Mark Landon

I am interested in medical science and its applications to human health, treatment of disease, and disease prevention. The best treatments come from an in depth knowledge of the system being affected; with this knowledge we can understand the deficiencies in the system, learn how diseases create those deficiencies, and effectively cure (or treat) them.

My interests lie mainly in clinical oncology, immunology, regenerative medicines, and developmental biology. I believe that a having a fundamental understanding of these systems will lead to more complete treatments. Harnessing physiological mechanisms, especially immune signaling systems, will allow for the use of patient specific bedside therapies for many serious conditions. For this reason, I believe that the best treatments start from the lab bench.

My interest in these areas comes from my enthusiasm for immunology. Immunology, to me, represents the key to many serious diseases. It is present in (almost) every tissue, its role has been shown to exacerbate many diseases, and the complex interactions between a heterogeneous mix of innate and adaptive immune cells makes it a critical and mysterious component of almost all disease. I believe that good therapeutics come from a basic understanding of immune cell biology. I hope to one day be a part of a team that uses physiological immune mechanisms to better the world.