Welcome to the Boyden Lab

We study the immunology of Multiple Sclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis is an immune-mediated neuroinflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system. Due to its enigmatic etiology, the multi-parameter nature of its autoimmune pathologies (vision, motor, cognition, pain, fatigue) and locations (brain, optic nerves, spinal cord), MS is a complex puzzle for researchers.

Success of B cell depletion therapies for MS highlight our focus on B cells’ support of neuroinflammation. We design experiments and develop models to understand the pathology and regulation of disease.

Research Selected Publications

Boyden Lab Members Standing in a Lab
Contains the stylized text "Boyden Lab" with illustrations of B-Cells
Connor looking through a microscope

Our current projects:

 

  1. B cell:CD4 T cell interactions in demyelinating disease
     
  2. B cell tropic virus impact on demyelinating disease pathogenesis
     
  3. B cell:CD8 T cell interactions in disease regulation
     

Research

Alex Boyden

Alexander W. Boyden, PhD

Title/Position
Assistant Professor of Pathology
Alex reviewing notes

Recent News

Nimra Aman awarded Marilyn Ohm-Smith Pathology Student Scholarship

The Ohm-Smith Scholarship Fund was established in 2024 by Marilyn Jean Ohm-Smith who is a graduate of the UI Department of Pathology's Master of Science in Pathology program and was mentored by Franklin Koontz.

Connor Wilhelm receives a National Multiple Sclerosis Society Travel Grant Award to attend the 2025 Autumn Immunology Conference (AIC) in Chicago

Connor Wilhelm, Experimental Pathology PhD candidate in Alex Boyden’s lab, has received a travel grant from the National MS Society to attend this year’s Autumn Immunology Conference (AIC) in Chicago, where he will present a poster and short talk

Selected Publications

Proteolipid Protein-Induced Mouse Model of Multiple Sclerosis Requires B Cell-Mediated Antigen Presentation. Wilhelm CR, Upadhye MA, Eschbacher KL, Karandikar NJ, Boyden AW. J Immunol. 2023 Sep 15;211(6):944-953. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.2200721.

Novel B cell-dependent multiple sclerosis model using extracellular domains of myelin proteolipid protein. Boyden AW, Brate AA, Karandikar NJ. Sci Rep. 2020 Mar 19;10(1):5011. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-61928-w.

Mohan looking in a refrigerator
Miles using lab equipment