James Verbsky

James Verbsky, MD, PhD, is a Professor in the Departments of Pediatrics (Rheumatology) and Microbiology & Immunology at the Medical College of Wisconsin. He serves as Medical Director of the Clinical Immunology Research Laboratory and Clinical and Translational Research at Children's Wisconsin. His expertise spans immune regulation, primary immune deficiencies, and immune dysregulation syndromes. Dr. Verbsky holds advanced degrees from Washington University (PhD in Immunology and MD) and completed a Pediatric Rheumatology fellowship there.

Research Interests: Dr. Verbsky focuses on genetically defined immune deficiencies, leveraging technologies like next-generation sequencing to identify novel disorders and model them in the lab. His work bridges clinical care (e.g., pediatric lupus, juvenile idiopathic arthritis) with mechanistic studies of immune pathways, including NF-κB signaling and X chromosome inactivation in T cells.

Publications: Recent work addresses drug adherence in lupus, racial disparities in lupus outcomes, IL-1/IL-6 inhibitor-associated reactions, and vaccine efficacy in immunodeficient patients. His studies often involve multi-institutional collaborations (e.g., CARRA Registry) and address translational challenges in pediatric rheumatology and immunology.

Labs/Teams: Directs the Clinical Immunology Research Laboratory, focusing on translational research linking genetic discoveries to clinical therapies. Active in professional networks like USIDNET (U.S. Immunodeficiency Network) and CARRA (Childhood Arthritis & Rheumatology Research Alliance).