Lisa Ann Cavacini

Lisa Ann Cavacini, PhD is Professor of Medicine at UMass Chan Medical School with additional appointments at the T.H. Chan School of Medicine (Department of Medicine, Division of Innate Immunity) and Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (Departments of Immunology and Microbiology Program and Interdisciplinary Graduate Program).

Education:

• BS in Biology from University of Scranton, Scranton, PA
• PhD in Microbiology/Immunology from Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA

Dr. Cavacini's research focuses on immunoregulation of infectious diseases, cancer, and autoimmune disorders through human monoclonal antibody characterization and immunotherapy development. Her laboratory specializes in mucosal immunology, structural modeling of antibody-antigen interactions, and production of dimeric and secretory IgA. Current projects target immunoprophylaxis for mucosal bacterial infections (Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli, Bordetella pertussis, Klebsiella pneumonia), with additional work on Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa antibodies, Lyme disease research, and emerging pathogens including SARS-CoV-2.

Analysis of Dr. Cavacini's recent publications reveals a strong emphasis on antibody structure-function relationships, particularly regarding Lyme disease (Borrelia burgdorferi), Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and SARS-CoV-2. Her work consistently bridges structural biology with translational applications, examining how antibody features (Fab and Fc regions) influence immune responses against pathogens. There's a clear progression toward nanobody development and structural approaches to optimize antibody-antigen interactions for improved immunotherapeutic design.

Dr. Cavacini maintains extensive collaborations with researchers at UMMS (Drs. Greiner, Brehm, and Luban) and Dr. Leonard Schultz at Jackson Laboratories on humanized mouse models for monoclonal antibody generation and passive immunotherapy development. Her laboratory conducts pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies of IgG and IgA antibodies against various infections and has developed specialized platforms for dimeric and secretory IgA production, which are being translated into clinical applications for bacterial infection prevention and treatment.