Alejandra Mendoza, PhD

Neuro-immune interactions at barrier tissues
In the tissues that interface the environment, diverse cell types communicate to enable integration of, and adequate reaction to a wide range of stimuli such as temperature, mechanical and chemical stresses, tissue damage, and infection. Cells of the nervous and immune systems sense potentially harmful deviations from normality and ensure the avoidance, clearance, or sequestration of their causative agents. One of the goals of the lab is to understand how sensory neurons respond and influence inflammation.

Endogenous opioids and inflammation
Our lab seeks to uncover how endogenous opioid signaling mediates communication between sensory neurons and immune cells to regulate tissue homeostasis. We are interested in uncovering the molecular underpinnings of endogenous analgesics’ roles in maintaining physiological equilibrium in response to sensory inputs, a key concept that may have major implications on novel therapies for chronic conditions involving pain, itch, and inflammation.

Cellular states and the balance of immune responses
Our lab is interested in how environmental signals at barrier tissues orchestrate transcriptional programs that shape the activation states of immune cells, giving rise to functionally distinct effector, memory, and regulatory populations. A central goal is to uncover the spatial organization and functional heterogeneity of these cellular states, the circuits they form with other cell types, and how the balance between them governs protective immunity against pathogens, chronic inflammation, and tissue function.