Dartmouth College · Microbiology & ImmunologyCenter for Fungal Lung Immunology
Joshua J Obar · Hanover, New Hampshire
Research Focus
Dr. Joshua J. Obar's lab focuses on understanding how the fungus Aspergillus fumigatus causes chronic lung diseases such as allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA), particularly in patients with cystic fibrosis. The lab investigates the interactions between this fungus and the immune system, specifically looking at how certain immune cells called alveolar macrophages can either help or hinder the persistence of the fungus in the lungs. This research aims to reveal new ways to treat chronic fungal infections by targeting these immune cells to improve health outcomes for patients.
Aspergillus fumigatusallergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosiscystic fibrosislung macrophagesfungal persistenceimmune modulationchronic respiratory diseasehost-pathogen interactionsantifungal resistance
Research Aims
5AIM 01Investigate fungal-specific pathways that help Aspergillus fumigatus persist in alveolar macrophages.
AIM 02Examine the immune responses of alveolar macrophages to Aspergillus fumigatus infection.
AIM 03Develop a murine model to study allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis.
AIM 04Identify potential therapeutic targets within lung-resident macrophages to prevent fungal persistence.
AIM 05Analyze clinical Aspergillus fumigatus isolates from cystic fibrosis patients to assess variations in persistence pathways.
Skills the Lab Values
cell culturemouse modelsconditional knock-out miceadoptive transferimmunological techniquesgenetic screeningprotein extractionWestern blotreal-time PCR
Output against the department
Publications86bottom 28% of dept.348th of 486
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations3.0kbottom 21% of dept.386th of 486
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.