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Penelope A. Morel, M.D.
Titles:
·Associate Professor of Medicine,
Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology
·Secondary Appointment, Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry
·Member, Pittsburgh Cancer Institute
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Address: |
BST West 1057
3500 Terrace Street
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA 15261 |
Office Telephone: (412) 624-0343
Office Fax: (412) 383-7224
Degrees:
·Southampton Medical School, UK (B.M., 1979)
·University of Geneva (Doctor of Medicine, 1983)
Postgraduate Training:
·House Surgeon, Royal South Hants. Hospital, Southampton, UK
·House Physician, Royal United Hospital, Bath, UK
·Postdoctoral Fellowship, Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation, La Jolla, CA
·Immunology Fellowship, Stanford University Medical Center
·Postdoctoral Fellowship, Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute
Research Interests:
Dr. Morel has a long-standing interest in autoimmune disease and her research has centered
around the study of HLA associations in various diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and
diabetes. Recent studies have involved the study of HLA associations in particular subgroups
of scleroderma patients. Scleroderma patients have been divided into five main subgroups based
on the specificity of anti-nuclear antibodies produced. Striking differences in frequencies of
particular HLA-DR alleles have been observed between these groups using techniques of DNA typing
for MHC class II alleles. These studies are carried out in collaboration with Dr. Thomas Medsger
in the Division. A new collaboration, with Dr. Susan Manzi, aimed at studying HLA associations
in well-defined SLE patients is also underway.
A funded study is concerned with the use of dendritic cells in the immunotherapy of autoimmune
disease. In these studies dendritic cells with tolerogenic phenotype are used to prevent and/or
treat autoimmune diabetes, in the murine NOD model.
In addition, Dr. Morel has a funded project that is concerned with the development of a
mathematical model to describe the interaction between Th1 and Th2 cells. This is a unique
collaboration between mathematicians and experimental immunologists as the model derives
directly from experiments carried out, in part, as a result of predictions of the model. These
studies will allow a better understanding of some of the immunotherapeutic methods used in
immunotherapy, such as lymphokine therapy or the use of lymphokine activated lymphocytes.
Dr. Morel was a postdoctoral fellow from the Arthritis Foundation from 1986 to 1989 and she is
a member of the American Association of Immunologists, the American Association for the
Advancement of Science, the Society for Biological Therapy and the American Society for
Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics.
Dr. Morel's publications can be reviewed through the National Library
of Medicine's publication database by clicking here.
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