Jennifer K Mulligan PhD
Research Program Overview
“Team Sinus” focuses on understanding the underlying immunopathology of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). CRS affects up to 16% of the United States population with direct costs of nearly $22 billion per year. CRS represents one disease that is composed of a wide variety of clinical phenotypes. CRS with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) is the most difficult form of the disease and is prone to a high rate of recurrence with the average patient having four surgeries in their life time. Furthermore, up to 80% of CRSwNP patients exhibit temporary or permanent olfactory loss, which as such is the leading cause of olfactory loss. Our overarching goal is to define the immune mechanisms that drive upper airway inflammation and translate these discoveries into personalized, mechanism-based therapies that improve patient outcomes.
Our work uniquely spans the full translational spectrum—from basic science investigations of airway epithelial biology and immune signaling, to biomarker discovery using nasal mucus and advanced immune profiling technologies, and ultimately to multicenter clinical trials evaluating targeted therapeutics. We pioneered the use of nasal mucus as a noninvasive surrogate for tissue biopsy, enabling real-time assessment of inflammatory pathways and treatment responses, and advancing precision medicine approaches in CRS. Over the last decade with have continued to this research, and now in clinical trials we are investigating the ability of nasal mucus biomarkers to potentially predict an individual’s response to biologic treatment.
- NCT05964465 – ClinicalTrials.gov
- NCT06824649 – ClinicalTrials.gov
Our studies utilize a diverse array of models, including human biospecimens (including primary cell cultures) and well-established mouse models of chronic sinusitis, to ensure both mechanistic rigor and clinical relevance. Current areas of focus include vitamin D–mediated immune regulation, epithelial cell dysfunction, intracellular complement signaling, inflammatory signaling pathways, and mechanisms of smell loss, all with the aim of identifying actionable therapeutic targets.
Meet Our Collaborative Team:
- Nikita Chapurin, MD, MHS
- Jeb Justice, MD
- Brian Lobo, MD
- Carl Atkinson, PhD
- Dan Wesson, PhD
- Cory Brunson, PhD
- Fanchao Zhu, MS Clinical Research Coordinator
- Maria Villuana, BS PhD Student
- Daniel Osoria, MS Laboratory Technician
Research Funding
Publications
Check us out in the news!
- BBC “What your snot can reveal about your health”
- The Telegraph “What the colour of your snot says about your health”
- EurekaAlert “Vitamin D nasal spray treats loss of smell in mice”
- MedSearch “Chronic rhinosinusitis may be linked to an increased risk for cancer”
- Diag-Nose ABEL Microsampler FDA Listing Press Release
- The Proteomics Show Podcast “Snot”
- Revolutionizing Smell Science: Dr. Mulligan’s Role in Advancing Olfactory Medicine
- University of Florida lab develops anti-inflammatory treatment that doesn’t require steroids
Research Highlight: Use of Puragel© (RADA16) to Reduce Mucosal Inflammation (Sponsored by 3-D Matrix Medical Technologies)
Sometimes the newest innovations emerge from a fortunate stroke of serendipity. The simplest observation leads to the development of a major and beneficial breakthrough in a field.
Dr. Jennifer Mulligan, a mucosal immunologist in the Department of Otolaryngology at the UF College of Medicine, and Dr. Carl Atkinson developed RADA16, a hydrogel made of amino acids to help better treat patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), an inflammatory condition affecting the sinuses and nasal passages.
Patients with CRS experience symptoms, such as having a runny nose or cold, persistently for months, if not years. This often leads to a loss of sense of smell and a poor quality of life. Common treatments are steroids, which have long-term negative consequences.
But, with RADA16, it may be possible to control inflammation by applying it directly to the mucosal site of injury or inflammation.