Kenneth Hunter

Biography

The Hunter laboratory is engaged in several areas of immunological/microbiological research and biomedical engineering. Using the 4T1 mouse mammary carcinoma model in mice, we are investigating the effect of hematopoietic cells and soluble mediators in the tumor microenvironment on tumor growth and metastasis. We have developed and are characterizing the immune response to fungal β-glucan, including its potential use as a vaccine adjuvant. Our lab is developing animal models of the neuro-immune diseases autism and chronic fatigue syndrome. Over the last few years, we have delved into comparative immunology by assessing the immune response of the desert tortoise to bacterial pathogens. On the biomedical engineering front, we and our collaborators have developed a novel fluorescence-based biosensor for sensing nucleic acids, and we are studying the potential of this sensor as a rapid diagnostic tool.