Welcome to the Brayman Lab at the University of Virginia, a surgical research group led by Kenneth L. Brayman, MD, PhD and Preeti Chhabra, PhD. The lab focuses on advancing translational research in immunology, transplantation, and regenerative medicine to treat metabolic disease. Projects include developing polyclonal IgM therapy for Type 1 Diabetes (T1D), applying ultra-sensitive proteomics and microbiome analysis for disease prediction, and exploring IL-13 and adenosine A2A receptor agonists to improve islet transplantation outcomes. The team also engineers biomaterial scaffolds for beta cell survival, studies Lacritin-based peptides for beta cell regeneration, and has contributed to UVA’s leadership in COVID-19 therapeutic discovery. With unique access to UVA’s Stem Cell Core and GMP Human Islet Isolation Facility, the Brayman Lab is driving innovations that bring cell-based therapies closer to patients. We invite you to learn more about our research.
Research Projects
Our lab strives to advance translational research in Type 1 Diabetes and transplantation through projects ranging from IgM immunotherapy, proteomics, and microbiome studies to novel biomaterials, regenerative peptides, and islet isolation.
Islet Cell Isolation GMP Facility
UVA is home to one of only a few FDA-Approved GMP facilities in the United States equipped with the technology and expertise to process islet cell tissue for transplantation.
Stem Cell Core
The UVA Stem Cell Core provides research-grade induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), customized cell derivatives, and training to support the development of clinical-quality cells for human therapies.
