Sergio Lira, MD, PhD
img_Sergio Lira
PROFESSOR | Medicine, Clinical Immunology
Research Topics
Autoimmunity, Cancer, Cell Motility, Cellular Immunity, Chemokines, Chemotaxis, Imaging, Immunology, Inflammation, Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), Knockout Mice, Mucosal Immunology, Oncogenes, Organogenesis, Pathology, T Cells, Tolerance, Trafficking, Transgenic Mice, Tumorigenesis, Viruses and Virology
Multi-Disciplinary Training Area
Cancer Biology [CAB], Immunology [IMM]
Research

Specific Clinical/Research Interest: Mucosal Immunology; Microbiota; Cancer; Inflammation; Chemokines; Leukocyte trafficking; Lymphoid Development; Mouse genetics; IL-23 biology

Co-PI: Glaucia Furtado, PhD. Associate Professor

Postdoctoral Fellows: Lili Chen, Zhengziang He, Grace Chen

Visiting Scientist: Valentina Strohmeier (U. Freiburg, Germany)


Summary of Research Studies:
We use genetic approaches in mice to study the function of cytokines and their receptors in mucosal immunology, inflammation and cancer. Recent work in the laboratory focuses:

1) role of microbiome in inflammation in cancer.

2) impact of environmental factors such as diet in inflammation and autoimmunity

3) neonatal inflammation

For more information, please visit the Lira Lab page http://labs.icahn.mssm.edu/liralab/our-research-2/

Technologies
  • Engineering mouse mutants using  the CRISPR/Cas technology
  • Single cell transcriptomics
  • Imaging
  • Intestinal organoids

  • Post-doctoral, Roche Institute of Molecular Biology

    MD, U. Federal de Pernambuco

    PhD, University of California

    Publications

    Selected Publications

    Circulating senescent myeloid cells infiltrate the brain and cause neurodegeneration in histiocytic disorders. C. Matthias Wilk, Flurin Cathomas, Orsolya Török, Jessica Le Berichel, Matthew D. Park, Camille Bigenwald, George R. Heaton, Pauline Hamon, Leanna Troncoso, Brooks P. Scull, Diana Dangoor, Aymeric Silvin, Ryan Fleischmann, Meriem Belabed, Howard Lin, Elias Merad Taouli, Steffen Boettcher, Long Li, Antonio Aubry, Markus G. Manz, Julia K. Kofler, Zhenyu Yue, Sergio A. Lira, Florent Ginhoux, John F. Crary, Kenneth L. McClain, Jennifer L. Picarsic, Scott J. Russo, Carl E. Allen, Miriam Merad. Immunity

    Monocyte depletion enhances neutrophil influx and proneural to mesenchymal transition in glioblastoma. Zhihong Chen, Nishant Soni, Gonzalo Pinero, Bruno Giotti, Devon J. Eddins, Katherine E. Lindblad, James L. Ross, Montserrat Puigdelloses Vallcorba, Tanvi Joshi, Angelo Angione, Wes Thomason, Aislinn Keane, Nadejda M. Tsankova, David H. Gutmann, Sergio A. Lira, Amaia Lujambio, Eliver E.B. Ghosn, Alexander M. Tsankov, Dolores Hambardzumyan. Nature Communications

    Genetic coding variant in complement factor B (CFB) is associated with increased risk for perianal Crohn's disease and leads to impaired CFB cleavage and phagocytosis. Marzieh Akhlaghpour, Talin Haritunians, Shyam K. More, Lisa S. Thomas, Dalton T. Stamps, Shishir Dube, Dalin Li, Shaohong Yang, Carol J. Landers, Emebet Mengesha, Hussein Hamade, Ramachandran Murali, Alka A. Potdar, Andrea J. Wolf, Gregory J. Botwin, Michelle Khrom, Ashwin N. Ananthakrishnan, William A. Faubion, Bana Jabri, Sergio A. Lira, Rodney D. Newberry, Robert S. Sandler, R. Balfour Sartor, Ramnik J. Xavier, Steven R. Brant, Judy H. Cho, Richard H. Duerr, Mark G. Lazarev, John D. Rioux, L. Philip Schumm, Mark S. Silverberg, Karen Zaghiyan, Phillip Fleshner, Gil Y. Melmed, Eric A. Vasiliauskas, Christina Ha, Shervin Rabizadeh, Gaurav Syal, Nirupama N. Bonthala, David A. Ziring, Stephan R. Targan, Millie D. Long, Dermot P.B. Mcgovern, Kathrin S. Michelsen. Gut

    View All Publications

    Physicians and scientists on the faculty of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai often interact with pharmaceutical, device, biotechnology companies, and other outside entities to improve patient care, develop new therapies and achieve scientific breakthroughs. In order to promote an ethical and transparent environment for conducting research, providing clinical care and teaching, Mount Sinai requires that salaried faculty inform the School of their outside financial relationships.

    Below are financial relationships with industry reported by Dr. Lira during 2023 and/or 2024. Please note that this information may differ from information posted on corporate sites due to timing or classification differences.

    Royalty Payments:

    • Boehringer Ingelheim, Ltd.

    Mount Sinai's faculty policies relating to faculty collaboration with industry are posted on our website. Patients may wish to ask their physician about the activities they perform for companies.