Robin R. Ingalls, MD
Professor, 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.
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
Education
- Harvard University, MD
- Holy Cross College, BA
Classes Taught
Publications
- Published on 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 on 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 on 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 on 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 on 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 - Published on 3/1/2019
Mostaghim A, Dhanani M, Ingalls RR. Fournier's gangrene as an initial manifestation of acute promyelocytic leukemia: A case report and review of the literature. SAGE Open Med Case Rep. 2019; 7:2050313X19834425. PMID: 30854206.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 1/3/2018
Ray TD, Mekasha S, Liang Y, Lu B, Ram S, Ingalls RR. Species-specific differences in regulation of macrophage inflammation by the C3a-C3a receptor axis. Innate Immun. 2018 01; 24(1):66-78. PMID: 29297237.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 1/1/2018
Dutta Ray T, Mekasha S, Liang Y, Lu B, Ram S, Ingalls RR. Editor's Choice. Innate Immun. 2018 Jan; 24(1):3. PMID: 29313794.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 4/23/2017
Kramer CD, Simas AM, He X, Ingalls RR, Weinberg EO, Genco CA. Distinct roles for dietary lipids and Porphyromonas gingivalis infection on atherosclerosis progression and the gut microbiota. Anaerobe. 2017 Jun; 45:19-30. PMID: 28442421.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 2/9/2017
Aqeel Y, Rodriguez R, Chatterjee A, Ingalls RR, Samuelson J. Killing of diverse eye pathogens (Acanthamoeba spp., Fusarium solani, and Chlamydia trachomatis) with alcohols. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2017 Feb; 11(2):e0005382. PMID: 28182670.
Read at: PubMed
View 45 more publications: View full profile at BUMC