Overview

Dr. Ford is a leading researcher in the study of the cellular mechanisms of T cell responses in transplantation and immunosuppression, and her work is funded by various federal, foundation, and industry grant awards. She was a vital member of the Emory research team led by Dr. Christian Larsen and Dr. Thomas Pearson that helped develop belatacept as a successful new class of immunosuppressant. The sophisticated research strategies and techniques she brought to the team were integral to its success in showing that belatacept could provide patients with a less toxic treatment and a better chance for long-term function and survival of the transplanted organ.

Dr. Ford is a vital member of the Emory research team currently spearheading new efforts to develop novel third-generation costimulation blockers as better and less toxic immunosuppression in clinical transplantation. Based on her foundational studies in experimental transplant models over the last 10 years in collaboration with Dr. Andrew Adams, this Emory team composed of Dr. Ford, Dr. Adams, and Dr. Larsen was awarded a $5.6M NIH grant to fund a clinical trial of the costimulation blocker lulizumab in 2018.

Dr. Ford's current portfolio includes two NIH R01s, several private foundation grants, the Emory Transplant Center's T32 training grant, and two R01-funded collaborative studies with Emory surgical critical care surgeon-scientist Dr. Craig Coopersmith. The studies with Dr. Coopersmith are investigating the impact of chronic alcohol abuse on the pathophysiology of sepsis, and the roots of the systemic immune dysregulation that switches on the immune suppression that is a major contributor to sepsis-induced mortality.

Academic Appointment

• Assistant Professor of Surgery, Department of Surgery Transplant Center, Emory University School of Medicine

Education

Research