معرفی
Dorothy K. Sojka is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Loyola University Chicago's Stritch School of Medicine. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Rochester and leads research on uterine natural killer cells and pregnancy health.
Her research program investigates endometrial immune biology, focusing on how resident natural killer cells influence placental development and vascular remodeling. Using novel mouse models, her lab examines development, differentiation and function of uterine NK cell subsets in both virgin and pregnant states. This work aims to uncover mechanisms underlying pregnancy complications like preeclampsia.
Sojka's research has characterized two distinct populations of uterine NK cells: tissue-resident NK (trNK) cells that expand locally during pregnancy, and circulating conventional NK (cNK) cells with minimal contribution to the uterine environment. Her findings provide fundamental insights into reproductive immunology with translational potential for managing obstetric syndromes.
