Faculty Appointments
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Assistant Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology
Education
M.D., Medicine, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TennesseePh.D., Microbiology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TennesseeB.S., Microbiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Office Address
MCN AA6106
1161 21st Ave. South
Nashville, TN 37232
1161 21st Ave. South
Nashville, TN 37232
Research Description
My research program is centered on defining the mechanisms of immune and metabolic dysfunction in human critical illness, with a focus on sepsis, ARDS, and related ICU syndromes. My lab integrates single-cell transcriptomics, high-dimensional cytometry, and functional metabolic assays to uncover how critical illness reshapes immunometabolic function. Leveraging deeply phenotyped biospecimens from ICU patients, my group aims to identify the pathways that drive immune failure, determine why some patients recover while others progress to irreversible organ dysfunction, and reveal metabolically targetable mechanisms with therapeutic relevance. We also use these insights to interrogate foundational mechanisms of human immune cell function and immunometabolism.
Research Keywords
Immunology, Metabolism, Immunometabolism, Sepsis, Infection, Human, Cell Biology, Computational Biology, Systems Biology
Clinical Research Keywords
Sepsis, ARDS, Critical Care, Intensive Care Unit
Publications
Nichols CM, Mwizerwa EL, Sim CY, Obeidalla SN, Cephus JY, Roe CE, Irish JM, Newcomb DC, Kerchberger VE, Bastarache JA, Rathmell JC, Ware LB, Stier MT. Critical illness expands a transcriptionally distinct hypometabolic CD8+ T effector program associated with respiratory failure and mortality. BioRxiv. 2026 Jun 6/2/2026; PMID: 42282739, PMCID: PMC13252141, PII: 2026.05.28.728555, DOI: 10.64898/2026.05.28.728555, ISSN: 2692-8205.
Stier MT, Sewell AE, Mwizerwa EL, Sim CY, Tanner SM, Nichols CM, Durai HH, Jennings EQ, Lindau P, Wilfong EM, Obeidalla SN, Kerchberger VE, Newcomb DC, Bastarache JA, Ware LB, Rathmell JC. Metabolic adaptations rewire CD4+ T cells in a subset-specific manner in human critical illness with and without sepsis. Nat Immunol [print-electronic]. 2026 Feb; 27(2): 236-49. PMID: 41540263, PMCID: PMC12864044, PII: 10.1038/s41590-025-02390-6, DOI: 10.1038/s41590-025-02390-6, ISSN: 1529-2916.
Rusznak M, Toki S, Hao Y, Todd MJC, Malone L, Goodhead JF, DuPuy C, Zhou W, Babin D, Warren CM, Abney M, Stier MT, Thomas CM, Li J, Jacobse J, Pahnke AP, Petrovic MI, Cephus JY, Kuehnle SN, Calcutt MW, Norlander AE, Yan F, Goettel JA, Miller DR, Lynch RM, Cook DP, Newcomb DC, Zou F, Peebles RS. Genetic diversity of Collaborative Cross mice implicates FFAR3 as a target for ILC2 anti-inflammatory reprogramming. Nat Commun. 2026 Jan 1/3/2026; 17(1): 1053. PMID: 41484153, PMCID: PMC12847941, PII: 10.1038/s41467-025-67813-2, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-67813-2, ISSN: 2041-1723.
Chowdhury NU, Cephus JY, Henriquez Pilier E, Wolf MM, Madden MZ, Kuehnle SN, McKernan KE, Jennings EQ, Arner EN, Heintzman DR, Chi C, Sugiura A, Stier MT, Voss K, Ye X, Scales K, Krystofiak ES, Gandhi VD, Guzy RD, Cahill KN, Sperling AI, Peebles RS, Rathmell JC, Newcomb DC. Androgen signaling restricts glutaminolysis to drive sex-specific Th17 metabolism in allergic airway inflammation. J Clin Invest. 2024 Oct 10/15/2024; 134(23): PMID: 39404231, PMCID: PMC11601904, PII: 177242, DOI: 10.1172/JCI177242, ISSN: 1558-8238.
Wu WK, Stier MT, Stokes JW, Ukita R, Patel YJ, Cortelli M, Landstreet SR, Talackine JR, Cardwell NL, Simonds EM, Mentz M, Lowe C, Benson C, Demarest CT, Alexopoulos SP, Shaver CM, Bacchetta M. Immune characterization of a xenogeneic human lung cross-circulation support system. Sci Adv [print-electronic]. 2023 Mar 3/31/2023; 9(13): eade7647. PMID: 37000867, PMCID: PMC10065447, DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ade7647, ISSN: 2375-2548.
Meyer AR, Engevik AC, Madorsky T, Belmont E, Stier MT, Norlander AE, Pilkinton MA, McDonnell WJ, Weis JA, Jang B, Mallal SA, Peebles RS, Goldenring JR. Group 2 Innate Lymphoid Cells Coordinate Damage Response in the Stomach. Gastroenterology [print-electronic]. 2020 Dec; 159(6): 2077-2091.e8-2091.e8. PMID: 32891625, PMCID: PMC7726005, PII: S0016-5085(20)35123-4, DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2020.08.051, ISSN: 1528-0012.
Stier MT, Mitra R, Nyhoff LE, Goleniewska K, Zhang J, Puccetti MV, Casanova HC, Seegmiller AC, Newcomb DC, Kendall PL, Eischen CM, Peebles RS. IL-33 Is a Cell-Intrinsic Regulator of Fitness during Early B Cell Development. J Immunol [print-electronic]. 2019 Sep 9/15/2019; 203(6): 1457-67. PMID: 31391233, PMCID: PMC6736727, PII: jimmunol.1900408, DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1900408, ISSN: 1550-6606.
