Bagaitkar Lab
The Bagaitkar lab studies the complex interactions between innate immune cells, epithelial cells, and microbial colonizers at the oral mucosal barrier. Reciprocal and heterogenous interactions between these three entities modulate tolerogenic or inductive immune responses that determine host susceptibility to chronic inflammation, cancers and oral mucosal infections with bacterial and viral pathogens.
The Bagaitkar lab has two main areas of focus: Factors determining immune homeostasis at the oral mucosal barrier, and the regulatory role of NADPH oxidase derived oxidants in immune homeostasis.
Featured Researcher: May 2022
Dr. Juhi Bagaitkar was selected as the Abigail Wexner Research Institute featured researcher. Learn more about Dr. Bagaitkar and her work in the Center for Microbial Pathogenesis.Join Our Team
Click here to view current job listings and learn more about careers at Nationwide Children's Hospital.Lab Staff
Juhi Bagaitkar, PhD
Principal Investigator
Juhi.Bagaitkar@NationwideChildrens.org
Juhi Bagaitkar, PhD, is a principal investigator in the Center for Microbial Pathogenesis and an associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University. She is an NIH funded investigator whose research focuses on understanding host-pathogen interactions, and innate immune pathways that regulate tolerogenic immunity at the oral mucosal barrier.
Chandra Shrestha, PhD
Chief Research Associate
Chandra.Shrestha@NationwideChildrens.org
Dr. Shrestha is a senior research associate in the Bagaitkar lab. She obtained her doctorate from the University of the Philippines and completed postdoctoral training at Kansas State University. Her work focuses on understanding antibacterial and antiviral immune responses in gingival epithelial cells. She is also very interested in understanding mechanistically how oral pathogens manipulate and compromise oral epithelial barrier function.
Savannah Morris, PhD
Postdoctoral Associate
Savannah.Morris@NationwideChildrens.org
Savannah received her doctorate from the University of Oklahoma in Chemistry and Biochemistry. Savannah’s research focuses on understanding the role of Tannerella forsynthia-derived serine protease inhibitor (Miropin) in inhibiting host immunity and modulating the pathogenic potential of other oral periodontal pathogens via protease- miropin interactions.
Kelley Cooper
Graduate Researcher
Kelley.Cooper@NationwideChildrens.org
Kelley grew up in Huntsville, Alabama, and received her bachelor’s degree in Microbiology from The University of Alabama. As an undergraduate, Kelley worked on determining how environmental factors affect transcriptional regulatory networks associated with developmental and stress response pathways in zebrafish. Her doctoral thesis project focuses on understanding the immune consequences of efferocytosis of live cells compared to apoptotic cells in the resolution of inflammation and autoimmunity.
Carlos Rodriguez Hernandez
Graduate Researcher
Carlos.Rodriguez@NationwideChildrens.org
Carlos completed his bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Sciences at the University of Puerto Rico. As part of the Post-Baccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP) at the University of Rochester, Carlos worked on determining how radiation therapy impacts anti-tumor immune responses. As a graduate student, Carlos focuses on understanding how oral bacteria impact interferon responses and antiviral immunity.
Katherine Carey, RVT
Research Veterinary Technician
Katherine.Carey@NationwideChildrens.org
Katherine grew up in Columbus, Ohio, and received her bachelor’s degree in Animal and Veterinary Science from Clemson University. She is a registered veterinary technician and manages mouse colonies for the Bagaitkar lab. Her work focuses on understanding the role of the NOX2 NADPH oxidase complex in murine models of autoimmunity and chronic inflammation.
Samer Zidan
Research Intern
Samer.Zidan@NationwideChildrens.org
Samer grew up in Columbus and received his bachelor’s in Pharmaceutical Sciences from The Ohio State University. His project focuses on looking on evaluating the efficacy of bacterial metabolites and their synthetic analogs in dampening autoinflammatory complications in chronic granulomatous disease.