Professional Experience and Training

• Associate Professor of Nutritional Immunogenetics, Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT (2022–present)
• Professor of Pharmacology and Program Coordinator of M.S. in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Western New England University, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Springfield, MA (2021-2022)
• Professor of Pharmacology, Department of Pharmaceutical & Administrative Sciences, Western New England University, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Springfield, MA (2021-2022)
• Adjunct Associate Professor, Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University ofMassachusetts at Amherst, Amherst, MA (2021-present)
• Associate Professor of Pharmacology, Department of Pharmaceutical & Administrative Sciences, Western New England University, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Springfield, MA (2016-2021)
• Assistant Professor of Pharmacology, Department of Pharmaceutical & Administrative Sciences, Western New England University, College of Pharmacy, Springfield, MA (2010-2016)
• Instructor in Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA (2009-2010)
• Staff Scientist, Division of Immunology, Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA (2009-2010)
• Research Fellow in Pediatrics, Division of Immunology, Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School (2005-2009)

Research Interests

Mast cells are heterogeneous cells present throughout vascularized tissues and close to surface areas such as the skin, intestine, and airways where they are well-positioned as sentinel cells against invading pathogens. While the role of mast cells in promoting IgE-mediated immune responses has been well established, novel roles for mast cells in both host defense as well as a number of other diseases are now being uncovered, suggesting that mast cells can confer distinct immune responses by virtue of their inherent plasticity and depending on the immune microenvironment.

Dr. Mathias’ research interests follow two main directions: 1) further exploring the mechanisms that govern mast cell homeostasis and function during allergic responses; and 2) uncovering the dynamics of mast cell interactions with other immune cells. More specifically, we have been interested in studying various factors that can modulate mast cell homeostasis and behavior, with a particular emphasis on the role of diet and nutritional components, the effects of epigenetic modifications, and the role of immunomodulatory factors such as microbiota and cytokines. Recently published papers demonstrate the effects of dietary antigens as well as a novel role for the cytokine IL-10 in modulating IgE-mediated mast cell activation and function during food allergy. We are interested in further quantifying the variables that modulate mast cell function during diverse immune responses at both the single cell, genomic, and epigenetic levels. It is hoped that a better understanding of these processes would lead to further insight into how mast cells are modulated and better approaches to fine-tune their function therapeutically. Current projects in the lab are aimed at further exploring the role played by cytokines such as IL-10 as well as diet in modulating mast cell responses during both IgE-dependent and independent responses in the airway and the gut. These include the role of IL-10 as a mast cell growth factor and its regulation by diet, the effects of diet on epigenetic modifications and protein disulfide isomerases in mast cells, and the interplay between IL-10 and other cytokines such as IL-33 in regulating mast cell function.