith
Lori Garman
Mariana Pacheco-Blanco
Matt Kuhn
Olivier Lucar
Shannon Loelius
Sarah Price
Sreya Ghosh
Stephanie Melchor
Steve Bryson
Vinidhra Mani (co-founder)
YongGuang Jiang
Zaynah Dewan

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