Brian P. O'connor
About Brian P. O'connor
Brian P. O'Connor is an Assistant Professor at the University of Colorado and Co-Director of the NJH EVER Program at National Jewish Health, where he focuses on the impact of climate exposures on immune function. He holds a Ph.D. in Immunology from Dartmouth College and has extensive experience in epigenetic diagnostics and therapies.
Work at National Jewish Health
Brian P. O'Connor currently holds multiple positions at National Jewish Health. He has served as Co-Director of the NJH EVER Program since 2019, focusing on the effects of climate exposures on immune function. Additionally, he has been an Associate Professor since 2016 and the Scientific Director of the Genomics Facility since 2013. His work in these roles emphasizes the integration of genomics and epigenetics in understanding and treating complex diseases.
Work at University of Colorado
Brian P. O'Connor has been an Assistant Professor at the University of Colorado since 2010. He previously worked as a Human Clinical Research Fellow at the same institution from 2008 to 2009. His ongoing role involves research and teaching responsibilities within the academic medical center, contributing to the field of immunology and epigenetics.
Education and Expertise
Brian P. O'Connor earned a Ph.D. in Immunology from Dartmouth College and a BA in Biology from the College of the Holy Cross. He completed a Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Immune Epigenetics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His expertise includes genome-wide chromatin diagnostics and Next-Generation Sequencing techniques, such as ChIP-seq and ATAC-seq, which are essential for disease prediction and patient stratification.
Background in Research and Development
Brian P. O'Connor has a strong background in research, having worked at various prestigious institutions. He was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a PhD Graduate Student at Dartmouth College. His research focuses on translating epigenetic diagnostic processes across different cell types and diseases, including autoimmunity, cancer, and lung disease.
Research Initiatives and Laboratory Focus
O'Connor's laboratory is dedicated to developing novel applications for epigenetic-based therapies aimed at modulating immune system activity. His research is particularly relevant to complex diseases that are influenced by environmental factors. He co-directs the Environmental Epigenetics Research (EVER) Program, which investigates the interplay between climate exposures and immune function.