Rubio Rodríguez-Kirby Lab

Neuroimmunology Across Health and Disease

Our group investigates the neuroimmune interface as a complex system, uncovering how cellular interactions and molecular mechanisms shape both normal function and disease.

With a focus on the neuroimmune axis as an integrated system, we seek to understand how diverse cellular populations and molecular programs integrate to support normal brain function and drive disease. We combine high-resolution spatial and multi-omic approaches to characterize how neurons, glia, and immune cells interact within tissue architecture, linking cell state, location, and function. This systems-level perspective allows us to move beyond individual components to uncover how coordinated cellular and molecular interactions give rise to emergent properties of tissue organization and activity.

A central focus of our work is to define how these interactions become disrupted across space and time in chronic neurological and neuroinflammatory conditions. We investigate how local cellular perturbations propagate through tissue environments, contributing to sustained inflammation, tissue remodeling, and degeneration.

Through the integration of experimental perturbations, in vivo modeling, and human tissue analysis, we aim to identify the fundamental principles governing neuroimmune system behavior and leverage these insights to inform more precise, context-aware therapeutic strategies.