Laurence Marguerite Morel PhD

Laurence Morel obtained her PhD from the University of Aix-Marseille (France). She trained as a postdoctoral fellow with Dr. Ward Wakeland at the University of Florida (USA) in immunogenetics, where she started to work on the genetic basis of lupus in mouse models. She was appointed with a faculty position in the department of Pathology, Immunology, and Laboratory Medicine at UF in 1999, where she is currently a tenured professor and the Vice Chair for Research and Academic Affairs.
Her research focuses on the mechanisms of lupus pathogenesis using mouse models as well as patients’ samples. In addition to genetic studies, her studies now extend to immune metabolism, the role of the microbiome, and the contribution of mesenchymal stem cells to lupus pathogenesis. Her long-term goal is to identify genes and pathways responsible for lupus susceptibility, to characterize their contribution to autoimmune immunopathology, and to translate these findings into therapeutic targets.