Lieberman Lab | Dr. Lieberman's research background

Judy Lieberman is an immunologist. Her lab studies the innate and adaptive immune response to infection and cancer. They described the mechanisms used by killer lymphocytes (cytotoxic T cells and NK) to destroy cells targeted for immune elimination and protect us from infection and cancer. She also uncovered novel mechanisms by which killer lymphocytes kill microbial pathogens. She was the first to describe T cell exhaustion in humans and to test antigen-specific T cell therapy. More recently she uncovered the molecular basis for inflammatory death (pyroptosis), which lies at the root of inflammation, sepsis and cytokine release syndrome. Recent work identified important roles for pyroptosis in SARS-CoV-2, Yersinia, and Group A streptococcal infections, in immune control of cancer and in neurodegeneration. She also identified an inhibitor of pyroptosis and is a cofounder of Ventus Therapeutics, a company that is developing drugs to inhibit inflammation. Dr. Lieberman also was the first to show that small interfering RNAs could be used as drugs and to develop methods of cell-targeted RNA delivery. Her laboratory is currently investigating the use of aptamer-linked siRNAs for cancer therapy. They also uncovered roles of microRNAs and lncRNAs in regulating cancer.