Laboratory of Caroline Sokol, MD, PhD

Overview

Allergic diseases affect nearly one in three individuals and continue to rise globally, yet the mechanisms that initiate these responses remain poorly understood. The Sokol Lab studies how the nervous system and immune system interact to detect allergens and drive allergic inflammation.

Our work has established that sensory neurons are not passive responders, but active detectors of environmental allergens. These neurons directly sense protease activity from allergens and communicate with immune cells to initiate type 2 immune responses. We have further identified neuroimmune and neuron-intrinsic pathways that prime neuronal detection of allergens, thereby amplifying allergic inflammation and promoting sensitization.

By combining immunology, neuroscience, and functional genomic approaches – including CRISPR screening in primary neurons – we aim to define the molecular pathways that control neuroimmune communication and identify new therapeutic strategies for allergic disease, chronic itch, and inflammatory disorders.

Research Projects

1. Neuronal detection of allergens: we study how sensory neurons recognize allergen-derived enzymatic activity and translate this into immune activation.
2. Neuroimmune circuits in allergic inflammation: we define how neurons communicate with immune cells, including dendritic cells and T cells, to initiate and amplify allergic responses.
3. Cytokine regulation of neuronal function: we investigate how immune-derived cytokines (e.g., IL-3) modulate neuronal sensitivity and reshape neuroimmune signaling.
4. Neuroimmune training and memory: we examine how environmental exposures induce long-lasting metabolic and transcriptional changes in neurons that enhance allergic responses.

Xueping Zhu, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital

Cai Han, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital

Peri Matatia
Harvard Immunology Graduate Student

Sarah Zaghouani
Harvard BBS Graduate Student

Dean Buttaci
Research Technician

Publications

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/1Py_BxwIaZS5n/bibliography/public/

Open Positions

We are always looking for motivated scientists interested in neuroimmunology, allergy, and interdisciplinary biology.

Open positions may include:

• Postdoctoral fellows
• Research technicians
• Graduate students

Please email clsokol@mgh.harvard.edu with your CV and a brief statement of interest.