We are part of the Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics Department at the University of Louisville School of Medicine (Louisville, KY). Our research projects, using both human and animal model systems, span the fields of molecular, population, evolutionary, and disease genomics. The primary projects in the lab are focused on characterizing and cataloguing genetic diversity in immune receptor genes across human populations and several animal model species. Our ultimate aim is to understand how genetic and epigenetic variation influence immune receptor function and the dynamics of the immune response, and how this information can be leveraged to inform our understanding of disease susceptibility and clinical health outcomes.

Watson Lab website

Department website