Stephen Ferris

Stephen Ferris, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at Saint Louis University School of Medicine. His laboratory is located at the Doisy Research Center in St. Louis, MO, where he leads research on fundamental immunological processes in cancer and autoimmune diseases.

Dr. Ferris completed his Ph.D. and postdoctoral training at Washington University in St. Louis, specializing in immune responses to self-antigens. His research bridges cancer immunology and autoimmunity, with parallel investigations into tumor neoantigens and Type 1 Diabetes mechanisms.

Research Focus: The Ferris Lab employs transgenic mouse models, CRISPR-based genetic manipulation, and advanced flow cytometry to study:

• Requirements for immune responses against cancer self-antigens
• Failure mechanisms of tumor rejection in patients
• Aberrant immune activation in Type 1 Diabetes
• Shared pathways between autoimmune disorders and cancer immunity

Experimental approaches include NOD mouse models, tumor cell line studies, and in vitro/in vivo immune cell functional assays.

Publication Trends: Recent articles (2022-2025) demonstrate consistent focus on dendritic cell biology (cDC1/cDC2 subsets), T cell regulation in tumor microenvironments, genetic control of immune cell development (Zeb2/Irf8 enhancers), and immunotherapy optimization. Sex differences in immune responses and metabolic influences on immunosurveillance emerge as recurring themes.