Center for Vaccines and Immunology, Department of Infectious Diseases
Assistant Research Scientist
Expertise
Disease Pathogenesis | Disease Physiology | Immunology | Infectious Diseases | Pathogenesis | Vaccinology
Biography
Whitney Rabacal obtained her Bachelor’s degree from Bowdoin College (Brunswick, ME) in 2006 and then worked as a research assistant at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (Boston, MA) in the laboratory Dr. Vicki Rubin Kelley from 2016-2010, focusing on models of autoimmune kidney disease. In 2016, Dr. Rabacal then received her doctorate in Microbiology and Immunology from Vanderbilt University (Nashville, TN) in the laboratory of Dr. Eric Sebzda, where her dissertation work was primarily focused on understanding the role of lymphocyte trafficking in development, homeostasis, and peripheral tolerance. Dr. Rabacal joined the Norris lab in the fall of 2016 where she has been involved in research focused on investigating the immuno-pathogensis of HIV-related comorbidities, and vaccine strategies for protecting immunocompromised persons against Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) and COPD.
Research Interests
- Vaccination strategies for the prevention of Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) and COPD
- Immune aging
- Immunopathogenesis of HIV-comorbidities
Selected Publications