Gregory Dekaban
Chair of Microbiology & Immunology
Professor / Scientist, Biotherapeutics Research Laboratory
Postdoc: Frederick Cancer Research Facility, Maryland, USA
PhD: Western University, Canada
BSc: Queen's University, Canada
Office: Robarts Research Institute, Rm 2214
Phone: 519.931.5777 x24241
Email: dekaban@robarts.ca or dekaban@uwo.ca
Lab Website: http://www.robarts.ca
Area of Study:
Development of immunotherapies for cancer, infectious disease and neurotrauma
-Neurovirology
-Neuroinflammation
-Neurotrauma and therapeutics
-Virology
-HIV- AIDS disease pathogenesis and therapeutics
-Dendritic cells and other antigen presenting cells as immunotherapeutics
-In vivo cell tracking using bioluminescent and magnetic resonance imaging
Research Profile
The research in my laboratory is centered in two major areas:
1. A focus of our research is to define the role of the CD11d CD18 integrin in leukocyte biology and inflammation of the central nervous system. Through the use of immunological, molecular and cell biological techniques, my laboratory is defining the phenotype and function of different monocyte subsets that infiltrate the central nervous system following traumatic injury and during neurodegenerative disease. In addition, my laboratory is involved in developing a novel anti-inflammatory treatment for spinal cord injury and traumatic brain injury that involves blocking leukocytes from infiltrating the site of injury from the blood.
2. The second focus of my research is the development of novel therapeutic vaccine approaches for cancer. The current emphasis is in developing antigen presenting cell-based therapeutic vaccines with a particular interest in dendritic cells. The laboratory is working in collaboration with Dr. Paula Foster to develop real-time cellular magnetic resonance imaging techniques as a means to track dendritic cell migration in vivo in humans.
