Jennifer Alexander-Brett, MD, PhD, associate professor of medicine and of pathology and immunology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has been appointed a standing member of the National Institutes of Health’s Immune Mechanisms of Hypersensitivity and Allergy (IMHA) Study Section, effective Aug. 4, 2026.
In this role, Dr. Alexander-Brett will review and evaluate NIH grant applications in her area of expertise, helping determine which research proposals receive federal funding. Appointment as a standing member is a significant national distinction, reflecting a scientist’s expertise and standing in their field. The IMHA Study Section evaluates research on the immune mechanisms underlying hypersensitivity and allergic diseases, including asthma and other immune-mediated disorders affecting the lungs and other mucosal tissues.
Dr. Alexander-Brett’s research focuses on respiratory mucosal immunology and the mechanisms driving chronic lung inflammation and disease. Her laboratory studies how immune and epithelial cells interact in conditions such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
This appointment adds to a growing record of recognition for Dr. Alexander-Brett’s work. She is the recipient of the School of Medicine’s 2024 Dean’s Impact Award and, over the past year, she and Dr. Tom Brett have together been awarded two research grants supporting their collaborative work on lung and neuroinflammatory disease. Her continued success reflects the division’s commitment to collaboration, and to advancing the field through discovery and innovation.