Duke University · GeneticsHeaton Immunology Lab
Nicholas S Heaton · Durham, North Carolina
Research Focus
Dr. Nicholas Heaton's lab at Duke University studies how influenza viruses affect lung health and fetal development during pregnancy. The team focuses on the role of specific proteins in controlling inflammation caused by these viruses, particularly looking at how the immune response can go awry and has implications for health outcomes. Their research could lead to new treatments that limit disease severity in infected individuals and protect developing fetuses from maternal infections.
Influenza virusType I interferonPulmonary inflammationFetal developmentCRISPREpithelial immune responseGene regulationCytokinesPregnancy infectionImmunopathology
Research Aims
5AIM 01Identify how ETV7 regulates interferon signaling in lung cells during influenza infection.
AIM 02Explore the protective role of GPER1 signaling against type I interferon during pregnancy.
AIM 03Characterize the immune response in epithelial cells post-influenza infection.
AIM 04Investigate the effects of dysregulated transcription factors on fetal health during maternal infections.
AIM 05Determine the transcription factors involved in the resolution of influenza-induced inflammation.
Skills the Lab Values
CRISPR-mediated gene editingCell culture techniquesBiochemical assaysHigh-throughput screeningRNA extraction and analysisPromoter binding assaysAnimal modelsPrimary cell cultureMicroscopy techniquesData analysis software
Output against the department
Publications129bottom 41% of dept.152nd of 259
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations7.2kbottom 39% of dept.159th of 259
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.