Alexia Belperron, PhD
Director of STEM FellowshipsCards
Appointments
Additional Titles
Research Scientist, Rheumatology
Instructor Mol Biophys & Biochem
Lecturer MCDB
Contact Info
Appointments
Additional Titles
Research Scientist, Rheumatology
Instructor Mol Biophys & Biochem
Lecturer MCDB
Contact Info
Appointments
Additional Titles
Research Scientist, Rheumatology
Instructor Mol Biophys & Biochem
Lecturer MCDB
Contact Info
About
Titles
Director of STEM Fellowships
Research Scientist, Rheumatology; Instructor Mol Biophys & Biochem; Lecturer MCDB
Biography
I attended Cornell University and double majored in biochemistry and business management. After graduation I worked for a small start up company developing HIV therapeutics which solidified my love of research. I then attended Dartmouth Medical School where I worked on malaria and toxoplasma parasites and received my PhD in biochemistry. I was hooked on infectious and vector-borne diseases and came to Yale Medical School to complete a post-doctoral fellowship on Lyme disease and other tick-borne infections. I stayed on and became faculty in the Section of Rheumatology and have continued to investigate tick-borne diseases and the immune responses to them. I also pursued my love of teaching and teach both medical and undergraduate students.
Appointments
Rheumatology
Research ScientistPrimary
Other Departments & Organizations
- Internal Medicine
- Rheumatic Diseases Research Core
- Rheumatology
- Rheumatology, Allergy, & Immunology
Education & Training
- PhD
- Dartmouth College (1998)
- BS
- Cornell University (1990)
Research
Overview
My current research is primarily focused on understanding the immune responses and disease pathogenesis during B. burgdorferi infections. I am particularly interested in early immune responses during infection, and the role of marginal zone B cells. We are using several novel technologies to study the spirochetes including intra-vital microscopy and optical tweezers. With intra-vital microscopy we are studying both the motility and location of spirochetes in infected mice. We are also using intra-vital microscopy to analyze the joints of the mice in the hopes of better understanding the development of Lyme arthritis. In collaboration with the Dufresne lab in the Engineering and Physics departments, we are using optical tweezers to better understand the biomechanics of spirochete movement. Spirochete movement is crucial for the bacteria's ability to invade different tissues, and also plays a role in their ability to escape immune destruction.
In addition to studying immune responses to infection, we are also working to develop better diagnostic tests for Lyme disease based on our deeper understanding of the types of immune responses that are generated. We are collaborating with L2 diagnostics on several different projects.
In addition to Lyme disease, Ixodes ticks carry several other pathogens and we are also interested in studying the Babesia parasite, as well as the newly identified human pathogen Borrelia miyamotoi.
Medical Research Interests
Public Health Interests
Research at a Glance
Yale Co-Authors
Publications Timeline
Research Interests
Linda Bockenstedt, MD
Ann Haberman, PhD
Ruth R Montgomery, PhD
Choukri Ben Mamoun, PhD
David A. Hafler, MD, FANA
Durland Fish, PhD
Lyme Disease
Borrelia burgdorferi
Publications
2024
Insights From Omics in Lyme Disease
Bockenstedt L, Belperron A. Insights From Omics in Lyme Disease. The Journal Of Infectious Diseases 2024, 230: s18-s26. PMID: 39140719, DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiae250.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricMeSH Keywords and Concepts
2023
The Role of B Cells in Skin Inflammation
Frank A, Belperron A, Bockenstedt L. The Role of B Cells in Skin Inflammation. Journal Of Student Research 2023, 11 DOI: 10.47611/jsr.v11i3.1684.Commentaries, Editorials and Letters
2022
Longitudinal serum proteomics analyses identify unique and overlapping host response pathways in Lyme disease and West Nile virus infection
Boada P, Fatou B, Belperron A, Sigdel T, Smolen K, Wurie Z, Levy O, Ronca S, Murray K, Liberto J, Rashmi P, Kerwin M, Montgomery R, Bockenstedt L, Steen H, Sarwal M. Longitudinal serum proteomics analyses identify unique and overlapping host response pathways in Lyme disease and West Nile virus infection. Frontiers In Immunology 2022, 13: 1012824. PMID: 36569838, PMCID: PMC9784464, DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1012824.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsWest Nile virus infectionLyme diseaseVirus infectionWNV infectionSerum proteomeSymptomatic WNV infectionTime of diagnosisHealthy control seraDisseminated Lyme diseaseHost response pathwaysExtracellular bacterial infectionsSerum proteomic analysisIntracellular viral infectionsViral infectionHost responseBacterial infectionsControl seraStudy participantsInfectionDiseaseDisease biomarkersEarly diagnosticsLC/MSMolecular mechanismsRecovery phase
2021
Single cell immunophenotyping of the skin lesion erythema migrans Identifies IgM memory B cells
