Judith A. Woodfolk

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Primary Appointment

Professor, Medicine- Asthma, Allergy and Immunology

Education

  • MBChB, Medicine, Sheffield University
  • PhD, Microbiology, University of Virginia

Research Disciplines

Computational Biology, Immunology, Infectious Diseases/Biodefense, Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Translational Science

Research Interests

The immune response to common cold and allergens in health and disease.

Research Description

Research in my lab focuses on advancing knowledge of how the human immune system responds to environmental triggers that worsen lung disease. The prevalence of asthma has risen dramatically in the last few decades. Exposure to rhinovirus, the major cause of common cold, is an important risk factor for acute asthma episodes. A major goal of my lab's work is to understand how the adaptive immune response to rhinovirus may protect or harm, depending on the clinical status of the patient. More recently, we have expanded our work to study the immune response in patients with COVID-19, and in those who recover from severe disease.
Current projects include: (1) Understanding mechanisms of cross-protective immunity to human rhinovirus in an experimental human infection model; (2) Defining pathogenic T cell responses to rhinovirus in asthma (3) Identifying immune determinants of severe outcomes in COVID-19 patients, including those that link to chronic lung damage.
Ongoing work uses novel tools and state-of-the-art technologies to provide a systems biology perspective of immune activation in humans. Our approach involves a high degree of collaboration with clinical experts in asthma, pulmonary and critical care medicine, and infectious diseases, as well as with basic scientists in virology, biochemistry, transcriptomics, and single-cell analytics.

Personal Statement

I have studied adaptive immunity to allergens and microbes in humans for over twenty years. My interest was sparked by PhD thesis work on the characterization of T- and B-cell responses to novel allergens derived from skin-colonizing fungi linked to late-onset asthma. That work involved developing new experimental systems and statistical models to rigorously identify T-cell epitopes, and designing new assays for specific antibody isotypes and their conformational targets. My lab has broad expertise in analyzing T-cell responses to food and inhalant allergens and to human rhinovirus. This work included characterizing pathogenic T-cell signatures related to severe forms of allergic disease, and defining the relative contributions of Th1 and Th2 cells to virus-induced exacerbations of asthma. We have used MHCII/peptide tetramers and intact rhinovirus to precisely identify and track antigen-specific T-cells and B-cells respectively, in various human-based in vitro and in vivo systems, including in an experimental rhinovirus infection model. The integration of tools for antigen-specific cells with systems immunology technologies, including high-dimensional single-cell phenotyping (spectral flow cytometry and mass cytometry) and single-cell gene expression profiling, has provided us with a robust strategy for comprehensive profiling of immune cells and their networks in man. We are now applying these techniques to understand how pathogenic T cells triggered by different respiratory viruses may promote chronic inflammatory processes in asthma, and to identify hallmarks of cross-protection. By tailoring single-cell computational methods to our needs, we can generate efficient analytical pipelines for large data sets that can be applied to a variety of scenarios of respiratory disease and immune monitoring in man.

Training

  • Biodefense & Infectious Diseases Short-Term Training to Increase Diversity in Biomedical Sciences
  • Interdisciplinary Training Program in Immunology

Selected Publications

2023

Jie, S., Narasimhan, H., Cheon, I. S., Qian, W., Hu, S., Parimon, T., . . . Chen, P. (2023). Proximal immune-epithelial progenitor interactions drive chronic tissue sequelae post COVID-19. doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-3587418/v1

Narasimhan, H., Cheon, I. S., Qian, W., Hu, S., Parimon, T., Li, C., . . . Sun, J. (2023). Proximal immune-epithelial progenitor interactions drive chronic tissue sequelae post COVID-19.. bioRxiv. doi:10.1101/2023.09.13.557622

Ayers, E., Canderan, G., Williams, M. E., Keshavarz, B., Portell, C. A., Wilson, J. M., & Woodfolk, J. A. (2023). In-depth cellular and humoral dynamics of the response to COVID-19 vaccine booster in patients with chronic B-cell neoplasms. BLOOD CANCER JOURNAL, 13(1). doi:10.1038/s41408-023-00884-w

Bingham, G. C., Muehling, L. M., Li, C., Huang, Y., Ma, S. -F., Abebayehu, D., . . . Bonham, C. A. (2024). High-dimensional comparison of monocytes and T cells in post-COVID and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY, 14. doi:10.3389/fimmu.2023.1308594

