Sarah A. Stanley

Sarah A. Stanley is an Associate Professor in the Department of Immunology and Molecular Medicine at the School of Public Health. Her research focuses on understanding immune responses to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), a pathogen responsible for significant global mortality. Her work addresses why natural immunity often fails to eradicate Mtb infections, exploring both host immune mechanisms and bacterial virulence strategies. The Stanley Lab employs a multidisciplinary approach, including bacterial/host genetics, microscopy, chemical biology, and proteomics to dissect host-pathogen interactions.

Research interests include host-derived metabolites’ role in macrophage antimicrobial activity, Th17 immunity, bacterial nanocompartments as oxidative stress defenses, and human genetic polymorphisms influencing tuberculosis outcomes. Current projects investigate how interferon-γ-independent pathways and GM-CSF activation of HIF-1α modulate immunity, alongside bacterial strategies to evade host defenses. The lab also develops mucosal vaccination strategies using cyclic dinucleotide adjuvants to enhance T cell responses.

Publications emphasize mechanisms of Mtb persistence, host immune evasion, and translational approaches to vaccine/therapeutic design. The lab’s long-term goals include identifying novel targets for therapies and vaccines to combat tuberculosis, leveraging insights from host-pathogen biology.