Douglas Lauffenburger

Douglas Lauffenburger

Ford Professor of Biological Engineering, Chemical Engineering, and Biology

Douglas Lauffenburger fosters the interface of bioengineering, quantitative cell biology, and systems biology to determine fundamental aspects of cell dysregulation — identifying and testing new therapeutic ideas.

617-252-1629

Phone

16-429

Office

lauffen@mit.edu

Email

Lab Website
Lindsay King

Assistant

617-253-0805

Assistant Phone

Education

  • PhD, 1979, University of Minnesota
  • BS, 1975, Chemical Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

Research Summary

The Lauffenburger laboratory emphasizes integration of experimental and mathematical/computational analysis approaches, toward development and validation of predictive models for physiologically-relevant behavior in terms of underlying molecular and molecular network properties. Our work has been recognized as providing contributions fostering the interface of bioengineering, quantitative cell biology, and systems biology. Our main focus has been on fundamental aspects of cell dysregulation, complemented by translational efforts in identifying and testing new therapeutic ideas. Applications addressed have chiefly resided in various types of cancer (including breast, colon, lung, and pancreatic cancers along with leukemias and lymphomas), inflammatory pathologies (such as endometriosis, Crohn's disease, colitis, rheumatoid arthritis, and Alzheimer's disease), and the immune system (mainly for vaccines against pathogens such as HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis). We have increasingly emphasized complex tissue contexts, including mouse models, human subjects, and tissue-engineered micro-physiological systems platforms in association with outstanding collaborators. From our laboratory have come more than 100 doctoral and postdoctoral trainees. Many hold faculty positions at academic institutions in the USA, Canada, and Europe; others have gone on to research positions in biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies; and others yet have moved into policy and government agency careers.

Awards

  • Bernard M. Gordon Prize for Innovation in Engineering and Technology Education, National Academy of Engineering, 2021
  • American Association for the Advancement of Science, Member, 2019
  • American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Fellow, 2001
  • John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, Guggenheim Fellowship, 1989

Recent Publications

  1. Inference of drug off-target effects on cellular signaling using interactome-based deep learning. Meimetis, N, Lauffenburger, DA, Nilsson, A. 2024. iScience 27, 109509.
    doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109509PMID:38591003
  2. Placental transfer dynamics and durability of maternal COVID-19 vaccine-induced antibodies in infants. Lopez, PA, Nziza, N, Chen, T, Shook, LL, Burns, MD, Demidkin, S, Jasset, O, Akinwunmi, B, Yonker, LM, Gray, KJ et al.. 2024. iScience 27, 109273.
    doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109273PMID:38444609
  3. Distinctive antibody responses to Mycobacterium tuberculosis in pulmonary and brain infection. Spatola, M, Nziza, N, Irvine, EB, Cizmeci, D, Jung, W, Van, LH, Nhat, LTH, Ha, VTN, Phu, NH, Nghia, HDT et al.. 2024. Brain , .
    doi: 10.1093/brain/awae066PMID:38442687
  4. Borrelia-specific antibody profiles and complement deposition in joint fluid distinguish antibiotic-refractory from -responsive Lyme arthritis. Bowman, KA, Wiggins, CD, DeRiso, E, Paul, S, Strle, K, Branda, JA, Steere, AC, Lauffenburger, DA, Alter, G. 2024. iScience 27, 108804.
    doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.108804PMID:38303696
  5. Humoral profiles of toddlers and young children following SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination. Nziza, N, Deng, Y, Wood, L, Dhanoa, N, Dulit-Greenberg, N, Chen, T, Kane, AS, Swank, Z, Davis, JP, Demokritou, M et al.. 2024. Nat Commun 15, 905.
    doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-45181-7PMID:38291080
  6. AutoTransOP: translating omics signatures without orthologue requirements using deep learning. Meimetis, N, Pullen, KM, Zhu, DY, Nilsson, A, Hoang, TN, Magliacane, S, Lauffenburger, DA. 2024. NPJ Syst Biol Appl 10, 13.
    doi: 10.1038/s41540-024-00341-9PMID:38287079
  7. Beta-spike-containing boosters induce robust and functional antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 in macaques primed with distinct vaccines. Deng, Y, Atyeo, C, Yuan, D, Chicz, TM, Tibbitts, T, Gorman, M, Taylor, S, Lecouturier, V, Lauffenburger, DA, Chicz, RM et al.. 2023. Cell Rep 42, 113292.
    doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113292PMID:38007686
  8. What cannot be seen correctly in 2D visualizations of single-cell 'omics data? Wang, S, Sontag, ED, Lauffenburger, DA. 2023. Cell Syst 14, 723-731.
    doi: 10.1016/j.cels.2023.07.002PMID:37734322
  9. Biphasic JNK-Erk signaling separates the induction and maintenance of cell senescence after DNA damage induced by topoisomerase II inhibition. Netterfield, TS, Ostheimer, GJ, Tentner, AR, Joughin, BA, Dakoyannis, AM, Sharma, CD, Sorger, PK, Janes, KA, Lauffenburger, DA, Yaffe, MB et al.. 2023. Cell Syst 14, 582-604.e10.
    doi: 10.1016/j.cels.2023.06.005PMID:37473730
  10. ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (AZD1222) vaccine-induced Fc receptor binding tracks with differential susceptibility to COVID-19. Kaplonek, P, Cizmeci, D, Kwatra, G, Izu, A, Lee, JS, Bertera, HL, Fischinger, S, Mann, C, Amanat, F, Wang, W et al.. 2023. Nat Immunol 24, 1161-1172.
    doi: 10.1038/s41590-023-01513-1PMID:37322179
More Publications
Photo credit: Kathy Wittman