The Center for Immunology is thrilled to welcome Michael Lipscomb, Ph.D. to the University of Minnesota and to our group housed in WMBB where he will have a satellite lab as part of his larger lab housed in NHH. Dr. Lipscomb is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmacology. He received his BS from the University of California Los Angeles with a degree in Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics prior to receiving a Ph.D. in Immunology from the University of Pittsburgh. His postdoctoral training was at the University of Pennsylvania and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Prior to coming to the University of Minnesota, Dr. Lipscomb held a faculty position at Howard University where he built a productive, visible, and independent research program studying immunobiology, with concentrations in immunoregulation, autoimmunity, immunology of infectious disease, and employment of biomaterials and microcarrier systems for organoid tissue development. The focus of his laboratory at the University of Minnesota is to mechanistically describe the immunoregulatory network(s) that govern the differentiation and function of antigen-presenting myeloid cells both under steady-state and disease settings. In addition, his laboratory employs the use of novel biomaterials to generate organoids for tissue restorative therapies, with the chief aim to resolve chronic autoimmune disorders and immunodeficiencies. Dr. Lipscomb is currently funded by the Maximizing Investigator Research Award (MIRA; R35 mechanism) and an R21 exploratory research grant. Dr. Lipscomb is also serving as the interim Associate Dean for Graduate Education. One of the goals of the Medical School during this transition period will be to step back and examine the existing graduate education program in the context of the current issues facing graduate and postdoctoral programs nationwide to see where we can strengthen and enhance those things that are working well. Stop by his office in Nils Hasselmo Hall 3-108 to visit and introduce yourself. For more info, click here.