Dr. Sonika Patial
Assistant Professor
Comparative Biomedical Sciences (CBS)
Biography:
Dr. Patial is an Assistant Professor of Comparative Pathology. Dr. Patial received her DVM (1998-2003) from College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Palampur (India) and MVSc (2003-2005) from Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar (India). She received her PhD (Cell and Molecular Biology) from Michigan State University in 2010. Thereafter, she completed her postdoctoral fellowship (2011-2016) at The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, North Carolina; and residency in Veterinary Anatomic Pathology. Dr. Patial Joined LSU as an Assistant Professor in 2017. Dr. Patial is a Diplomate of American College of Veterinary Pathologists (ACVP).
Teaching Interests:
Microscopic Anatomy (VMED 5132)
Problem Based Learning (PBL 5001)
Biomedical Cell and Molecular Biology (CBS 7103)
Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms of Host Responses to Infection (PBS 7003)
Research Interests:
Post-transcriptional Regulation of Gene Expression in Environmentally-induced Hepatic and Pulmonary Inflammation
Innate immunity is a highly conserved response that quickly detects and attempts to clear pathogens and harmful environmental stimuli by inducing inflammatory responses. These responses are orchestrated via temporal and highly coordinated regulation of a number of genes. In addition to regulation at the transcriptional level, a majority of these genes are also regulated by post-transcriptional mechanisms that modify mRNA stability and/or translation.
The focus of our research is to understand the association between environmental stimuli, post-transcriptional mechanisms of gene expression, and inflammatory disease pathogenesis. We are specifically interested in investigating how post-transcriptional mechanisms of gene expression regulate the initiation, progression, and the resolution of inflammation. We use liver and lung injury models, particularly those caused by environmental toxicants (Ccl4, Ozone, Allergens), to answer these questions. Our long term goal is to mechanistically understand inflammatory disease pathogenesis, identify biomarkers of environmental toxicants-induced injury and inflammation, and to devise novel therapeutic strategies aiming at regulating the levels of endogenous proteins that post-transcriptionally regulate inflammation.
Training Positions Available
Positions are available for motivated, research career-oriented undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral trainees. Interested candidates may email their CVs to spatial@lsu.edu
Contact
E-mail: spatial@lsu.edu
Phone: 225-578-9884
Office: 2518 VetMed
Lab: 2503, 2547 VetMed