Kevin Tovar

  • 1st Year GS

Why did you choose the University of Pittsburgh?


I chose to join the University of Pittsburgh because of its rigorous interdisciplinary training with leading researchers in microbiology and immunology. I appreciate the program's emphasis on both fundamental discovery and translational research, which fits my long-term career goals. 
 

Education & Training

  • B.A. in Biology, Macalester College, 2023
  • Postbaccalaureate Researcher, NIAMS/NIH, 2023-2025

Research Interests

Neuroimmunology, immunotherapy, Innate Lymphoid Cells (ILCs)
 

Publications

Morrison, T. A., Vigee, J., Tovar, K. A., Talley, T. A., Mujal, A. M., Kono, M., Philips, R., Nagashima, H., Brooks, S. R., Dada, H., Rozich, I., Hudspeth, K., Lau, C. M., Yao, C., Sciumè, G., Sun, H.-W., Bonifacino, J. S., Kanno, Y., Dustin, M. L., … O’Shea, J. J. (2025). Selective requirement of glycosphingolipid synthesis for natural killer and cytotoxic T cells. Cell, 188(13). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2025.04.007

Tonc, E., Omwanda, G. K., Tovar, K. A., Golden, X. M., & Chatterjea, D. (2023). Immune mechanisms in vulvodynia: Key roles for mast cells and fibroblasts. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcimb.2023.1215380