Christina Graves

Christina Graves, PhD, is a Researcher at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, affiliated with the Adams School of Dentistry and the Department of Oral Biology. Her research focuses on the developmental interaction between the nervous and immune systems, particularly how infectious and non-infectious stressors influence health outcomes across the lifespan and generations via the “gum-to-gut” axis. She employs zebrafish as a translational model organism, integrating advanced imaging, next-generation sequencing, and genetic approaches.

• Education: PhD in Interdisciplinary Biomedical Sciences (2016, University of Florida), BS in Biology (2011, Georgia Institute of Technology).

Dr. Graves’ research spans immunology, mucosal biology, and neuroimmunology, with expertise in gut biology, synthetic biological tools, and novel epithelial cell culture methods. She has collaborated extensively with dentist-scientists, neuroscientists, and virologists, utilizing both human and animal models (mouse, zebrafish) to study innate immune dysfunction in type 1 diabetes and protective gut macrophage populations.

Dr. Graves has received funding from the NIH, Helmsley Charitable Trust, and NC TraCS. She is a dedicated mentor and educator, recognized for her mentoring excellence. Her work emphasizes transdisciplinary research and team-based science.

• Scientific Awards: Graduate Student Mentoring Award (University of Florida).

Contact: Koury Oral Health Sciences Building 3410, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7450; Office phone: (919) 537-3725; Email: cxg@email.unc.edu.