Darren Perkins

Darren Perkins, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Perkins Innate Immunology Laboratory at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, with a secondary appointment as a scientist at the Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center. He specializes in innate immunity, focusing on Toll-Like Receptors (TLRs), Type I interferon signaling, and macrophage responses to pathogens like Salmonella and Francisella tularensis.

• Education: B.S. in Biology from Duke University (1996); Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology from Emory University (2003).

Research interests encompass:

• Innate immune system's molecular defenses against infections
• TLR-mediated inflammatory response orchestration
• Interferon production and its role in viral/bacterial resistance
• Transcriptional reprogramming in immune cells

His scientific contributions include 15+ publications on topics such as:

• TLR2-TRAF3 signaling in macrophage antiviral defense
• Salmonella's manipulation of IFN systems
• Epigenetic regulation of inflammation
• STING pathway activation by bacterial toxins

Labs/Teams: Leads the Perkins Innate Immunology Lab at University of Maryland, focusing on data-driven innate immunity research and trainee development.