The Korkmaz Lab.
Filiz Korkmaz Ph.D
About Filiz
Filiz Korkmaz, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, a position she has held since 2024. She earned a BS in Microbiology, summa cum laude, from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2012 and a PhD in Cellular, Molecular & Biomedical Sciences from the University of Vermont in 2018. She subsequently completed postdoctoral training in pulmonary research at Boston University School of Medicine and in immunology and infectious disease at UMass Chan Medical School.
Her research has evolved from studying innate immune variation and epigenetics in bovine infection to investigating immune responses in the lung during pneumonia. Her scholarship particularly focuses on LOX-1, immune regulation, alveolar macrophages, immunometabolism, and inflammatory lung injury. She has authored or co-authored numerous peer-reviewed publications, presented her work extensively at national and international conferences, and currently serves as Principal Investigator on an NIH-funded K99/R00 award examining LOX-1-dependent immune regulation during pneumonia. In addition to her research, Filiz is deeply involved in teaching, mentoring undergraduate and graduate students, and professional service through organizations including the American Thoracic Society, Society for Leukocyte Biology, American Association of Immunologists, and American Society for Microbiology.
Natalia Estrada
About Natalia
Natalia is a Research Assistant in the Korkmaz Lab, where her research focuses on understanding the role of LOX-1 in regulating efferocytosis and phagocytosis in alveolar macrophages. Natalia earned her Bachelor’s degree in Biotechnology from Arkansas State University, Campus Queretaro. She is interested in translational research focused on cancer and autoimmune diseases and plans to pursue doctoral training in immunology. Outside of the lab, she enjoys running, thrifting, and reading.
Devin Gatica
About Devin
I am a research assistant for the Korkmaz Lab at the University of Iowa. My research focuses on the affects of LOX-1 on the host immune response during pneumonia. More recently I have been investigating the affects and function of soluble LOX-1. I utilize immunoassays, flow cytometry, and rt-qPCR to study sLOX-1. I mainly focus on studying both macrophages and neutrophils either in vivo or in vitro.
Audrey Hake
About Audrey
My research in the Korkmaz Lab focuses on understanding the immunoregulatory role of LOX-1 in the lungs during pneumonia. My current work investigates the binding partners of soluble LOX-1 (sLOX-1) during lung infection, an area that remains poorly understood. I will also investigate the relationship between marginated B cells and LOX-1 expressing neutrophils in the lungs to better understand their potential roles in regulating immune responses during infection.
Fernando Santana
About Fernando
My research focuses on understanding host immune responses during pneumonia, with an emphasis on identifying mechanisms that promote pathogen clearance, limit inflammation, and support tissue recovery. I am particularly interested in the role of scavenger receptors, especially LOX-1, in regulating lung immune responses after infection. This work explores how LOX-1 signaling influences resident macrophages and recruited neutrophils during acute and long-term protection. By studying host factors that shape immune defense and lung repair, this research aims to support the development of host-targeted therapeutic strategies for pneumonia.
Ryan Illig
About Ryan
My research focuses on understanding how neutrophils respond to bacterial pneumonia and contribute to pulmonary immunity. Specifically, I study how LOX-1 drives neutrophil heterogeneity and regulates their function during pulmonary infection. My goal is to define how distinct neutrophil populations influence inflammation, tissue protection, and disease outcomes.
Logan Frye
About Logan
My main research objective is to better understand how macrophage immune regulation differs after activation of the scavenger receptor LOX-1 in various tissues throughout the body. Right now, my project is focused on finding to what extent macrophages from the brain, spleen, lung, or bone marrow produce pro-inflammatory cytokines after LOX-1 activation at various time points. Figuring out the differences in how macrophages contribute to inflammation throughout the body aids the development of new therapies to minimize and treat inflammation-related tissue damage in cases of Pneumonia.
Madison Kafka
About Maddy
My research focuses on fungal pathogen susceptibility during pneumonia through alteration of macrophage response. More specifically I am interested in potential receptor co-regulation of LOX-1 and Dectin-1 in the clearance of heat killed Candida Albicans. In doing so, this explores how receptor expression and protein levels differentiate during stimulation. By studying potential susceptibility to fungal pathogens related to these receptors, this research aims to support the development of therapeutic strategies for fungal pneumonia.