Jason Kyle Whitmire

Jason Kyle Whitmire, PhD, is a Professor in both the Department of Genetics and the Department of Microbiology & Immunology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine. He is also a member of the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center. His research program focuses on understanding the fundamental mechanisms that drive immune responses to viral infections, with particular emphasis on T cell differentiation and function.

Dr. Whitmire's research interests span viral immunology, memory T cell differentiation, and the genetics of immune responses. His laboratory investigates how interferons, cytokines, and accessory molecules regulate T cell numbers and functions following acute and chronic virus infections. Key areas of investigation include the role of histone demethylases in T cell responses, host genetics in viral pathogenesis, obesity's impact on T cell responses, and immune defenses against hepatitis A virus. His work primarily utilizes lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) and hepatitis A virus (HAV) infections in mouse models.

Analysis of Dr. Whitmire's publication record reveals a strong focus on the intersection of immunology, virology, and genetics. His research has made significant contributions to understanding how epigenetic regulators like UTX influence T cell responses, how host genetics determine outcomes to viral infections, and how metabolic conditions like obesity alter immune responses to pathogens. Recent publications (2023-2024) show continued expansion into areas including adipose tissue immunology, neuroimmunology, and novel antiviral mechanisms.

Dr. Whitmire maintains an active research laboratory that collaborates extensively with other researchers, most notably with Dr. Stan Lemon's lab on hepatitis A virus research. His laboratory has developed the first mouse model of human hepatitis A virus infection, which has been instrumental in understanding HAV pathogenesis. The lab actively recruits postdoctoral researchers and provides access to biocontainment facilities, flow cytometers, and genomics core facilities for studies on T cell differentiation during viral infections.