Cell Signaling and Cancer Therapy

Biography

Dr. Wilson is a Director, New Mexico Center for Spatiotemporal Modeling of Cell Signaling Health Sciences Center. She is also a Professor, Department of Pathology, The University of New Mexico.

Research Interest

Dr. Wilson’s recombinant hypoallergens technology uses state-of-the art imaging and an improved computational process for measuring how allergens crosslink and activate human receptors. She has produced high-resolution imaging techniques showing the structure, migration and redistribution of a specific receptor on the membranes of mast cells and basophils that release histamine and other inflammatory mediators in reaction to an allergen. This novel way of analyzing allergen structures will enable the team to re-engineer allergens, with the goal of creating new versions that can be used as safer immunotherapies without causing an allergic reaction when administered. Currently, there is a wealth of information about allergen structure but scant information is available about how these structural features trigger receptors on mast cells and basophils. Further research and testing in these areas could be beneficial in discovering new treatment methods that are safer and more effective for treating allergens.