Robin R. Ingalls, MD

Professor, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine

Biography

The ability of innate immune system to sense invasion by a pathogenic organism and respond appropriately in order to control infection is paramount to survival. To that end, an array of receptors and binding proteins has evolved as part of the innate immune system to detect invading microorganisms. My laboratory is broadly interested in understanding how pathogens are detected at mucosal surfaces and how infection can lead to local and systemic damage, with a specific emphasis on reproductive immunology and women’s health. Our recent work includes model development for Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis infections in the female reproductive tract that lead to pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility; investigations of how infections alter placental immunity and contribute to preterm birth; and the impact of sex and gender on host-pathogen interactions.

Additional interests include emerging infectious diseases and their intersection with infection control and research safety. I am the Medical Director of the Special Pathogens Unit (SPU), a state-of-the-art maximum containment facility developed to support researchers at the National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratory (NEIDL). The SPU is recognized as a designated site of care of patients with highly communicable diseases by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the Boston Public Health Commission, and is available for any patients admitted to Boston Medical Center with infectious diseases requiring care in containment.

Publications

  • Published 1/3/2023

    DiLorenzo MA, Davis MR, Dugas JN, Nelson KP, Hochberg NS, Ingalls RR, Mishuris RG, Schechter-Perkins EM. Performance of three screening tools to predict COVID-19 positivity in emergency department patients. Emerg Med J. 2023 Mar; 40(3):210-215. PMID: 36596666.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 10/27/2021

    Doron S, Ingalls RR, Beauchamp A, Boehm JS, Boucher HW, Chow LH, Corridan L, Goehringer K, Golenbock D, Larsen L, Lussier D, Testa M, Ciaranello A. Weekly SARS-CoV-2 screening of asymptomatic kindergarten to grade 12 students and staff helps inform strategies for safer in-person learning. Cell Rep Med. 2021 Nov 16; 2(11):100452. PMID: 34723225.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 10/5/2020

    Vercruysse J, Mekasha S, Stropp LM, Moroney J, He X, Liang Y, Vragovic O, Valle E, Ballard J, Pudney J, Kuohung W, Ingalls RR. Chlamydia trachomatis Infection, when Treated during Pregnancy, Is Not Associated with Preterm Birth in an Urban Safety-Net Hospital. Infect Dis Obstet Gynecol. 2020; 2020:8890619. PMID: 33082702.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 1/1/2020

    Wynn A, Bristow CC, Cristillo AD, Murphy SM, van den Broek N, Muzny C, Kallapur S, Cohen C, Ingalls RR, Wiesenfeld H, Litch JA, Morris SR, Klausner JD. Sexually Transmitted Infections in Pregnancy and Reproductive Health: Proceedings of the STAR Sexually Transmitted Infection Clinical Trial Group Programmatic Meeting. Sex Transm Dis. 2020 01; 47(1):5-11. PMID: 31658242.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 6/19/2019

    Gulati S, Beurskens FJ, de Kreuk BJ, Roza M, Zheng B, DeOliveira RB, Shaughnessy J, Nowak NA, Taylor RP, Botto M, He X, Ingalls RR, Woodruff TM, Song WC, Schuurman J, Rice PA, Ram S. Complement alone drives efficacy of a chimeric antigonococcal monoclonal antibody. PLoS Biol. 2019 06; 17(6):e3000323. PMID: 31216278.

    Read at: PubMed

View All 55 Publications:   View Full Profile in BUMC

Other Positions

  • Professor, Virology, Immunology & Microbiology
    Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
  • Member, Evans Center for Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research
    Boston University
  • Member, Genome Science Institute
    Boston University
  • Graduate Faculty (Primary Mentor of Grad Students)
    Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Graduate Medical Sciences

Websites

Education

  • Harvard University, MD
  • Holy Cross College, BA

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