Axel R. Concepcion became a Neubauer Family Assistant Professor in the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology at the University of Chicago in 2022.
Concepcion’s research focuses on the identification and characterization of novel membrane proteins and ion channels in cells of the immune system and involves the use of functional genetic screens in immune cells in the context of viral infection, autoimmunity, and cancer. His research team combines cross-disciplinary approaches including functional genomics, systems immunology, electrophysiology, and a set of cell and molecular biology techniques to understand the complex molecular networks regulated by ion channels in immune cells. The goal of his research team is to advance our knowledge of how these plasma membrane proteins coordinate the immune responses to make fundamental and translational advances in immunotherapy.
Concepcion received a BSc in Chemical Technology from the University of Panama and a MSc and PhD in Cell & Molecular Biology from the University of Navarra. Prior to joining the University of Chicago, Concepcion served as the Bernard B. Levine postdoctoral fellow in Immunology at New York University Grossman School of Medicine.