Dartmouth Medical School - Faculty Database

Title(s):
Associate Professor of Pathology, and of Microbiology and Immunology
Associate Director, MD/PhD Program
Director, DartMouse(TM), The speed congenic core facility at Dartmouth Medical School

Department(s):
Microbiology and Immunology
Pathology

Education:
New York University School of Medicine, MD 1992
New York University, PHD 1991
New York University, MS 1989
Haverford College, BA 1984

Dr. Gorham received his B.A. in Biology from Haverford College in 1984, his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from New York University in 1991 and his M.D. from New York University in 1992. He did postdoctoral training at Washington University, where he also completed a residency in Clinical Pathology and was Chief Resident (1997 - 1998). In 1998, he joined Dartmouth Medical School as Assistant Professor in the Department of Pathology with a secondary appointment in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 2004.

Programs:
Immunology Program
Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Programs
Norris Cotton Cancer Center

Curriculum Vitae:
Gorham_J_CV_2009-02-12.pdf

NIH Biosketch:
Gorham_J_BIO_2009-02-12.pdf

Websites:
http://dms.dartmouth.edu/immuno/faculty/gorham.shtml
http://dms.dartmouth.edu/dgml/contact/

REGULATION OF T HELPER CELLS IN THE HEPATIC IMMUNE SYSTEM

The principal research goal in our laboratory is to understand the biological mechanisms regulating T helper cells, immune tolerance, and autoimmunity in the liver.

Our laboratory has shown that TGF-beta1 is a master regulator of liver immunity. TGF-beta1-deficient mice on the BALB/c background develop an aggressive inflammatory liver pathology that mimics many aspects of the human disease autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). We have shown that liver disease in BALB/c-TGF-beta1-/- mice is dependent upon the genetic background of the mouse, CD4+ T helper cells, and the inflammatory Th1 cytokine IFN-gamma. Our goals are to define the genetic, cellular, and molecular determinants of disease in this mouse model of AIH.

Because of the central role of TGF-beta1 in regulating Th1 mediated autoimmune disease in the liver, we are examining the mechanisms by which TGF-beta1 regulates T helper cell function in vitro. In particular, we are using a variety of approaches to better understand the effects of TGF-beta1 on T helper cell differentiation along the Th1 differentiation pathway. Recent data from our laboratory indicate that TGF-beta1 utilizes multiple mechanisms to inhibit the expression of hepatotoxic Th1 cytokines such as IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha.

Several additional projects are underway to better understand the behavior, trafficking, and regulation of T helper cells in the liver. We are using TCR transgenic mice to understand how antigen stimulation regulates T cells in the liver. In addition we are probing the cellular and molecular characteristics of liver T cells to gain insight into their unique properties.

Course director, DMS MCB Graduate Course 264 (Immunology Journal Club)
Organizer and lecturer of Autoimmunity block, DMS MCB Graduate Course 146 (Immunotherapy)
Lecturer, DMS Year 1 - General Pathology
Tutorial Leader, DMS Year 4 - Advanced Medical Sciences
Coordinator, DMS elective, Research in Pathology
Coordinator, DMS 3rd year training in Clinical Pathology
Small group discussion leader, DMS Year 1 - Medical Immunology