Pathobiology 2027

Innate immune cells are among the first responders to tissue injury, yet their functions extend far beyond initiating inflammation. This lecture will trace my scientific journey toward improved understanding of how neutrophils integrate inflammatory, reparative and pathological responses to shape tissue homeostasis and disease. Beginning with studies defining the molecular mechanisms that regulate neutrophil recruitment and trafficking, I will highlight how advances in intravital microscopy allowing to visualize immune cell behavior in vivo revealed unexpected trafficking patterns for neutrophils in inflamed mucosa. I will discuss how tissue-specific signals reprogram neutrophil phenotype and function, enabling dynamic crosstalk with macrophages, endothelial cells and epithelial cells to coordinate disease exacerbation or mucosal repair. Finally, I will highlight how specialized neutrophil populations promote tissue regeneration or contribute to chronic inflammation colorectal cancer and therapeutic resistance. Through this lecture I hope to illustrate how integrating fundamental mechanisms of innate immunity with human disease may identify new opportunities for therapeutic intervention in chronic inflammatory diseases and cancer.