Andres Hidalgo, PhD

My research interests have focused on the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which innate immune cells, and their hematopoietic precursors, contribute to organismal physiology and pathology. As a postdoctoral trainee I developed and used live imaging modalities to study acute inflammatory disease and discovered the receptors that mediate early neutrophil recruitment, as well as intravascular signals that cause vascular occlusion and severe symptoms in sickle cell disease. In my former position in Spain, my laboratory developed live imaging technologies and applied them to the study of thrombo-inflammation and its dramatic consequences in several organs, including the lung, brain and heart. We discovered new functions for innate immune cells, and demonstrated that circadian rhythms in the bone marrow are entrained in part by neutrophils entering this organ. We then extended these studies to define the immune circadian clockworks that control neutrophil migration, transcription and release of toxic mediators, as well as those that underlie circadian defense and inflammation. More recently, we have identified new sources of heterogeneity of immune across tissues and inside vessels, and demonstrated that pulmonary neutrophils are endowed with unique transcriptional programs and functions.

In my new position as Professor at Yale University, my lab is keen on defining the fundamental principles guiding innate immune distribution, phenotypic specialization, and functional states and their consequence in tissue physiology, including inflammation, infection, and regeneration after an insult. The basic principles of the immune system that we have discovered have clear implications in areas of cancer and aging, which we are now exploring.

In addition to my interest in research and science, I strive to mentor the next generation of scientists. I am committed to building an environment conductive to personal and professional growth for trainees at all levels, from the youngest undergraduates to the most seasoned postdoctoral fellows ready to start their own independent programs; to build an environment that fosters the passion for science while respecting other aspects of personal life.