91ɫƵ

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Research Bench Lab
Robert Lochhead, PhD

Robert Lochhead, PhD

Associate Professor; Secondary Faculty in Medicine (Rheumatology)

Locations

  • Microbiology & Immunology
    BSB B2855

Contact Information

General Interests

Lyme disease, inflammation and autoimmunity

Education

PhD, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 2014

Research Experience

  • Arthritis, Rheumatoid
  • Autoimmunity
  • Borrelia burgdorferi
  • COVID-19
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Endothelial Cells
  • Fibroblasts
  • Gene Expression Regulation
  • Host-Pathogen Interactions
  • Inflammation
  • Lyme Disease
  • Lymphocytes

91ɫƵ Program / Core Facilities

  • Center for Immunology
  • Center for Infectious Disease Research

Educational Expertise

  • immunology
  • Microbiology

Research Interests

The Lochhead Lab focuses on mechanisms of arthritis pathogenesis, using animal models of Lyme arthritis and clinical samples collected from patients with various types of arthritis. Much of our research focuses on Lyme disease, caused by infection with the tick-borne pathogen Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb). Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease in the U.S., and is reaching epidemic levels in many regions, including the Upper Midwest. Lyme disease is an infection-induced multi-system disorder affecting skin (erythema migrans), heart (carditis), joints (arthritis) or neurologic tissue (neuro-borreliosis). Lyme arthritis (LA) is the most common late-stage manifestation of Lyme disease. Although most patients are effectively treated with antibiotics, 10-20% of treated patients develop post-infectious Lyme arthritis, potentially resulting in months or years of disability. Identifying immune factors that contribute to variability in disease severity and treatment outcome is critically important for public health in Lyme-endemic communities such as Wisconsin. By studying LA, we hope to gain important insights into how infection may trigger immune dysregulation, leading to tissue damage, arthritis, and autoimmunity.

Publications

  • (Holub MN, Wahhab A, Rouse JR, Danner R, Hackner LG, Duris CB, McClune ME, Dressler JM, Strle K, Jutras BL, Edelstein AI, Lochhead RB.) Arthritis Research and Therapy. December 2024;26(1) SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85188752768 12/01/2024

  • (Danner R, Pereckas M, Prochniak L, Rouse JR, Wahhab A, Hackner LG, Lochhead RB. .) Journal of Infection Diseases (revised manuscript under review). 05/29/2024

  • (Rouse JR, Danner R, Wahhab A, Pereckas M, McClune ME, Steere AC, Strle K, Jutras BL, Lochhead RB.) bioRxiv. 2023 Nov 29 PMID: 38045407 PMCID: PMC10690166 12/04/2023

  • (Kanjana K, Strle K, Lochhead RB, Pianta A, Mateyka LM, Wang Q, Arvikar SL, Kling DE, Deangelo CA, Curham L, Barbour AG, Costello CE, Moon JJ, Steere AC.) J Clin Invest. 2023 Sep 01;133(17) PMID: 37471146 PMCID: PMC10471169 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85169502176 07/20/2023

  • (Ordóñez D, Lochhead RB, Strle K, Pianta A, Arvikar S, Van Rhijn I, Stemmer-Rachamimov A, Steere AC.) Arthritis Rheumatol. 2023 May;75(5):782-793 PMID: 36413215 PMCID: PMC10191881 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85150932196 11/23/2022

  • (Holub MN, Wahhab A, Rouse JR, Danner R, McClune MM, Dressler JM, Strle K, Jutras BL, Edelstein AI, Lochhead RB.) Res Sq. 2023 Apr 28 PMID: 37162851 PMCID: PMC10168439 05/10/2023

  • (Rebecca Danner, Michael Perekas, Joseph Rouse, Amanda Wahhab, and Robert Lochhead.) Journal of Proteome Research (in prep). 03/29/2023

  • (Meaghan Holub, Amanda Wahhab, Joseph Rouse, Rebecca Danner, Mecaila McClune, Jules Dressler, Brandon Jutras, Adam Edelstein, and Robert Lochhead.) Arthritis and Rheumatology (in prep). 03/29/2023

  • (Joseph Rouse, Amanda Wahhab, Rebecca Danner, and Robert Lochhead.) Journal of Experimental Medicine (in prep). 03/29/2023

  • (Lochhead RB, Strle K, Arvikar SL, Weis JJ, Steere AC.) Nat Rev Rheumatol. 2021 Aug;17(8):449-461 PMID: 34226730 PMCID: PMC9488587 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85109836229 07/07/2021

  • (Lochhead RB, Strle K, Arvikar SL, Weis JJ, Steere AC.) Nature Reviews Rheumatology. August 2021;17(8):449-461 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85109836229 08/01/2021

  • (Donta ST, States LJ, Adams WA, Bankhead T, Baumgarth N, Embers ME, Lochhead RB, Stevenson B.) Front Med (Lausanne). 2021;8:643235 PMID: 34164410 PMCID: PMC8215209 06/25/2021