Labs

Lin Laboratory

About the Lab

Food allergies affect about 1 in 10 adults and 1 in 13 children in the United States. Most food allergies are lifelong conditions that lead to negative impacts on the quality of life of patients and their families. Unfortunately, treatment options are limited and mainly consist of strict avoidance of the triggering food and the carriage of emergency medications, such as epinephrine, in the case of accidental ingestion. Understanding the immune mechanisms underlying the development of food allergy has therapeutic implications that would improve quality of life and decrease healthcare costs.

Our research focuses on the regulation of B cells and immunoglobulin production during the development of food allergy and tolerance to foods. We are also investigating regulatory B cells in healthy and allergic children. The lab’s primary goal is to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the development of food allergy versus tolerance and to leverage these findings toward improved diagnosis, treatment and prevention of food allergy.