Bio

Dr. Caroline Duncombe is a Postdoctoral Scholar in the Institute for Immunity, Transplantation, and Infection at Stanford University. Her research broadly explores how sex-based differences influence immune responses to infectious diseases. She applies systems-level approaches to investigate molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying immune variation, with the goal of informing more equitable and effective interventions.

Dr. Duncombe earned her PhD in Pathobiology from the University of Washington, where she pursued interdisciplinary research integrating systems biology, immunology, epidemiology, endocrinology, and parasitology. Her work has contributed to a deeper understanding of how sex and sex hormones shape host-pathogen interactions and vaccine responses.

In addition to her academic research, Dr. Duncombe is committed to science communication. She has produced science-focused comedy shows for over four years, using storytelling and humor to make complex scientific ideas more accessible.

Personal Website: carolinethescientist.com
LinkedIn Profile: linkedin.com/in/caroline-duncombe-phd-4ba11a124

Stanford Advisors

Contact

  • Academic
    cduncomb@stanford.edu
    University - Scholar Department: Institute for Immunity, Transplantation, and Infection Position: Postdoctoral Scholar

Additional Info

Links

All Publications

  • Multiple early factors anticipate post-acute COVID-19 sequelae. Cell Su, Y., Yuan, D., Chen, D. G., Ng, R. H., Wang, K., Choi, J., Li, S., Hong, S., Zhang, R., Xie, J., Kornilov, S. A., Scherler, K., Pavlovitch-Bedzyk, A. J., Dong, S., Lausted, C., Lee, I., Fallen, S., Dai, C. L., Baloni, P., Smith, B., Duvvuri, V. R., Anderson, K. G., Li, J., Yang, F., Duncombe, C. J., McCulloch, D. J., Rostomily, C., Troisch, P., Zhou, J., Mackay, S., DeGottardi, Q., May, D. H., Taniguchi, R., Gittelman, R. M., Klinger, M., Snyder, T. M., Roper, R., Wojciechowska, G., Murray, K., Edmark, R., Evans, S., Jones, L., Zhou, Y., Rowen, L., Liu, R., Chour, W., Algren, H. A., Berrington, W. R., Wallick, J. A., Cochran, R. A., Micikas, M. E., ISB-Swedish COVID-19 Biobanking Unit, Wrin, T., Petropoulos, C. J., Cole, H. R., Fischer, T. D., Wei, W., Hoon, D. S., Price, N. D., Subramanian, N., Hill, J. A., Hadlock, J., Magis, A. T., Ribas, A., Lanier, L. L., Boyd, S. D., Bluestone, J. A., Chu, H., Hood, L., Gottardo, R., Greenberg, P. D., Davis, M. M., Goldman, J. D., Heath, J. R. 2022

    Abstract

    Post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) represent an emerging global crisis. However, quantifiable risk factors for PASC and their biological associations are poorly resolved. We executed a deep multi-omic, longitudinal investigation of 309 COVID-19 patients from initial diagnosis to convalescence (2-3months later), integrated with clinical data and patient-reported symptoms. We resolved four PASC-anticipating risk factors at the time of initial COVID-19 diagnosis: type 2 diabetes, SARS-CoV-2 RNAemia, Epstein-Barr virus viremia, and specific auto-antibodies. In patients with gastrointestinal PASC, SARS-CoV-2-specific and CMV-specific CD8+ Tcells exhibited unique dynamics during recovery from COVID-19. Analysis of symptom-associated immunological signatures revealed coordinated immunity polarization into four endotypes, exhibiting divergent acute severity and PASC. We find that immunological associations between PASC factors diminish over time, leading to distinct convalescent immune states. Detectability of most PASC factors at COVID-19 diagnosis emphasizes the importance of early disease measurements for understanding emergent chronic conditions and suggests PASC treatment strategies.

    View details for DOI 10.1016/j.cell.2022.01.014

    View details for PubMedID 35216672

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4356-6317