Lab Members

Dr. Bose joined the Jefferies lab in January 2022. Her current research focuses on understanding the complex interactions between Type I interferon, immunometabolism and metabolic reprogramming in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Dr. Bose earned her doctorate degree in biochemistry and molecular biology from the CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Jadavpur University, India in 2013. She completed her postdoctoral training at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. During her postdoc, her research focused on the role of sex hormones in cystic fibrosis, exploring how sex hormones influence disease progression and outcomes. At the Jefferies lab, she aims to deepen our understanding of autoimmune diseases and their underlying metabolic processes, contributing to the development of novel therapeutic strategies.

Dr. Huo earned her PhD in cell biology and human genomics from Nankai University. She completed her postdoctoral training at UCLA, where she investigated signaling pathways involved in bone aging and chemoresistance mechanisms in triple-negative breast cancer at the Gonda Breast Cancer Research Lab. As a project scientist in the Jefferies Lab, Dr. Huo utilizing next-generation sequencing (NGS) to profile immune cells from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and healthy controls, with the goal of identifying therapeutic targets for SLE. Passionate about bioinformatics, she is dedicated to making data analysis tools more accessible to researchers, fostering collaboration and advancing genomic insights for improved healthcare solutions.

Dr. Perri received her doctorate in science in 2021 from the University of São Paulo in Bauru, Brazil. Her doctoral thesis focused on the effects of cytokine IL-33 and macrophage-conditioned media on squamous cell carcinoma. During her doctoral studies, she spent a 6 month sabbatical in the Hogaboam Lab at Cedars-Sinai. Graziela joined the Jefferies lab in January 2023. Her current research focuses on investigating the role of TRIM21 (and isoforms) as a negative regulator of lupus-driven inflammation and exploring its involvement in RNA/DNA sensing and lupus pathology.

Richard received his BSc from the University of Hawaii in 2011. While in Honolul, he worked with Dr. Michelle Tallquist, studying cardiac fibroblasts during disease development. In 2017, he worked with Dr. Christian Lood at the University of Washington, studying biomarkers in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). His interest in rheumatology led him to matriculate in the Cedars-Sinai Biomedical Sciences PhD program in 2020 and joined the Jefferies lab in August 2021. Since then, his research has focused on the development of lung disease in COPA syndrome, a rare genetic autoimmune disorder.

Arati graduated with her bachelor’s in biomedical engineering from University of Buffalo. She then moved to Los Angeles to pursue her masters in stem cell biology and regenerative medicine at USC, where she studied cartilage regeneration in zebrafish at the Crump Lab. She started her PhD in biomedical sciences at Cedars-Sinai and joined the Jefferies lab in January 2022. Her dissertation project delves into the complex interplay between heart disease and immunometabolism, with a specific focus on understanding the role of Type I Interferons in mitochondrial dysfunction.

Trinitee's interest in researching sex differences in autoimmune disease led her to join the Jefferies’ lab as a PhD student in August 2024. Under the mentorship of Dr. Jefferies, Trinitee aims to explore immunogenomics and epigenetics in SLE, emphasizing health disparities. Her academic journey began with a bachelor of science in biology from Howard University, where she engaged in research examining disparities related to age, sex and gender across various fields, including endocrinology, immunology and genetic medicine. Her prior work laid the foundation for her current efforts to bridge the gap between biomedical science and health equity. Outside of the lab, she enjoys poetry, yoga, and gardening.

Jon Jon received his BA in cellular and molecular biology with a specialization in genetics from Boston University in May 2023. While at the Boston University School of Medicine, he studied microglia and its role in Parkinson’s Disease in the Tay lab. He joined the Jefferies lab as a research associate in June 2024, where he oversees biobanking activities and investigates how inhibiting metabolic pathways influences Type I interferon signaling and its role in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). He also works on side projects that include the depletion of mitochondrial DNA in HeLa cells with ethidium bromide.