Ragon Institute

The Sokol Lab investigates how the nervous and immune systems cooperate to control barrier tissue inflammation. Our focus is allergic disease — tracing neuroimmune interactions from first allergen encounter to chronic sensitization. At the center of our work is a fundamental reframing: sensory neurons at barrier tissues are not passive bystanders in allergic disease, but active regulators that both initiate and shape immune responses. These neurons directly sense allergen protease activity and signal to immune cells to trigger type 2 inflammation. The immune system, in turn, tunes neuronal sensitivity — creating feedback circuits that determine whether allergen exposure leads to lasting sensitization. Neurons themselves can also be reprogrammed by allergen exposure through metabolic changes that lower the threshold for future immune activation, a form or neuroimmune “training” that may explain why allergic disease tends to worsen with time. To dissect these pathways, we combine mouse genetics, CRISPR-based functional genomics in primary sensory neurons, single-cell approaches, and translational studies in human tissue. Our goal is to define the molecular logic of neuroimmune communication, and to identify new strategies to prevent and treat allergic disease, chronic itch, and inflammatory disorders.