University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus · BiologyThe Placenta Pathogen Project
Jon P Boyle · Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Research Focus
Dr. Jon P. Boyle's lab at the University of Pittsburgh focuses on understanding how the placenta interacts with the teratogenic pathogen Toxoplasma gondii, which can cause significant harm to fetuses if transmitted during pregnancy. The lab investigates the cellular and molecular mechanisms behind the placental resistance to this pathogen and aims to find predictive markers for infection outcomes. By conducting experiments on placental cells and analyzing immune responses in pregnant women, the research seeks to improve our understanding of congenital toxoplasmosis and maternal-fetal health.
Toxoplasma gondiiplacental biologycongenital toxoplasmosisimmune signalingteratogenic pathogens
Research Aims
4AIM 01Investigate the resistance mechanisms of placental syncytiotrophoblasts to Toxoplasma gondii infection.
AIM 02Characterize immune signaling at the maternofetal interface during Toxoplasma infection.
AIM 03Analyze the immunomodulatory landscape associated with congenital transmission in human samples.
AIM 04Utilize genetically tractable models to validate findings at the molecular level.
Skills the Lab Values
cell culturemolecular biology techniquesimmunoassaysmultivariate analysisgenetic manipulationanimal modelscytokine quantification
Output against the department
Publications93bottom 31% of dept.707th of 1,033
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations3.9kbottom 29% of dept.729th of 1,033
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.