Greg Pearson, M.S.
A serious bout of Lyme disease during my teenage years left me with significant health challenges. With the guidance of a trusted physician-mentor, I was able to overcome them. He taught me the importance of good nutrition, sufficient sleep, and regular exercise—habits that profoundly influence our integrative physiological systems. My experience as a collegiate athlete further deepened my appreciation for the remarkable adaptability of the human body and fueled my growing interest in health and medicine.
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While pursuing my Master’s degree at Shippensburg University, I chose to focus my research on tickborne diseases, including Lyme disease. Under the mentorship of Dr. Alison Fedrow, I completed a thesis on the subject and immersed myself in the study of immunology. This passion led me to pursue a Ph.D. in Immunology and Infectious Diseases at Washington State University (WSU).
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During my first year at WSU, a seemingly routine brown bag seminar unexpectedly shifted my academic path. A professor from WSU’s Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience department, Dr. Ilia Karatsoreos, presented on how biological clocks influence immune responses. The topic immediately captured my curiosity. By fortunate coincidence, I was seeking a lab rotation, and he was looking for a student with an immunology background. I took a risk and joined Dr. Karatsoreos’ lab. When the lab later relocated to the University of Massachusetts Amherst, I made the move as well. Since joining the lab, I’ve been working at the intersection of circadian biology, organismal homeostasis, and immunology.
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My Ph.D. thesis focuses on how time of day influences immune processes in the olfactory bulb—a brain region that is regularly exposed to inflammatory stimuli and can serve as an entry point for neurotropic viruses and other pathogens into the brain. Recently, I have become fascinated by robust transcriptional rhythms I’ve observed related to immune processes, including interferon signaling and microglia function. We are now investigating the role of these immune rhythms in the olfactory bulb, as well as the consequences of disrupting them.
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We believe that immune processes are not only critical for the normal functioning of the brain and other tissues throughout the body, but that the timing of these processes is key and are coordinated by the circadian clock. This concept is where I plan to focus my efforts going forward, including the last of my Ph.D. work, during my postdoctoral fellowship, and hopefully, one day, in my own independent laboratory at a R1 Research Institution.
Notable Achievements:
ARCS Fellow (Seattle Chapter)
Founding President of College of VetMed Graduate Students Association (@WSU).
Society for Neuroscience Trainee Professional Development Award (2022)
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