Emily Baechler Gillespie, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Department of Medicine University of Minnesota, 2004, Ph.D. Lab phone: 612-625-5168 Office phone: 612-625-4714 baec0005@umn.edu

Research Interests:

Biomarkers for Autoimmunity

The Gillespie laboratory uses genomic and proteomic techniques to identify biomarkers for human autoimmune disease. Currently there are three major projects based on a large biorepository of samples from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The first project seeks to identify gene expression biomarkers of SLE disease activity in longitudinally-collected samples. A second study aims to identify serum protein biomarkers of SLE activity. These studies may reveal mechanisms underlying disease flare and may improve clinical monitoring of patients.

A third project focuses on the genetic determinants of blood cell gene expression in SLE. We are generating both whole genome gene expression data (microarray) and genotype data (500K SNP chips) on 300 SLE patients. The goal is to identify genetic determinants of clinically-relevant SLE biomarkers. This study may reveal biological pathways that lead to SLE, and would thus identify new targets for therapy. The results will also help us prioritize candidate genes in the era of genome-wide association studies.

Basic Science Publications:

• Bauer JW, Bajwa H, Petri M, Batliwalla FM, Slattery CA, Wilson J, Panoskaltsis-Mortari A, Gregersen PK, Behrens TW, Gaffney PM, Baechler EC. 2009. Interferon-Regulated Chemokines as Biomarkers of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity: A Validation Study. In press, Arthritis & Rheumatism.
• Petri M,  Singh S, Tesfasyone H, Dedrick R, Fry K, Lal P, Williams G, Gregersen PK, Behrens TW, Baechler EC. 2009. Longitudinal interferon-response gene expression signatures in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. In press, Lupus.
• Bilgic H, Ytterberg SR, Amin S, McNallan KT, Wilson JC, Koeuth T, Newman B, Bauer JW, Peterson EJ, Baechler EC, Reed AM. 2009. IL-17 and IFN-Regulated Genes and Chemokines Mark Disease Activity in Dermatomyositis. In press, Arthritis & Rheumatism.
• Peripheral blood gene expression profiling in Sjögren's syndrome. Emamian ES, Leon JM, Lessard CJ, Grandits M, Baechler EC, Gaffney PM, Segal B, Rhodus NL, Moser KL. 2009. Genes Immun. Jun;10(4):285-96.
• Nath SK, Guthridge JM, Cobb BL, Mirel DB, Marion MC, Williams AH, Divers JD, Wang W, Frank SG, Namjou B, Gabriel SB, Lee AT, Gregersen PK, Behrens TW, Taylor KE, Fernando M, Zidovetzki R, Gaffney PM, Edberg JC, Rioux JD, Ojwang JO, James JA, Merrill JT, Gilkeson GS, Seldin MF, Yin H, Baechler EC, Li QZ, Wakeland EK, Bruner GR, Kaufman KM, Kelly JA, Harley JB, Alarcón-Riquelme ME, Criswell LA, Jacob CO, Kimberly RP, Moser KL, Tsao BP, Vyse TJ, Langefeld CD. 2008. Nat Genet 40(2):204-10.
  
• Baechler EC, Bauer JW, Slattery CA, Ortmann WA, Espe KJ, Novitzke J, Ytterberg S, Gregersen PK, Behrens TW, Reed AM. 2007. An interferon signature in peripheral blood cells is associated with disease activity in patients with dermatomyositis. Molecular Medicine 13(1-2):59-68.
  
• Bauer JW, Baechler EC, Batliwalla FM, Ortmann WA, Espe KJ, Kern M, Novitzke J, Slattery CA, Koeuth T, Patel DD, Petri M, Gregersen PK, Behrens TW. 2006. Elevated serum levels of interferon-regulated chemokines are biomarkers for active human systemic lupus erythematosus. PLoS Med 3(12):e491.
  
• Stoeckman AK, Baechler EC, Ortmann WA, Behrens TW, Michet CJ, Peterson EJ. 2006. A distinct inflammatory gene expression profile in patients with psoriatic arthritis. Genes Immun 7(7):583-91.
  
• Graham RR*, Kozyrev SV*, Baechler EC*, Reddy MV*, Plenge RM, Bauer JW, Ortmann WA, Koeuth T, Escribano MF, the Argentine Collaborative group, Pons-Estel B, Petri M, Gregersen PK, Daly M, Altshuler D, Martín J, Behrens TW, Alarcón-Riquelme ME. 2006. A common haplotype of interferon regulatory factor 5 (IRF-5) regulates mRNA splicing and expression, and is associated with increased genetic risk in human SLE. Nat Genet 38(5):550-55. *Co-first authors.
  
• Baechler EC, Batliwalla FM, Karypis G, Gaffney PM, Moser KL, Ortmann WA, Espe KJ, Balasubramanian S, Hughes KM, Chan JP, Begovich A, Chang SP, Gregersen PK, Behrens TW. 2004. Expression levels for many genes in human peripheral blood cells are highly sensitive to ex vivo incubation. Genes Immun 5(5):347-53.
  
• Baechler EC, Batliwalla FM, Karypis G, Gaffney PM, Ortmann WA, Espe KJ, Shark KB, Grande WJ, Hughes KM, Kapur V, Gregersen PK, Behrens TW. 2003. Interferon-inducible gene expression signature in peripheral blood cells of patients with severe lupus. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 100:2610-5.

Last updated: August 19, 2009