Ryan Hobbs, PhD

The Hobbs laboratory studies how epithelial cells respond and adapt to cellular stress, with a particular focus on skin keratinocytes and other barrier epithelia. Our research examines how stress response pathways regulate DNA damage and repair, cell cycle control, endoplasmic reticulum stress, inflammatory signaling, immune privilege, and cell survival. A major focus of the laboratory is the autoimmune regulator AIRE and its functions outside the thymus in epithelial stress responses and tissue immune regulation. We use molecular and cell biology, mouse models, imaging, genomics, and disease models to investigate mechanisms relevant to alopecia areata, vitiligo, skin cancer, and epithelial injury. Current projects span basic mechanisms of cellular stress adaptation, autoimmunity, tumor biology, and responses to ultraviolet radiation and chemical injury.

Keywords: AIRE, epithelial biology, cellular stress, keratinocytes, skin biology, dermatology, alopecia areata, vitiligo, autoimmunity, immune privilege, skin cancer, basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, DNA damage, DNA repair, cell cycle, JAK-STAT signaling, ER stress, UV radiation, chemical injury, barrier epithelia