Fotini Gounari

Fotini Gounari, Ph.D., is a Professor of Immunology and Consultant in the Department of Immunology at Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, Arizona, with a joint appointment in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. She leads a dynamic research laboratory focused on the molecular mechanisms of T cell and regulatory T cell (Treg) development, plasticity, and their roles in autoimmunity and cancer.

• Doctor of Science, René Descartes University
• Ph.D., National Institute for Medical Research
• BSc, Aristotelian University of Thessaloniki
• Postdoctoral Fellow, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL)

Dr. Gounari's research centers on the transcription factor Tcf-1 and its partnership with β-catenin in the Wnt signaling pathway. Her lab investigates how these factors regulate epigenetic and transcriptional networks during T cell development and how their dysregulation leads to genomic instability, T cell transformation, and diseases such as T-cell leukemia, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and colorectal cancer. A key finding is that aberrant β-catenin activation redirects Tcf-1 to promote chromosomal translocations, and the resulting lymphomas show sensitivity to PARP inhibitors, suggesting novel therapeutic avenues.

Her recent publications highlight cutting-edge discoveries in T cell biology, with articles in Nature Immunology, PNAS, and Journal of Immunology. The work spans molecular mechanisms of thymic selection, Treg plasticity, and the functional consequences of Tcf-1/β-catenin signaling in inflammation and cancer. Her research demonstrates a strong trend toward understanding the intersection of immunology, epigenetics, and oncology, particularly in immune cell transformation and tumor immunology.

Scientific Awards and Professional Service:

• Permanent Member, Cellular and Molecular Immunology B Study Section, NIH (2015–2019)
• Study Section Member, Leukemia Research Foundation (2008–2022)
• Liaison to Academia, Autumn Immunology Conference (2011–2016)
• Chair, Sponsor Liaison Committee, Thymus 2012 International Conference (2012)

Dr. Gounari has been continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health as Principal Investigator on multiple research projects, including ongoing grants from NIAID and NCI. She mentors trainees and collaborates extensively within Mayo Clinic and internationally. Her lab is at the forefront of defining how transcriptional regulators orchestrate immune cell fate and how their malfunction drives human disease.

She is actively involved in several major research programs at Mayo Clinic, including the Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center and the David F. and Margaret T. Grohne Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapeutics Program. Her work integrates molecular biology, immunology, and translational research to develop targeted therapies for immune-related disorders and cancers.