Research Scientist. Infectious Diseases Physician. Professor. MD-PhD Program Director. Innate immunity, intestinal epithelial cells and worms. UMass Chan.
Joined May 2017
- Tweets 260
- Following 155
- Followers 677
- Likes 610
54 Photos and videos
Pinned Tweet
Thrilled to share companion stories from our lab, out today in @ImmunityCP and @CellReports . We characterize an enzymatic TIR protein as an immune sensor in animals. See tweetorial from @UMassChan @UMassMDPhD student @tse_elegans
cell.com/immunity/fulltext/S…
cell.com/cell-reports/fullte…
18 Sep 2024
Stoked to share our companion stories, now out in @ImmunityCP and @CellReports! We characterize an enzymatic TIR protein as an immune sensor in animals, showing that it is a guard protein in an effector-triggered immune response. cell.com/immunity/fulltext/S… cell.com/cell-reports/fullte… 1/
2
8
27
4,902
Congratulations to this 🌟!! @UMassChan @UMassMDPhD student @tse_elegans has achieved every measure of success possible during her MD and PhD training, culminating the the Dean's Award for best PhD thesis. Congrats Sammy. I couldn't be more proud. #UMassChan2026
5
9
67
3,107
#PhDone! Congrats to @UMassChan @UMassMDPhD student Akshay Alaghatta on his successful defense today! PhD #6 for the @RPWLab
2
10
422
Pukkila-Worley Lab is also @rpwlab.bsky.social retweeted
Check it out!! Stellar matches for our MSTP students!! Congrats to our double docs on this milestone in their professional careers as physician-scientists! These sites are so lucky to have you. We are immensely proud! #Match2026 #MDPhD #UMassChanMatch
1
5
288
Beaming with pride this afternoon for @tse_elegans, a star MD-PhD student from my lab, and 5 other @UMassChan @UMassMDPhD students after INCREDIBLE Match Day Success! Sammy heading to the Pediatric Residency at Boston Children's Hospital!
1
2
4
617
@BostonChildrens @MayoClinic x 2 @bcmhouston @BrighamWomens @MaineMed ! Incredible @UMassMDPhD graduates are heading your way!!
1
2
103
Pukkila-Worley Lab is also @rpwlab.bsky.social retweeted
New publication alert! Five MD/PhD students on the same paper? Now that's what we call collaboration! Congrats to our students, alum, and co-director Dr. Mark Johnson on their new publication!
1
4
92
2025 RPW Lab Outing! This year, a hike up Mt. Watatic on a blue bird day. Love our lab!!! :-)
9
258
Pukkila-Worley Lab is also @rpwlab.bsky.social retweeted
16 Jul 2025
Read Pukkila-Worley, MD, is the new director of the MD/PhD program: direc.to/n8PN
Dr. Pukkila-Worley has mentored dozens of MD/PhD graduate students since joining @UMassChan in 2014. The @RPWLab studies host-pathogen interactions and bacterial pathogenesis. @UMassMDPhD
6
23
1,760
Check out the cover of @TrendsImmuno !! Art by lab alumna @tse_elegans to highlight our lab's review in the issue by Khursheed Wani on enzymatic TIR proteins in innate immunity!!! cell.com/trends/immunology/f…
1
7
308
Incredibly proud of @Mo_AliNasrallah , a @UMassChan @UMassMDPhD graduate from my lab. So much fun to celebrate his accomplishments and those of his classmates this weekend. #UMassChan2025
2
20
739
Excited to share another review from the lab, out this week in @TrendsImmuno . Join us for a fun tour of what we think are the coolest proteins in all of innate immunity! cell.com/trends/immunology/f…
1
143
Excited to share our recent review out in @NatRevImmunol . We discuss mechanisms that identify patterns of pathogenesis -- specific ligands or symptoms in the host that indicate active infection with an infectious microorganism. @UMassChan
23 Apr 2025
Patterns of pathogenesis in innate immunity: insights from C. elegans bit.ly/3YFbXzi
2
11
847
Absolutely bursting with C. elegans, @UMassChan , @MGHMolBio , Simches 7 pride this morning!!! Congrats Victor and Gary!!!!
1
10
134
9,378
Pukkila-Worley Lab is also @rpwlab.bsky.social retweeted
5 Oct 2024
Looking for an up to date review on dna sensors and their role in autoinflammatory diseases check out this review from @Mingqi7up 👇
4 Oct 2024
nature.com/articles/s41590-0…
I hope this is a helpful review!
Appreciate the opportunity to co-write this review in @NatImmunol with my mentor @FitzgeraldKate. Thanks to all the reviewers' comments which significantly elevated our work and thanks to the unsung artists for their art!
2
17
68
8,400
Welcome Karthik!!!
2 Oct 2024
We are super excited to be welcoming @karthik_varanas to the Division of INnate Immunity @UMassChan this November to start his lab @UMassChanPII ---welcome to @UMassChan @UMassChanGSBS #newPI
1
4
386
Sharing a nice write-up from @UMassChan highlighting @tse_elegans and her recent companion papers from my lab that were published last week in @ImmunityCP and @CellReports . umassmed.edu/news/news-archi…
1
4
34
3,615
Pukkila-Worley Lab is also @rpwlab.bsky.social retweeted
18 Sep 2024
Online now: Intestinal immunity in C. elegans is activated by pathogen effector-triggered aggregation of the guard protein TIR-1 on lysosome-related organelles dlvr.it/TDP14w
9
35
3,598
SARM - an enzymatic TIR protein. Perhaps the most ancient immune regulator in the Tree of Life and the origins of innate immunity itself. But, is it an immune sensor in animals?
2
3
10
1,664