Stefani Lab

Introduction

The goal of our research is to better understand mechanisms of sensing and repair during diseases like cancer, infections, and neurodegenerative disorders.

During infection, cancer, or physiological changes, the membranes of our cells can be damaged. Cells evolved to respond to those changes using a range of specialized adaptive immune responses. By understanding those mechanisms, we can modify cells to boost the immune system and restore a targeted and efficient response.

Stefani Inline - Staining Segmentation

Our lab uses high-throughput screening methods and cutting-edge technologies like VR and AI to study cell response mechanisms. We observe cellular changes using high-capacity microscopes and analyze those changes through machine learning.

Stefani Inline - Confocal VR
Caroline  Stefani
Research Assistant Member

Caroline Stefani, PhD

Research Assistant Member; Principal Investigator, Stefani Lab; Imaging Core Manager, Cell & Tissue Analysis Core
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Research Projects

Stefani Research Project Preview - Immunotherapy and Tumor Cell Resistance

Immunotherapy and tumor cell resilience

Investigating how cancer cells evade killing by specialized immune cells
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Stefani Research Project Preview - Cellular Response to Stress Signals

Cellular response to stress signals

Understanding the cellular response to stress
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Related Stories

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September 21, 2023

Revolutionary Microscope to Fuel Immunology Breakthroughs

What if we could take a blood sample from a person with rheumatoid arthritis, zero in on the immune cells that cause the disease, and watch what they’re doing in real-time video?
Read Article
Blog Main Image - Scientific Collagen Fibers Skin
December 14, 2022

Using AI and VR to Advance Research

Caroline Stefani, PhD, became fascinated with the immune system while pursuing her doctorate in microbiology. She loved using imaging tools to examine the worlds of cells and bacteria. But one thing frustrated her. 

Read Article
Blog Main Image - Scientific Proteoglycans Excessive Deposition Vascular Disease
August 26, 2019

Using Virtual Reality to See Inside Cells

In 2016, two of BRI's information technology experts Garrett Wright and Tom Skillman had a conversation that sparked a novel question: Could virtual reality (VR) headsets let scientists step inside cells and view them in greater detail than ever before? 

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News

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Researchers zoom in on new ways to view biomolecules in pathogens

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Two-Step Expansion and VR Technique Enlarges Tiny Microbes, Illuminating New Ways to Prevent and Treat Disease

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