Peter S. Heeger

Research

Specific Clinical/Research Interest: Transplant immunology, complement, T cells

Postdoctoral Fellows: Wing Hong Kwan, PhD, Staci Leisman, MD, Deirdre Sawinski, MD

Research Personnel: Min Yang, PhD, Rajani Dinavahi, MD

Overview:
I lead a basic science lab in transplant immunology and complement/T cell interactions. I am also the Director of Transplant Research at Mount Sinai and oversee all clinical and translational transplant trials at the institution. Our group leads a multicenter international NIH trial on biomarkers as predictors of transplant outcome

Summary of Research Studies:
The research performed in my laboratory focuses on understanding the cellular and molecular immunologic events involved in rejection and tolerance of allogeneic organ grafts in mouse models and in humans. Using mouse models we assess a) how and where alloreactive T cell recognize antigens found in transplanted donor tissues and b) which induced effector mechanisms are essential for inducing graft pathology. Recently published work from our group has also delineated a new link between innate and adaptive immunity by demonstrating that alternative pathway complement components influence the strength of all T cell immune responses, including those directed at allogeneic tissues. Lessons derived from the animal studies are being ''translated'' into humans. I direct an NIH U01 multicenter trial to assess the utility of noninvasive markers to predict outcome in organ transplant recipients. The study is designed to provide a rational scientific foundation for therapeutic decision-making aimed at maximizing graft survival and minimizing toxicity in organ graft recipients.

Clinical Research Program in Transplantation Institute