Sara Sidles, Ph.D.

The primary research focus of my work is to elucidate the immunological mechanisms that drive inflammation in the early stages of diseases, including cancer, obesity, and post-traumatic stress disorder. A central component of my doctoral research in head and neck cancer demonstrated that immunomodulatory intervention at the premalignant stage can sustain T cell activation and delay progression to carcinoma. More recently, my work has focused on the identification and functional characterization of a distinct subset of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), providing new insight into how aberrant hematopoiesis and immune dysregulation can drive disease-promoting inflammation across tissues. My recent research has focused on the development and validation of a murine model that recapitulates key DSM-5 features of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), enabling investigation of the bidirectional interactions between stress, immune function, and pathophysiological conditions. These studies integrate my expertise in advanced flow cytometry, immune profiling, microscopy, and in vivo models. I serve as Assistant Director of Shared Resources for the Hollings Cancer Center, where I provide scientific and administrative leadership to cancer center members and multidisciplinary research programs aligned with NCI priorities.