Ben Gern
@bengern.bsky.social
Pediatric Infectious Diseases physician-scientist at Seattle Children’s studying spatially-resolved immune responses during tuberculosis - (he/him) - gernlab.com
Pinned
Ben Gern
@bengern.bsky.social
· Jul 30
I’m excited to announce that our paper, describing early and opposing roles for neutrophils and CD4 T cells in determining #TB lesion structure, is out at @jem.org ! Huge thanks to my lab, and the Urdahl, @michael-gerner.bsky.social, and Aitchison labs who made this possible
doi.org/10.1084/jem....
doi.org/10.1084/jem....
Reposted by Ben Gern
Pleased to see this out now in @jem.org 🔬
We characterise the early immune response during M. tuberculosis infection in mouse models and demonstrate a detrimental role for type I interferon activated neutrophils in TB lesions. Thanks to all involved @crick.ac.uk and i3S, Porto.
We characterise the early immune response during M. tuberculosis infection in mouse models and demonstrate a detrimental role for type I interferon activated neutrophils in TB lesions. Thanks to all involved @crick.ac.uk and i3S, Porto.
William J. Branchett, Anne O’Garra @crick.ac.uk et al. reveal that type I signaling early during M. #tuberculosis infection favors #neutrophil swarming and limits CD4+ T cell–#macrophage interactions in #TB lesions, impeding TB disease control. rupress.org/jem/article/...
September 24, 2025 at 6:10 AM
Pleased to see this out now in @jem.org 🔬
We characterise the early immune response during M. tuberculosis infection in mouse models and demonstrate a detrimental role for type I interferon activated neutrophils in TB lesions. Thanks to all involved @crick.ac.uk and i3S, Porto.
We characterise the early immune response during M. tuberculosis infection in mouse models and demonstrate a detrimental role for type I interferon activated neutrophils in TB lesions. Thanks to all involved @crick.ac.uk and i3S, Porto.
Reposted by Ben Gern
A nice discussion here of our work on the early immune response in M. tuberculosis infection and the great recent paper from @bengern.bsky.social et al
First impressions count in #TB. Andrea Cooper @uniofleicester.bsky.social discusses studies by @wjbranchett.bsky.social et al. (rupress.org/jem/article/...) and @bengern.bsky.social et al. (rupress.org/jem/article/...), in Insights: rupress.org/jem/article/...
November 4, 2025 at 3:33 PM
A nice discussion here of our work on the early immune response in M. tuberculosis infection and the great recent paper from @bengern.bsky.social et al
Reposted by Ben Gern
Insights from Andrea Cooper: Mtb drives expression of type I IFN–mediated #neutrophil accumulation, which limits interaction btwn CD4 T cells & macrophages. Failure to limit type I IFN very early in the process allows rapid progression of disease rupress.org/jem/article/...
#Tuberculosis
#Tuberculosis
October 28, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Insights from Andrea Cooper: Mtb drives expression of type I IFN–mediated #neutrophil accumulation, which limits interaction btwn CD4 T cells & macrophages. Failure to limit type I IFN very early in the process allows rapid progression of disease rupress.org/jem/article/...
#Tuberculosis
#Tuberculosis
Reposted by Ben Gern
Asymptomatic Tuberculosis in Children with Household Exposure to Mycobacterium tuberculosis
✅ Just Accepted
#IDSky
🔗 https://bit.ly/47csDBA
✅ Just Accepted
#IDSky
🔗 https://bit.ly/47csDBA
October 16, 2025 at 5:05 PM
Asymptomatic Tuberculosis in Children with Household Exposure to Mycobacterium tuberculosis
✅ Just Accepted
#IDSky
🔗 https://bit.ly/47csDBA
✅ Just Accepted
#IDSky
🔗 https://bit.ly/47csDBA
Reposted by Ben Gern
Asthma is a chronic disease characterized by acute, intermittent, recurrent episodes of airway inflammation. A decade of work developing the tools, techniques and collaborations needed to figure out how CD4+ T cells in the lungs propagate disease can be found here:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Tertiary lymphoid structures support the development of allergen-specific progenitor CD4+ T cells
Tissue-resident memory CD4+ T cells (TRM) are key sentinels of the adaptive immune response that provide a rapid, robust inflammatory response upon reactivation in non-lymphoid tissues. While CD4+ TRM...
www.biorxiv.org
October 10, 2025 at 7:22 PM
Asthma is a chronic disease characterized by acute, intermittent, recurrent episodes of airway inflammation. A decade of work developing the tools, techniques and collaborations needed to figure out how CD4+ T cells in the lungs propagate disease can be found here:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Ben Gern
We are inviting applications for postdoctoral fellows in immunology of TB at the South African Tuberculosis Vaccine Initiative, University of Cape Town. For more information see the attached ad:
idm.uct.ac.za/media/739223
idm.uct.ac.za/media/739223
October 9, 2025 at 11:28 AM
We are inviting applications for postdoctoral fellows in immunology of TB at the South African Tuberculosis Vaccine Initiative, University of Cape Town. For more information see the attached ad:
idm.uct.ac.za/media/739223
idm.uct.ac.za/media/739223
Reposted by Ben Gern
Our October issue is here! rupress.org/jem/issue/22...
