Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences

"Fighting diseases requires a better combination of medical doctors and researchers. We need to build both. We need better treatments for the patients, and these will come from researchers. We need medical doctors to discover the mechanisms behind the illnesses and pharmacologists to develop better medicines. Especially for uveitis."

Hui Shao was in her final year as a medical student in China when she realized that many of the senior doctors didn't really understand the science behind their practice. They knew what to do, but they were not always sure exactly what underlying mechanism of the diseases they were treating. That wasn't good enough for the young scientist. So right after graduating from medical school, she enrolled in an MS program, figuring that once she knew the research she could help her fellow clinicians and serve her patients better. Over time, her fascination with research increased, and she went on to receive a Ph.D. in Immunology in Germany.

Today, Dr. Shao applies her medical and research skills to the study of the eye. Her work with animal models explores autoreactive T-cell activation, in an attempt to develop better treatments for uveitis and ocular autoimmune diseases.

Current Position

Associate Professor, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences
Associate Professor, Department of Microbiology & Immunology On Staff since 2001

Research Specialties

Uveitis Immunology

Contact Information

h0shao01@louisville.edu
University of Louisville
Dept. Of Ophthalmology & Visual Science
301 E. Muhammad Ali Blvd.
Louisville, KY 40202
(502) 852-1329
FAX - (502) 852-4655

Current Grants

2000-2011 : "The role of costimulatory molecules in uveitis "; Principal Investigator. Agency: NIH/NEI, Type: 2 R01 EY012974-05A2 ; Direct cost current year (12/01/2006 - 11/30/2007 ): $250,000.

2004-2008: "Ocular Immune Regulation by RPE", Principal Investigator. Agency NIH/NEI, Type: 1R01 EY14599-01A2, Direct cost current year (8/1/2006-7/30/2007): $175,000.

2006-2007: Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB) Career Development Award. $60,000.

Select Publications

Yan K, Jiang G, Sun D, Kaplan HJ, Shao H. Retinal astrocytes respond to IL-17 differently than retinal pigment epithelial cells. J Leukoc Biol 2009, Aug 18. [Epub ahead of print]

Cui Y, Shao H, Lan C, Nian H, O'Brien RL, Born WK, Kaplan HJ, Sun D. Major role of g δ T cells in the generation of IL-17+ uveitogenic T cells. J Immunol. 2009 Jul 1;183(1):560-7

Cui Y, Shao H, Sun D, Kaplan HJ. Regulation of interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein (IRBP)-specific Th1 and Th17 cells in anterior chamber-associated immune deviation (ACAID). Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2009 May 20. [Epub ahead of print]

Jiang G,  Ke Y, Sun D, Wang Y, Kaplan HJ, Shao H. Regulatory role of TLR ligands on the activation of autoreactive T cells by retinal astrocytes. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2009 May 14. [Epub ahead of print].

Liu Y, Clem B, Zuba-Surma EK, El-Naggar S, Telang S, Jenson AB, Wang Y, Shao H, Ratajczak MZ, Chesney J, Dean DC. Mouse fibroblasts lacking RB1 function form spheres and undergo reprogramming to a cancer stem cell phenotype. Cell Stem Cell. 2009. 3:4(4):336-47

Titsworth WL, Cheng X, Ke Y, Deng L, Burckardt KA, Pendleton C, Liu NK, Shao H, Cao QL, Xu XM. Differential expression of sPLA(2) following spinal cord injury and a functional role fo sPLA(2)-IIA in mediating oligodendrocyte death. Glia. 2009 Mar 20. [Epub ahead of print]

Ke Y., Liu K., Huang GQ., Cui Y., Kaplan HJ., Shao H†., Sun D. Anti-inflammatory role of IL-17 in experimental autoimmune uveitis. J. Immunol. 2009. 182; 3183-90. †: co-correspondent author.

Jiang G, Ke Y, Sun D, Li H, Ihnen M, Jumblatt MM, Foulks GN, Wang Y, Bian Y, Kaplan HJ, Shao H. A new model of experimental autoimmune keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS) induced in Lewis rat by the autoantigen Klk1b22. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2009. 50(5):2245-54.

Cheng L, Cui Y, Shao H, Han G, Zhu L, Huang Y, Obrien RL, Born WK, Kaplan HJ, Sun D. Mouse gammadelta T cells are capable of expressing MHC class II molecules, and of functioning as antigen-presenting cells. J Neuroimmunol. 2008 203(1):3-11.

Ke Y, Jiang G, Sun D, Kaplan HJ, Shao H: Ocular regulatory T cells distinguish monophasic from recurrent autoimmune uveitis. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2008 Sep;49(9):3999-4007.

Jiang G, Ke Y, Sun D, Han G, Kaplan HJ, Shao H. Reactivation of Uveitogenic T Cells by Retinal Astrocytes Derived from Experimental Autoimmune Uveitis-Prone B10RIII Mice. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2008 Jan;49(1):282-9.

Song L, Le J, Ye F, Shao H, Kaplan HJ, Sun D. Sequence 168 to 177 of interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein (IRBP) is an antigenic epitope for autoreactive CD8T cells in the B10RIII mouse. J Neuroimmunol. 2008;193(1-2):68-76.

Y Peng, G Han, H Shao, Y Wang, HJ Kaplan and D Sun: Characterization of IL-17+ interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein-specific T cells in experimental autoimmune. uveitis. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 48(9):4153-61, 2007.

Y Ke, D Sun, P Zhang, G Jiang, HJ Kaplan and H Shao: Suppression of Established Experimental Autoimmune Uveitis by Anti-LFA-1a Ab. Invest Ophthalmol and Vis Sci. 48:2667-2675, 2007.

Peng Y, Shao H, Ke Y, Zhang P, Han G, Kaplan HJ, Sun D: Minimally activated CD8 autoreactive T cells specific for IRBP express a high level of foxp3 and are functionally suppressive. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 48(5):2178-84, 2007.

Shao H, Kaplan HJ, Sun D: Major histocompatibility complex molecules on parenchymal cells of the target organ protect against autoimmune disease. Chem Immunol Allergy. 92:94-104. Review, 2007.

Zhang P, Sun D, Ke Y, Kaplan HJ, Shao H: The net effect of costimulatory blockers is dependent on the subset and activation status of the autoreactive T cells. J Immunol. 178(1):474-9. 2007

Han G, Shao H, Peng Y, Zhang P, Ke Y, Kaplan HJ, Sun D: Suppressor role of rat CD8(+)CD45RC(low) T cells in experimental autoimmune uveitis (EAU). J Neuroimmunol. 183(1-2):81-8. 2007

Education

Shanghai Medical University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China, M.D., 1982
Shanghai Medical University, Graduate School, Shanghai, China, M.S., 1985 Free
University at Berlin, Germany, Ph.D. Immunology, 1990

Professional Societies and Affiliations

American Association of Immunologists, Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, FAFSEB