Jiang R, Meng H, Raddassi K, Fleming I, Hoehn KB, Dardick KR, Belperron AA, Montgomery RR, Shalek AK, Hafler DA, Kleinstein SH, Bockenstedt LK. Single cell immunophenotyping of the skin lesion erythema migrans Identifies IgM memory B cells. JCI Insight 2021, 6: e148035. PMID: 34061047, PMCID: PMC8262471, DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.148035.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsMemory B cellsErythema migransB cellsEM lesionsIgM memory B cellsLyme diseaseB-cell receptor sequencingSkin infection siteCell receptor sequencingEarly Lyme diseaseLocal antigen presentationSkin immune responsesB cell populationsSingle-cell immunophenotypingMHC class II genesUninvolved skinImmune cellsSpirochetal infectionAntigen presentationCell immunophenotypingT cellsImmune responseIsotype usageAntibody productionInitial signs
2019
The RpoS Gatekeeper in Borrelia burgdorferi: An Invariant Regulatory Scheme That Promotes Spirochete Persistence in Reservoir Hosts and Niche Diversity
Caimano MJ, Groshong AM, Belperron A, Mao J, Hawley KL, Luthra A, Graham DE, Earnhart CG, Marconi RT, Bockenstedt LK, Blevins JS, Radolf JD. The RpoS Gatekeeper in Borrelia burgdorferi: An Invariant Regulatory Scheme That Promotes Spirochete Persistence in Reservoir Hosts and Niche Diversity. Frontiers In Microbiology 2019, 10: 1923. PMID: 31507550, PMCID: PMC6719511, DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.01923.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsΣ factorsPhase genesDual-color reporter systemParalogous gene familiesRpoS-regulated genesAlternative σ factorsOligopeptide-binding proteinComplex regulatory pathwaysNymphal blood mealsVariable surface lipoproteinsEnzootic cycleSyntenic genesRpoS regulonOrthologous genesNiche diversityGene familyPersistence genesMammalian phaseTranscribes genesSpirochete persistenceRpoS pathwayMammalian infectionTransposon mutantsMaximal fitnessRegulatory pathwaysCorrigendum to “Vertical transmission rates of Borrelia miyamotoi in Ixodes scapularis collected from white-tailed deer” [Ticks Tick-Borne Dis. 10 (2019) 682–689]
Han S, Lubelczyk C, Hickling GJ, Belperron AA, Bockenstedt LK, Tsao JI. Corrigendum to “Vertical transmission rates of Borrelia miyamotoi in Ixodes scapularis collected from white-tailed deer” [Ticks Tick-Borne Dis. 10 (2019) 682–689]. Ticks And Tick-borne Diseases 2019, 10: 1173. PMID: 31129067, DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2019.05.003.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricVertical transmission rates of Borrelia miyamotoi in Ixodes scapularis collected from white-tailed deer
Han S, Lubelczyk C, Hickling GJ, Belperron AA, Bockenstedt LK, Tsao JI. Vertical transmission rates of Borrelia miyamotoi in Ixodes scapularis collected from white-tailed deer. Ticks And Tick-borne Diseases 2019, 10: 682-689. PMID: 30846418, PMCID: PMC6551370, DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2019.02.014.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsVertical transmission rateB. miyamotoiBorrelia miyamotoiBorrelia miyamotoi diseaseHunter-harvested white-tailed deerTransovarial transmission ratesInfected female ticksMiyamotoi infectionB. burgdorferi sensu strictoBurgdorferi sensu strictoInfection prevalenceI. scapularisHuman hostIxodes ricinus complexMiyamotoiLarval I. scapularisWhite-tailed deerLyme borreliaeFever spirochetesFurther investigation
2017
Two Photon Intravital Microscopy of Lyme Borrelia in Mice
Belperron AA, Mao J, Bockenstedt LK. Two Photon Intravital Microscopy of Lyme Borrelia in Mice. Methods In Molecular Biology 2017, 1690: 279-290. PMID: 29032551, DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-7383-5_20.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsVancomycin Reduces Cell Wall Stiffness and Slows Swim Speed of the Lyme Disease Bacterium
Harman MW, Hamby AE, Boltyanskiy R, Belperron AA, Bockenstedt LK, Kress H, Dufresne ER, Wolgemuth CW. Vancomycin Reduces Cell Wall Stiffness and Slows Swim Speed of the Lyme Disease Bacterium. Biophysical Journal 2017, 112: 746-754. PMID: 28256234, PMCID: PMC5340155, DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2016.12.039.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsCell wall stiffnessCell wallCell stiffnessCell speedLyme disease bacteriumSpirochete survivalPeriplasmic volumeCell shapeFlat wave shapeSwim speedTick hostsCell growthCell morphologyDisease bacteriumVolume regulationHost tissuesTestable hypothesesPrevious mathematical modelingBleb formationSublethal dosesMotilityBiophysical modelSwimming speedBorrelia burgdorferiSlower swim speed
2016
Radical cure of experimental babesiosis in immunodeficient mice using a combination of an endochin-like quinolone and atovaquone
Lawres LA, Garg A, Kumar V, Bruzual I, Forquer IP, Renard I, Virji AZ, Boulard P, Rodriguez EX, Allen AJ, Pou S, Wegmann KW, Winter RW, Nilsen A, Mao J, Preston DA, Belperron AA, Bockenstedt LK, Hinrichs DJ, Riscoe MK, Doggett JS, Mamoun C. Radical cure of experimental babesiosis in immunodeficient mice using a combination of an endochin-like quinolone and atovaquone. Journal Of Experimental Medicine 2016, 213: 1307-1318. PMID: 27270894, PMCID: PMC4925016, DOI: 10.1084/jem.20151519.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsExperimental babesiosisHuman babesiosisImmunodeficient miceRadical cureELQ-334Discontinuation of therapyFuture clinical evaluationEndochin-like quinolonesVivo efficacy studiesAdverse side effectsRecrudescent parasitesMost clinical casesCombination therapyMultisystem diseaseClinical evaluationComplete clearanceCurrent treatmentDrug combinationsDrug failureSide effectsExcellent growth inhibitory activityEfficacy studiesClinical casesGrowth inhibitory activityAtovaquone