Joseph August Church

Joseph August Church is a Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at the Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California (USC). His primary focus lies in pediatric immunology, immunodeficiency syndromes, and HIV/AIDS research, with significant contributions to clinical studies and translational medicine. Dr. Church is affiliated with the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and has led research into SCID newborn screening, pediatric HIV neurology, and gene therapy for genetic immunodeficiencies.

Key research interests include genetic causes of immunodeficiency (e.g., mutations in RAC2, RAC1, PIK3R1), neurocognitive impacts of perinatal HIV infection, and clinical trials for immunoglobulin replacement therapies. He has pioneered studies on the functional consequences of genetic variants in critical immune pathways (e.g., NF-κB, PI3Kδ) and their implications for pediatric care. His work bridges basic science and clinical practice, addressing both diagnostic challenges (e.g., newborn screening) and therapeutic innovations (e.g., lentiviral gene therapy for SCID-X1).

Dr. Church’s publications reflect a multidisciplinary approach, spanning pediatrics, immunology, genetics, and clinical pharmacology. His research has advanced understanding of HIV pathogenesis in children, including neurodevelopmental and metabolic consequences, as well as novel treatments for chronic conditions like Crohn’s disease and cystic fibrosis. He has also contributed to studies on pediatric cancer surgery and the safety of antiretroviral drugs in infants.

His team collaborates on projects involving immune reconstitution, cytokine signaling, and the application of advanced imaging techniques (e.g., diffusion tensor imaging) to study neurobiological changes in immunocompromised patients. Dr. Church’s work emphasizes translational research with direct clinical impact, particularly in underserved populations and rare genetic disorders.