My research program operates at the vanguard of cardio-immunology, specifically investigating the mechanisms of trained immunity, bone marrow progenitor reprogramming, and macrophage heterogeneity in the pathogenesis of myocarditis and heart failure. My foundational training at Washington University School of Medicine (Khader Lab) focused on mucosal immunology and vaccine efficacy studies, where I pioneered work establishing the critical role of innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) in immunity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis and mapped the complex cellular landscapes dictating infectious disease outcomes. Bridging this deep expertise in innate and adaptive immunity, ILC biology, and vaccine-induced immunity with sterile inflammation, my current research elucidates how ischemic and inflammatory cardiac insults communicate with central hematopoiesis to define the precise immune mechanisms driving cardiac disease progression. Utilizing cutting-edge mouse models, my work focuses on characterizing specific macrophage subsets, elucidating the role of trained immunity in cardiac pathology, and developing innovative vaccination strategies against cardiac infections to improve host immunity and prevent heart failure.