The cover image shows the lung of a mouse infected with M. #tuberculosis stained for #neutrophils (orange) normal lung parenchyma (blue), collagen (white) and CD4 T cells (green). See @bengern.bsky.social et al. rupress.org/jem/article/...
The cover image shows the lung of a mouse infected with M. #tuberculosis stained for #neutrophils (orange) normal lung parenchyma (blue), collagen (white) and CD4 T cells (green). See @bengern.bsky.social et al. rupress.org/jem/article/...
October 6, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Our October issue is here! rupress.org/jem/issue/22...
The cover image shows the lung of a mouse infected with M. #tuberculosis stained for #neutrophils (orange) normal lung parenchyma (blue), collagen (white) and CD4 T cells (green). See @bengern.bsky.social et al. rupress.org/jem/article/...
The cover image shows the lung of a mouse infected with M. #tuberculosis stained for #neutrophils (orange) normal lung parenchyma (blue), collagen (white) and CD4 T cells (green). See @bengern.bsky.social et al. rupress.org/jem/article/...
Reposted by Ben Gern
Treat pediatric CAP with 5 days of amox monotherapy. Check out our QI project here in @annalsofem.bsky.social using pre-clicked durations in order sets and an EHR-integrated pathway! #Pedsky #PedsIDSky #AntimicrobialStewardship #EM #PEM #EmergencyMedicine
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Clinical Pathway Revision Increases Amoxicillin Monotherapy and 5-Day Durations of Therapy for Pediatric Community-Acquired Pneumonia in the Emergency Department and Urgent Care: A Quality Improvement...
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends 5-day amoxicillin monotherapy as first-line treatment for pediatric uncomplicated community-acquired pne…
www.sciencedirect.com
September 16, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Treat pediatric CAP with 5 days of amox monotherapy. Check out our QI project here in @annalsofem.bsky.social using pre-clicked durations in order sets and an EHR-integrated pathway! #Pedsky #PedsIDSky #AntimicrobialStewardship #EM #PEM #EmergencyMedicine
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Ben Gern
A recent study from the Gerner and Urdahl labs at UW and @seattlechildrens.org uncovers fundamental determinants of tuberculosis lung pathology. This has important implications for new strategies to prevent or treat tuberculosis.
🧐 See the abstract in @jem.org : https://bit.ly/41IdeHA
🧐 See the abstract in @jem.org : https://bit.ly/41IdeHA
September 9, 2025 at 9:36 PM
A recent study from the Gerner and Urdahl labs at UW and @seattlechildrens.org uncovers fundamental determinants of tuberculosis lung pathology. This has important implications for new strategies to prevent or treat tuberculosis.
🧐 See the abstract in @jem.org : https://bit.ly/41IdeHA
🧐 See the abstract in @jem.org : https://bit.ly/41IdeHA
Reposted by Ben Gern
Conflict between the innate & adaptive immune system responses determines the kind of damage lungs suffer when infected with TB
Image made with @leicamicrosystems.bsky.social microscopy
📷 @bengern.bsky.social et al @seattlechildrens.org in @jem.org
➡️ bpod.org.uk/archive/2025...
Image made with @leicamicrosystems.bsky.social microscopy
📷 @bengern.bsky.social et al @seattlechildrens.org in @jem.org
➡️ bpod.org.uk/archive/2025...
September 8, 2025 at 7:51 AM
Conflict between the innate & adaptive immune system responses determines the kind of damage lungs suffer when infected with TB
Image made with @leicamicrosystems.bsky.social microscopy
📷 @bengern.bsky.social et al @seattlechildrens.org in @jem.org
➡️ bpod.org.uk/archive/2025...
Image made with @leicamicrosystems.bsky.social microscopy
📷 @bengern.bsky.social et al @seattlechildrens.org in @jem.org
➡️ bpod.org.uk/archive/2025...
