Michael G. Constantinides

Michael G. Constantinides, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Immunology and Microbiology at Scripps Research. His research focuses on the interplay between host microbiota and innate-like T cells, particularly MAIT cells, exploring how these cells are shaped by microbial communities and their roles in immunity, tissue repair, and disease. He leads the Constantinides Lab, which develops therapies targeting infectious diseases, autoimmunity, and cancer.

Education: PhD in Immunology from the University of Chicago (2014), BA in Chemistry from Princeton University (2007).

Research Interests: Microbiota-host dialog, immune cell development, MAIT cell biology, tissue homeostasis, and translational therapies. His lab uses interdisciplinary approaches to uncover mechanisms linking microbial ecology to immune function.

Awards:

• AAI Pfizer-Showell Award (2024)
• NIGMS Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award (2023)
• Donald E. & Delia B. Baxter Foundation Faculty Scholar (2021)
• NIAID Career Transition Award (2021)

Advancing Science: Recent lab milestones include identifying antibiotic impacts on MAIT cell immunity and discovering microbiota-driven imprinting of innate lymphocytes. Current projects aim to modulate microbiota-T cell interactions for therapeutic innovation.

Lab Members: The lab includes researchers like Dominic Haas, Jonathan Melamed, and Gabrielle LeBlanc, supported by grants such as the NIH K22 and Baxter Foundation funding.