2022

Brooks, B., Tancredi, C., Song, Y., Mogus, A. T., Huang, M. -L. W., Zhu, H., . . . Zeichner, S. L. (2022). Epstein-Barr Virus and Human Herpesvirus-6 Reactivation in Acute COVID-19 Patients. VIRUSES-BASEL, 14(9). doi:10.3390/v14091872

Muehling, L. M., Heymann, P. W., Carper, H., Murphy, D. D., Rajadhyaksha, E., Kennedy, J., . . . Woodfolk, J. A. (2022). Cluster analysis of nasal cytokines during rhinovirus infection identifies different immunophenotypes in both children and adults with allergic asthma. CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL ALLERGY, 52(10), 1169-1182. doi:10.1111/cea.14176

Keshavarz, B., Richards, N. E., Workman, L. J., Patel, J., Muehling, L. M., Canderan, G., . . . Wilson, J. M. (2022). Trajectory of IgG to SARS-CoV-2 After Vaccination With BNT162b2 or mRNA-1273 in an Employee Cohort and Comparison With Natural Infection. FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY, 13. doi:10.3389/fimmu.2022.850987

2021

Barone, S. M., Paul, A. G. A., Muehling, L. M., Lannigan, J. A., Kwok, W. W., Turner, R. B., . . . Irish, J. M. (2021). Unsupervised machine learning reveals key immune cell subsets in COVID-19 rhinovirus infection, and cancer therapy. ELIFE, 10. doi:10.7554/eLife.64653

Keshavarz, B., Wiencek, J. R., Workman, L. J., Straesser, M. D., Muehling, L. M., Canderan, G., . . . Wilson, J. M. (2021). Quantitative Measurement of IgG to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 Proteins Using ImmunoCAP. INTERNATIONAL ARCHIVES OF ALLERGY AND IMMUNOLOGY, 182(5), 417-424. doi:10.1159/000514203

2020

Roberts, G., Almqvist, C., Boyle, R., Crane, J., Hogan, S. P., Marsland, B., . . . Woodfolk, J. A. (2020). Developments allergy in 2019 through the eyes of Clinical and Experimental Allergy, Part II clinical allergy. CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL ALLERGY, 50(12), 1302-1312. doi:10.1111/cea.13778

Roberts, G., Almqvist, C., Boyle, R., Crane, J., Hogan, S. P., Marsland, B., . . . Woodfolk, J. A. (2020). Developments allergy in 2019 through the eyes of clinical and experimental allergy, part I mechanisms. CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL ALLERGY, 50(12), 1294-1301. doi:10.1111/cea.13777

Keshavarz, B., Wiencek, J., Bazydlo, L., Straesser, M., Workman, L., Platts-Mills, T., & Wilson, J. (2021). Quantitative Measurement of IgG to SARS-CoV-2 Proteins Using the Phadia ImmunoCAP 250. JOURNAL OF ALLERGY AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY, 147(2), AB150. Retrieved from https://www.webofscience.com/

Barone, S. M., Paul, A. G. A., Muehling, L. M., Lannigan, J. A., Kwok, W. W., Turner, R. B., . . . Irish, J. M. (2020). Unsupervised machine learning reveals key immune cell subsets in COVID-19, rhinovirus infection, and cancer therapy.. bioRxiv. doi:10.1101/2020.07.31.190454

Muehling, L. M., Heymann, P. W., Wright, P. W., Eccles, J. D., Agrawal, R., Carper, H. T., . . . Woodfolk, J. A. (2020). Human TH1 and TH2 cells targeting rhinovirus and allergen coordinately promote allergic asthma. JOURNAL OF ALLERGY AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY, 146(3), 555-570. doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2020.03.037

Heymann, P. W., Platts-Mills, T. A. E., Woodfolk, J. A., Borish, L., Murphy, D. D., Carper, H. T., . . . Turner, R. B. (2020). Understanding the asthmatic response to an experimental rhinovirus infection: Exploring the effects of blocking IgE. JOURNAL OF ALLERGY AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY, 146(3), 545-554. doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2020.01.035

Eccles, J. D., Turner, R. B., Kirk, N. A., Muehling, L. M., Borish, L., Steinke, J. W., . . . Woodfolk, J. A. (2020). T-bet plus Memory B Cells Link to Local Cross-Reactive IgG upon Human Rhinovirus Infection. CELL REPORTS, 30(2), 351-+. doi:10.1016/j.celrep.2019.12.027

