Company name: Megan A. Cooper, MD, PhD

Description: The laboratory is focused on mechanisms of immune cell control, including regulation of natural killer cell activation and molecular mechanisms driving pediatric immune-mediated disease. Natural killer (NK) cells are innate immune lymphocytes that produce cytokines and can kill target cells. They are important for the early control of viral infection and also play a role in tumor immunosurveillance. Current work in the laboratory is focused on understanding how metabolic pathways regulate NK cell functional responses. The second focus of our laboratory is on the origins of pediatric immune dysregulation. We use genomic sequencing to identify genetic causes of pediatric disease and work to better understand these diseases using in vitro and in vivo models. Dr. Cooper is the Director of the [Clinical Immunology ](http://pediatrics.wustl.edu/immunology/)program and the [Jeffrey Modell Diagnostic and Research Center for Primary Immunodeficiencies at St. Louis Children's Hospital](http://www.stlouischildrens.org/articles/news-releases/2018/jeffrey-modell-foundation-offers-hope-children-with-primary-immunodefici). Work in our laboratory is supported by the [National Institutes of Health](https://www.nih.gov/), [The Children's Discovery Institute](http://www.childrensdiscovery.org/), the [Jeffrey Modell Foundation](http://www.info4pi.org/), the [Immune Deficiency Foundation](https://primaryimmune.org/), the [Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation](http://www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/), and the St. Louis Children’s Hospital Foundation. Our research in the news: [Chase's story](https://nephrology.wustl.edu/kmov-tv-interviews-chromalloy-patient-chase-cofer/) [Meet Parker](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBcr2nB_S7I) [Weston's journey](https://www.stlouischildrens.org/giving/impact/weston) [Alex's story](https://www.bnd.com/living/magazine/article180470601.html)