Humans
I study the impact of the social environment, as measured by exposures to low socio-economic status and post-traumatic stress disorder, on immune gene expression in humans.
Cross-Species Comparisons of Immune Cell Gene Expression
Studies suggest a consistent relationship exists between social adversity and immune system gene expression (GE), though the magnitude and directionality of these effects, and their sensitivity to the local cellular environment, appear to be more variable. To investigate the possibility of a core signature of social advantage we compared its effects on gene expression in captive rhesus macaques, wild baboons, and humans, in both baseline and immune-challenged conditions.
A Core Signature of Social Adversity on GE
In humans, the effect of social adversity on immune cell GE differs between males & females
In adverse social environments female humans, macaques, and baboons all have a similar elevation of innate immune pathways in response to LPS challenge
Cross-species comparisons can help disentangle the biological pathways that mediate social gradients in fitness and health