2019

Roberts, G., Almqvist, C., Boyle, R., Crane, J., Hogan, S. P., Marsland, B., . . . Woodfolk, J. A. (2019). Developments in the mechanisms of allergy in 2018 through the eyes of Clinical and Experimental Allergy, Part I. CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL ALLERGY, 49(12), 1541-1549. doi:10.1111/cea.13532

Roberts, G., Almqvist, C., Boyle, R., Crane, J., Hogan, S. P., Marsland, B., . . . Woodfolk, J. A. (2019). Developments in the field of clinical allergy in 2018 through the eyes of Clinical and Experimental Allergy, Part II. CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL ALLERGY, 49(12), 1550-1557. doi:10.1111/cea.13535

Glesner, J., Kapingidza, A. B., Godzwon, M., Offermann, L. R., Mueller, G. A., DeRose, E. F., . . . Pomes, A. (2019). A Human IgE Antibody Binding Site on Der p 2 for the Design of a Recombinant Allergen for Immunotherapy. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY, 203(9), 2545-2556. doi:10.4049/jimmunol.1900580

Paul, A. G. A., Muehling, L. M., Eccles, J. D., & Woodfolk, J. A. (2019). T cells in severe childhood asthma. CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL ALLERGY, 49(5), 564-581. doi:10.1111/cea.13374

Rosen, D. A., Seki, S. M., Fernandez-Castaneda, A., Beiter, R. M., Eccles, J. D., Woodfolk, J. A., & Gaultier, A. (2019). Modulation of the sigma-1 receptor-IRE1 pathway is beneficial in preclinical models of inflammation and sepsis. SCIENCE TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE, 11(478). doi:10.1126/scitranslmed.aau5266

Davidson, W. F., Leung, D. Y. M., Beck, L. A., Berin, C. M., Boguniewicz, M., Busse, W. W., . . . Plaut, M. (2019). Report from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases workshop on "Atopic dermatitis and the atopic march: Mechanisms and interventions''. JOURNAL OF ALLERGY AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY, 143(3), 894-913. doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2019.01.003

2018

Roberts, G., Almqvist, C., Boyle, R., Crane, J., Hogan, S. P., Marsland, B., . . . Woodfolk, J. A. (2018). Developments in the field of allergy in 2017 through the eyes of Clinical and Experimental Allergy. CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL ALLERGY, 48(12), 1606-1621. doi:10.1111/cea.13318

2017

Muehling, L. M., Turner, R. B., Brown, K. B., Wright, P. W., Patrie, J. T., Lahtinen, S. J., . . . Woodfolk, J. A. (2018). Single-Cell Tracking Reveals a Role for Pre-Existing CCR5+ Memory Th1 Cells in the Control of Rhinovirus-A39 After Experimental Challenge in Humans. JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES, 217(3), 381-392. doi:10.1093/infdis/jix514

Roberts, G., Boyle, R., Crane, J., Hogan, S. P., Saglani, S., Wickman, M., & Woodfolk, J. A. (2017). Developments in the field of allergy in 2016 through the eyes of Clinical and Experimental Allergy. CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL ALLERGY, 47(12), 1512-1525. doi:10.1111/cea.13049

Wisniewski, J. A., Muehling, L. M., Eccles, J. D., Capaldo, B. J., Agrawal, R., Shirley, D. -A., . . . Woodfolk, J. A. (2018). TH1 signatures are present in the lower airways of children with severe asthma, regardless of allergic status. JOURNAL OF ALLERGY AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY, 141(6), 2048-+. doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2017.08.020

Platts-Mills, T. A. E., & Woodfolk, J. A. (2017). Mite Avoidance as a Logical Treatment for Severe Asthma in Childhood. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF RESPIRATORY AND CRITICAL CARE MEDICINE, 196(2), 119-121. doi:10.1164/rccm.201703-0450ED

Lotfi-Emran, S., Ward, B. R., Le, Q. T., Pozez, A. L., Manjili, M. H., Woodfolk, J. A., & Schwartz, L. B. (2018). Human mast cells present antigen to autologous CD4+ T cells. JOURNAL OF ALLERGY AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY, 141(1), 311-+. doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2017.02.048

Muehling, L. M., Lawrence, M. G., & Woodfolk, J. A. (2017). Pathogenic CD4+ T cells in patients with asthma. JOURNAL OF ALLERGY AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY, 140(6), 1523-1540. doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2017.02.025

