The Foxman lab investigates the natural defense mechanisms that protect the respiratory tract from infection and injury. This includes studying immune responses of tissues that are not traditionally considered part of the immune system, such as the cells that form the lining of the nasal passages and lung airways. Our goal is to identify fundamental mechanisms of innate immunity and to use these discoveries to find new ways to detect, prevent, and treat viral infections and chronic lung diseases.
Children had less severe illness from COVID-19 than expected, and initial research on this phenomenon showed that children have heightened non-specific (“innate”) nasal immune responses compared to adults.
While standard diagnostic tests for viruses (e.g. PCR) are virus-specific, but the body's innate immune sensors can diagnose broad categories of infection with no prior knowledge of the pathogen.