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Profile

Scott Jenks

  • Department of Medicine
    Assistant Professor
Head shot of Scott Jenks

Overview

Dr. Jenks grew up in northeastern Wisconsin, where he attended Ripon College from 1990-1994. During his undergraduate coursework, he became very interested in the complexity and interconnectedness of the immune system and decided to pursue a doctoral degree in immunology. During his doctoral work at the University of Chicago, he studied with Dr. Jim Miller and demonstrated that T-cell co-stimulatory signals can influence Th2 differentiation.

After receiving his PhD, Dr. Jenks did postdoctoral studies in antigen processing and immune-dominance in the laboratory of Dr. Andrea Sant at the University of Rochester. In 2005, he joined the laboratory of Dr. Iaki Sanz, where he transitioned from studying mouse models of immunity to studying human disease directly, a change that has been both challenging and rewarding. In 2012, Dr. Sanz relocated his laboratory to Emory University, and Dr. Jenks chose to join him. He presently holds an academic appointment as instructor of medicine in the Emory University Division of Rheumatology.

Dr. Jenk's research is focused on human B cell biology in relation to auto-immune disease. He is excited that recently developed techniques are now making it possible to understand the complexity that has fascinated him throughout his studies.

Academic Appointment

  • Instructor of Medicine, Medicine - Rheumatology, Emory University School of Medicine

Education

Degrees

  • PhD from University of Chicago
  • BS from Ripon College

Research

Focus

  • The role of B cells in SLE pathology, University of Rochester and Emory Univeristy Mentor: Dr. Iaki Sanz In Dr. Sanzs lab I have defined the prevalence of specific auto-antibodies reactive against apoptotic cells and the relationship of these antibodies to other autoreactive specificities and disease. I am also studying the origins and pathological role of specific B cell memory subsets that are expanded in many SLE patients.
  • Immunodominance and DM editing, University of Chicago and University of Rochester, Mentor Dr. Andrea Sant, During this post doctoral research I determined the role of the cofactor DM in determining what CD4 T cell epitopes become immunodominant in response to a complex protein antigen. This research has implications for vaccine design.
  • LFA-1 costimulation inhibits T helper type two responses. Doctoral dissertation, Mentor: Dr. Jim Miller, University of Chicago
  • The role of HSP70 in protection from intestinal epithelial cell injury, Mentor Dr.Eugene Chang, University of Chicago

Publications

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