Reposted by Ben Gern
Happy to share our new pre-print, led by PhD student Linh Pham! We examine inhibition of MHC II expression by NRF2 during Mtb infection and its impact on innate-adaptive crosstalk. Special thanks to the Behar lab who helped us set up a T cell co-culture system for the project! #TB #immunology
NRF2 inhibition of alveolar macrophage MHC II expression during Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.08.16.670319v1
August 18, 2025 at 8:53 PM
Happy to share our new pre-print, led by PhD student Linh Pham! We examine inhibition of MHC II expression by NRF2 during Mtb infection and its impact on innate-adaptive crosstalk. Special thanks to the Behar lab who helped us set up a T cell co-culture system for the project! #TB #immunology
Reposted by Ben Gern
We are hiring! The Dept of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics is looking for faculty at the Assistant or Associate professor level (tenure track). Please consider joining our vibrant microbiology and immunology community at the University of Pittsburgh School of medicine
August 20, 2025 at 7:41 PM
We are hiring! The Dept of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics is looking for faculty at the Assistant or Associate professor level (tenure track). Please consider joining our vibrant microbiology and immunology community at the University of Pittsburgh School of medicine
Reposted by Ben Gern
#WomenInSTEM becoming independent: People should feel free to be themselves and do great science. We asked ten women researchers about their science and the process of setting up a lab as an independent researcher: rupress.org/jem/article/...
August 15, 2025 at 2:45 PM
#WomenInSTEM becoming independent: People should feel free to be themselves and do great science. We asked ten women researchers about their science and the process of setting up a lab as an independent researcher: rupress.org/jem/article/...
Reposted by Ben Gern
Early and opposing #neutrophil and CD4 T cell responses shape pulmonary #tuberculosis pathology, say Benjamin Gern @bengern.bsky.social, Michael Gerner, Kevin Urdahl et al. rupress.org/jem/article/...
#TB
#TB
August 6, 2025 at 6:25 PM
Early and opposing #neutrophil and CD4 T cell responses shape pulmonary #tuberculosis pathology, say Benjamin Gern @bengern.bsky.social, Michael Gerner, Kevin Urdahl et al. rupress.org/jem/article/...
#TB
#TB
Reposted by Ben Gern
In @jem.org, @bengern.bsky.social et al. show that the early interplay between #neutrophils & CD4 T cells is pivotal in determining #TB pathology, and that depleting neutrophils can improve outcomes even at late timepoints, which has therapeutic relevance rupress.org/jem/article/...
July 30, 2025 at 3:45 PM
In @jem.org, @bengern.bsky.social et al. show that the early interplay between #neutrophils & CD4 T cells is pivotal in determining #TB pathology, and that depleting neutrophils can improve outcomes even at late timepoints, which has therapeutic relevance rupress.org/jem/article/...
Reposted by Ben Gern
@bengern.bsky.social et al. show that the early interplay between #neutrophils & CD4 T cells is pivotal in determining #TB pathology, and that depleting neutrophils can improve outcomes even at late timepoints, which has therapeutic relevance rupress.org/jem/article/...
July 30, 2025 at 3:23 PM
@bengern.bsky.social et al. show that the early interplay between #neutrophils & CD4 T cells is pivotal in determining #TB pathology, and that depleting neutrophils can improve outcomes even at late timepoints, which has therapeutic relevance rupress.org/jem/article/...
I’m excited to announce that our paper, describing early and opposing roles for neutrophils and CD4 T cells in determining #TB lesion structure, is out at @jem.org ! Huge thanks to my lab, and the Urdahl, @michael-gerner.bsky.social, and Aitchison labs who made this possible
doi.org/10.1084/jem....
doi.org/10.1084/jem....
July 30, 2025 at 1:54 PM
I’m excited to announce that our paper, describing early and opposing roles for neutrophils and CD4 T cells in determining #TB lesion structure, is out at @jem.org ! Huge thanks to my lab, and the Urdahl, @michael-gerner.bsky.social, and Aitchison labs who made this possible
doi.org/10.1084/jem....
doi.org/10.1084/jem....
Reposted by Ben Gern
Tuberculosis continues to impair quality of life long after the antibiotics have finished...
Need to work out how to prevent and treat these post-TB sequelae.
#IDSky #TBSky
Need to work out how to prevent and treat these post-TB sequelae.
#IDSky #TBSky
Contribution of Posttuberculosis Sequelae to Life-Years Lost from Tuberculosis Disease in the United States, 2015–2019
@atscommunity.bsky.social
www.atsjournals.org/doi/full/10....
@atscommunity.bsky.social
www.atsjournals.org/doi/full/10....
June 24, 2025 at 5:23 PM
Reposted by Ben Gern
Happy to share a preprint from the Angelo lab many years in the making. Read on for a saga of multiplexed imaging, immunometabolism, and TB granulomas with some fun side quests into the realms of geographical information sciences and transcriptomics… (1/20) doi.org/10.1101/2025...