Turner, R. B., Woodfolk, J. A., Borish, L., Steinke, J. W., Patrie, J. T., Muehling, L. M., . . . Lehtinen, M. J. (2017). Effect of probiotic on innate inflammatory response and viral shedding in experimental rhinovirus infection - a randomised controlled trial. BENEFICIAL MICROBES, 8(2), 207-215. doi:10.3920/BM2016.0160

Heymann, P. W., Huyen-Tran, N., Steinke, J. W., Turner, R. B., Woodfolk, J. A., Platts-Mills, T. A. E., . . . Hershey, G. K. K. (2017). Rhinovirus infection results in stronger and more persistent genomic dysregulation: Evidence for altered innate immune response in asthmatics at baseline, early in infection, and during convalescence. PLOS ONE, 12(5). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0178096

2016

Roberts, G., Boyle, R., Bryce, P. J., Crane, J., Hogan, S. P., Saglani, S., . . . Woodfolk, J. A. (2016). Developments in the field of clinical allergy in 2015 through the eyes of Clinical and Experimental Allergy. CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL ALLERGY, 46(11), 1389-1397. doi:10.1111/cea.12831

Roberts, G., Boyle, R., Bryce, P. J., Crane, J., Hogan, S. P., Saglani, S., . . . Woodfolk, J. A. (2016). Developments in the field of allergy mechanisms in 2015 through the eyes of Clinical & Experimental Allergy. CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL ALLERGY, 46(10), 1248-1257. doi:10.1111/cea.12823

Muehling, L. M., Mai, D. T., Kwok, W. W., Heymann, P. W., Pomes, A., & Woodfolk, J. A. (2016). Circulating Memory CD4+ T Cells Target Conserved Epitopes of Rhinovirus Capsid Proteins and Respond Rapidly to Experimental Infection in Humans. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY, 197(8), 3214-3224. doi:10.4049/jimmunol.1600663

Lawrence, M. G., Woodfolk, J. A., Schuyler, A. J., Stillman, L. C., Chapman, M. D., & Platts-Mills, T. A. E. (2017). Half-life of IgE in serum and skin: Consequences for anti-IgE therapy in patients with allergic disease. JOURNAL OF ALLERGY AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY, 139(2), 422-428. doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2016.04.056

Platts-Mills, T. A. E., Schuyler, A. J., Erwin, E. A., Commins, S. P., & Woodfolk, J. A. (2016). IgE in the diagnosis and treatment of allergic disease. JOURNAL OF ALLERGY AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY, 137(6), 1662-1670. doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2016.04.010

Platts-Mills, T. A. E., Heymann, P. W., Commins, S. P., & Woodfolk, J. A. (2016). The discovery of IgE 50 years later. ANNALS OF ALLERGY ASTHMA & IMMUNOLOGY, 116(3), 179-182. doi:10.1016/j.anai.2016.01.003

Woodfolk, J. A. (2016). Benign TH2 immunity in children: A fresh perspective on control of the allergic response. JOURNAL OF ALLERGY AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY, 137(2), 388-389. doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2015.12.1153

2015

Woodfolk, J. A., Glesner, J., Wright, P. W., Kepley, C. L., Li, M., Himly, M., . . . Pomes, A. (2016). Antigenic Determinants of the Bilobal Cockroach Allergen Bla g 2. JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY, 291(5), 2288-2301. doi:10.1074/jbc.M115.702324

Woodfolk, J. A., Commins, S. P., Schuyler, A. J., Erwin, E. A., & Platts-Mills, T. A. E. (2015). Allergens, sources, particles, and molecules: Why do we make IgE responses?. ALLERGOLOGY INTERNATIONAL, 64(4), 295-303. doi:10.1016/j.alit.2015.06.001

Wisniewski, J. A., Commins, S. P., Agrawal, R., Hulse, K. E., Yu, M. D., Cronin, J., . . . Woodfolk, J. A. (2015). Analysis of cytokine production by peanut-reactive T cells identifies residual Th2 effectors in highly allergic children who received peanut oral immunotherapy. CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL ALLERGY, 45(7), 1201-1213. doi:10.1111/cea.12537

2014

Agrawal, R., Wisniewski, J., Yu, M. D., Kennedy, J. L., Platts-Mills, T., Heymann, P. W., & Woodfolk, J. A. (2014). Infection with human rhinovirus 16 promotes enhanced IgE responsiveness in basophils of atopic asthmatics. CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL ALLERGY, 44(10), 1266-1273. doi:10.1111/cea.12390

