Dr. Agudelo is an early career investigator who completed her graduate training in the field of immunology studying cannabinoid-induced immune dysregulation under the mentorship of Dr. Thomas Klein at the University of South Florida. Dr. Agudelo joined FIU in 2009 to pursue a postdoctoral fellowship under the mentorship of Dr. Madhavan Nair, where she gained experience on the neuro-immunological mechanisms of substance abuse and HIV disease progression. Currently, Dr. Agudelo is a tenure-track Assistant Professor in the Department of Immunology at the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine and principal investigator of NIAAA funded project (R00AA021264). Ongoing research in Dr. Agudelo’s laboratory aims to elucidate the effects of alcohol abuse on human dendritic cells which are pivotal antigen presenting cells of the innate immune system. Overall, the major goal of this project is to study the epigenetic mechanisms of alcohol effects on dendritic cells and the role of histone deacetylases and cannabinoid genes in the alcohol-induced immuno-regulatory process in a cohort of alcohol abusers from South Florida. Dr. Agudelo’s lab team is currently composed of a graduate student, a postdoctoral fellow, laboratory technician, a NIGMS RISE fellow, and two undergraduate research assistants. In addition, the lab provides training to minority students and host state of the art single cell imaging flow cytometry (FlowSight®) equipment, which has the capability of integrating flow cytometry and microscopy. Additional research initiatives and collaborations in Dr. Agudelo’s lab are highlighted below:

Alcohol Abuse,Cannabinoid Abuse