Damon Runyon Researchers

Dr. Kulalert focuses on how the skin is influenced by microbes. The skin is enriched with immune cells and highly innervated; nevertheless, the roles of neuroimmune crosstalk in cancer development and treatment remain largely unexplored. Sensory perception, especially pain sensation, is associated with cancer-related complications as well as chemotherapy. Because the microbiota plays a critical role in maintaining tissue homeostasis in the skin, he will explore whether sensory processing can also be modulated by the host-microbe interactions, particularly in the context of tumorigenesis and cancer treatment. These insights may provide novel tools to alleviate tumor progression and complications linked with cancer and chemotherapy, including pain sensation.