Romeo, M. J., Agrawal, R., Pomes, A., & Woodfolk, J. A. (2014). Gene silencing and related oligonucleotide therapies for TH2-promoting cytokines Reply. JOURNAL OF ALLERGY AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY, 134(3), 762-763. doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2014.06.009

Erwin, E. A., Woodfolk, J. A., James, H. R., Satinover, S. M., & Platts-Mills, T. A. E. (2014). Changes in cat specific IgE and IgG antibodies with decreased cat exposure. ANNALS OF ALLERGY ASTHMA & IMMUNOLOGY, 112(6), 545-U164. doi:10.1016/j.anai.2014.03.007

Agrawal, R., & Woodfolk, J. A. (2014). Skin Barrier Defects in Atopic Dermatitis. CURRENT ALLERGY AND ASTHMA REPORTS, 14(5). doi:10.1007/s11882-014-0433-9

2013

Romeo, M. J., Agrawal, R., Pomes, A., & Woodfolk, J. A. (2014). A molecular perspective on TH2-promoting cytokine receptors in patients with allergic disease. JOURNAL OF ALLERGY AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY, 133(4), 952-+. doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2013.08.006

Wisniewski, J. A., Agrawal, R., Minnicozzi, S., Xin, W., Patrie, J., Heymann, P. W., . . . Woodfolk, J. A. (2013). Sensitization to food and inhalant allergens in relation to age and wheeze among children with atopic dermatitis. CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL ALLERGY, 43(10), 1160-1170. doi:10.1111/cea.12169

Wisniewski, J., Agrawal, R., & Woodfolk, J. A. (2013). Mechanisms of tolerance induction in allergic disease: integrating current and emerging concepts. CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL ALLERGY, 43(2), 164-176. doi:10.1111/cea.12016

Agrawal, R., Hulse, K., & Woodfolk, J. A. (2013). Targeting antibody receptors as an approach towards immunotherapy.. Arbeiten aus dem Paul-Ehrlich-Institut (Bundesinstitut fur Impfstoffe und biomedizinische Arzneimittel) Langen/Hessen, 97, 153-156.

Allakhverdi, Z., Comeau, M. R., Arment, M., Agrawal, R., Woodfolk, J. A., Sehmi, R., . . . Delespesse, G. (2013). Mast cell-activated bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells regulate proliferation and lineage commitment of CD34+ progenitor cells. FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY, 4. doi:10.3389/fimmu.2013.00461

2012

Cornmins, S. P., Kelly, L. A., Ronmark, E., James, H. R., Pochan, S. L., Peters, E. J., . . . Platts-Mills, T. A. E. (2012). Galactose-α-1,3-Galactose-Specific IgE Is Associated with Anaphylaxis but Not Asthma. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF RESPIRATORY AND CRITICAL CARE MEDICINE, 185(7), 723-730. doi:10.1164/rccm.201111-2017OC

2011

Platts-Mills, T. A. E., & Woodfolk, J. A. (2011). Allergens and their role in the allergic immune response. IMMUNOLOGICAL REVIEWS, 242, 51-68. doi:10.1111/j.1600-065X.2011.01021.x

Erwin, E. A., Woodfolk, J. A., Ronmark, E., Perzanowski, M., & Platts-Mills, T. A. E. (2011). The long-term protective effects of domestic animals in the home. CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL ALLERGY, 41(7), 920-922. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2222.2011.03787.x

Agrawal, R., Wisniewski, J. A., & Woodfolk, J. A. (2011). The Role of Regulatory T Cells in Atopic Dermatitis. PATHOGENESIS AND MANAGEMENT OF ATOPIC DERMATITIS, 41, 112-124. Retrieved from https://www.webofscience.com/

2010

Reefer, A. J., Hulse, K. E., Lannigan, J. A., Solga, M. D., Wright, P. W., Kelly, L. A., . . . Woodfolk, J. A. (2010). Flow cytometry imaging identifies rare TH2 cells expressing thymic stromal lymphopoietin receptor in a "proallergic" milieu. JOURNAL OF ALLERGY AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY, 126(5), 1049-U241. doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2010.07.023

Hulse, K. E., Reefer, A. J., Engelhard, V. H., Patrie, J. T., Ziegler, S. F., Chapman, M. D., & Woodfolk, J. A. (2010). Targeting allergen to FcγRI reveals a novel TH2 regulatory pathway linked to thymic stromal lymphopoietin receptor. JOURNAL OF ALLERGY AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY, 125(1), 247-256. doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2009.10.027