The immunometabolic topography of tuberculosis granulomas governs cellular organization and bacterial control
Despite being heavily infiltrated by immune cells, tuberculosis (TB) granulomas often subvert the host response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection and support bacterial persistence. We prev...
doi.org
February 24, 2025 at 10:16 PM
Happy to share a preprint from the Angelo lab many years in the making. Read on for a saga of multiplexed imaging, immunometabolism, and TB granulomas with some fun side quests into the realms of geographical information sciences and transcriptomics… (1/20) doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Reposted by Ben Gern
Very excited for this story to be out!! Check out our dissection of how type I IFN promotes NET release, which contributes to Mtb pathogenesis and is associated with granuloma necrosis. Congratulations to all authors!! www.cell.com/cell-host-mi...
Type I IFN-mediated NET release promotes Mycobacterium tuberculosis replication and is associated with granuloma caseation
Sur Chowdhury et al. report that Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection results in the release of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) that promote Mtb replication and associate with tissue damage. Blocking NET release results in better control of Mtb replication, revealing a strategy for treating these deadly infections.
www.cell.com
December 5, 2024 at 1:30 AM
Very excited for this story to be out!! Check out our dissection of how type I IFN promotes NET release, which contributes to Mtb pathogenesis and is associated with granuloma necrosis. Congratulations to all authors!! www.cell.com/cell-host-mi...
Reposted by Ben Gern
Best #Nikolaus 🎅! Our paper on how the 🫁 microenvironment can shape #innate immunity against #viruses is out @sciimmunology.bsky.social This was a herculean effort brilliantly led by @pauljbaker.bsky.social who singlehandedly established the model in the lab during the pandemic. 🧪 #Immunosky 1/9
December 6, 2024 at 10:38 PM
Best #Nikolaus 🎅! Our paper on how the 🫁 microenvironment can shape #innate immunity against #viruses is out @sciimmunology.bsky.social This was a herculean effort brilliantly led by @pauljbaker.bsky.social who singlehandedly established the model in the lab during the pandemic. 🧪 #Immunosky 1/9
Reposted by Ben Gern
My new book, Everything Is Tuberculosis, explores the history of our deadliest infectious disease. It's also about our horrifying present: TB still kills kills over a million people per year, even though it's been curable since the 1950s.
Signed copies can be ordered at everythingistb.com
Signed copies can be ordered at everythingistb.com
November 22, 2024 at 8:37 PM
My new book, Everything Is Tuberculosis, explores the history of our deadliest infectious disease. It's also about our horrifying present: TB still kills kills over a million people per year, even though it's been curable since the 1950s.
Signed copies can be ordered at everythingistb.com
Signed copies can be ordered at everythingistb.com
Reposted by Ben Gern
Ok, in time for the International Day of Pride in STEM, here's a starter pack of LGBTQ+ immunologists. Since not everyone is open (or able to be open) about their identities, we're only adding people by request, so let me know if you'd like to be added #Immunosky #PrideInSTEM 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️ go.bsky.app/7WTavcd
November 17, 2024 at 9:11 PM
Ok, in time for the International Day of Pride in STEM, here's a starter pack of LGBTQ+ immunologists. Since not everyone is open (or able to be open) about their identities, we're only adding people by request, so let me know if you'd like to be added #Immunosky #PrideInSTEM 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️ go.bsky.app/7WTavcd
We are hiring a technician! This position is a great fit for motivated individuals who plan on going to graduate/medical school and want to study host-pathogen interactions using advanced imaging and immunologic tools. Please spread the word!
seattlechildrens.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/External/job...
seattlechildrens.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/External/job...
October 14, 2024 at 6:28 PM
We are hiring a technician! This position is a great fit for motivated individuals who plan on going to graduate/medical school and want to study host-pathogen interactions using advanced imaging and immunologic tools. Please spread the word!
seattlechildrens.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/External/job...
seattlechildrens.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/External/job...
Reposted by Ben Gern
So happy to share the latest preprint from our lab, led by grad student @PameliaLim9! Pamelia set out to study alveolar #macrophage innate sensing and found that lack of c-Maf and IL-10 enables Type I IFNs to enhance responses to low-dose LPS. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Absence of c-Maf and IL-10 enables Type I IFN enhancement of innate responses to low-dose LPS in alveolar macrophages
bioRxiv - the preprint server for biology, operated by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, a research and educational institution
www.biorxiv.org
May 28, 2024 at 1:03 PM
So happy to share the latest preprint from our lab, led by grad student @PameliaLim9! Pamelia set out to study alveolar #macrophage innate sensing and found that lack of c-Maf and IL-10 enables Type I IFNs to enhance responses to low-dose LPS. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...