Stier MT, Peebles RS. Host and Viral Determinants of Respiratory Syncytial Virus-induced Airway Mucus. Ann Am Thorac Soc. 2018 Nov; 15(Suppl 3): S205-S209-S209. PMID: 30431348, PMCID: PMC6322028, DOI: 10.1513/AnnalsATS.201806-380AW, ISSN: 2325-6621.
Toki S, Goleniewska K, Reiss S, Zhang J, Bloodworth MH, Stier MT, Zhou W, Newcomb DC, Ware LB, Stanwood GD, Galli A, Boyd KL, Niswender KD, Peebles RS. Glucagon-like peptide 1 signaling inhibits allergen-induced lung IL-33 release and reduces group 2 innate lymphoid cell cytokine production in vivo. J Allergy Clin Immunol [print-electronic]. 2018 Nov; 142(5): 1515-1528.e8-1528.e8. PMID: 29331643, PMCID: PMC9639650, PII: S0091-6749(18)30027-7, DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2017.11.043, ISSN: 1097-6825.
Bloodworth MH, Rusznak M, Pfister CC, Zhang J, Bastarache L, Calvillo SA, Chappell JD, Boyd KL, Toki S, Newcomb DC, Stier MT, Zhou W, Goleniewska K, Moore ML, Hartert TV, Niswender KD, Peebles RS. Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor signaling attenuates respiratory syncytial virus-induced type 2 responses and immunopathology [letter]. J Allergy Clin Immunol [print-electronic]. 2018 Aug; 142(2): 683-687.e12-687.e12. PMID: 29678751, PMCID: PMC6078807, PII: S0091-6749(18)30561-X, DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2018.01.053, ISSN: 1097-6825.
Stier MT, Zhang J, Goleniewska K, Cephus JY, Rusznak M, Wu L, Van Kaer L, Zhou B, Newcomb DC, Peebles RS. IL-33 promotes the egress of group 2 innate lymphoid cells from the bone marrow. J Exp Med [print-electronic]. 2018 Jan 1/2/2018; 215(1): 263-81. PMID: 29222107, PMCID: PMC5748848, PII: jem.20170449, DOI: 10.1084/jem.20170449, ISSN: 1540-9538.
Stier MT, Peebles RS. Innate lymphoid cells and allergic disease. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2017 Dec; 119(6): 480-8. PMID: 29223298, PMCID: PMC5777228, PII: S1081-1206(17)30969-9, DOI: 10.1016/j.anai.2017.08.290, ISSN: 1534-4436.
Cephus JY, Stier MT, Fuseini H, Yung JA, Toki S, Bloodworth MH, Zhou W, Goleniewska K, Zhang J, Garon SL, Hamilton RG, Poloshukin VV, Boyd KL, Peebles RS, Newcomb DC. Testosterone Attenuates Group 2 Innate Lymphoid Cell-Mediated Airway Inflammation. Cell Rep. 2017 Nov 11/28/2017; 21(9): 2487-99. PMID: 29186686, PMCID: PMC5731254, PII: S2211-1247(17)31590-5, DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2017.10.110, ISSN: 2211-1247.
Juttukonda LJ, Berends ETM, Zackular JP, Moore JL, Stier MT, Zhang Y, Schmitz JE, Beavers WN, Wijers CD, Gilston BA, Kehl-Fie TE, Atkinson J, Washington MK, Peebles RS, Chazin WJ, Torres VJ, Caprioli RM, Skaar EP. Dietary Manganese Promotes Staphylococcal Infection of the Heart. Cell Host Microbe [print-electronic]. 2017 Oct 10/11/2017; 22(4): 531-542.e8-542.e8. PMID: 28943329, PMCID: PMC5638708, PII: S1931-3128(17)30342-6, DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2017.08.009, ISSN: 1934-6069.
Stier MT, Goleniewska K, Cephus JY, Newcomb DC, Sherrill TP, Boyd KL, Bloodworth MH, Moore ML, Chen K, Kolls JK, Peebles RS. STAT1 Represses Cytokine-Producing Group 2 and Group 3 Innate Lymphoid Cells during Viral Infection. J Immunol [print-electronic]. 2017 Jul 7/15/2017; 199(2): 510-9. PMID: 28576981, PMCID: PMC5505788, PII: jimmunol.1601984, DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1601984, ISSN: 1550-6606.
Stier MT, Bloodworth MH, Toki S, Newcomb DC, Goleniewska K, Boyd KL, Quitalig M, Hotard AL, Moore ML, Hartert TV, Zhou B, McKenzie AN, Peebles RS. Respiratory syncytial virus infection activates IL-13-producing group 2 innate lymphoid cells through thymic stromal lymphopoietin. J Allergy Clin Immunol [print-electronic]. 2016 Sep; 138(3): 814-824.e11-824.e11. PMID: 27156176, PMCID: PMC5014571, PII: S0091-6749(16)30080-X, DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2016.01.050, ISSN: 1097-6825.
Toki S, Goleniewska K, Reiss S, Zhou W, Newcomb DC, Bloodworth MH, Stier MT, Boyd KL, Polosukhin VV, Subramaniam S, Peebles RS. The histone deacetylase inhibitor trichostatin A suppresses murine innate allergic inflammation by blocking group 2 innate lymphoid cell (ILC2) activation. Thorax [print-electronic]. 2016 Jul; 71(7): 633-45. PMID: 27071418, PMCID: PMC4941189, PII: thoraxjnl-2015-207728, DOI: 10.1136/thoraxjnl-2015-207728, ISSN: 1468-3296.
Bloodworth MH, Newcomb DC, Dulek DE, Stier MT, Cephus JY, Zhang J, Goleniewska K, Kolls JK, Peebles RS. STAT6 Signaling Attenuates Interleukin-17-Producing ¿d T Cells during Acute Klebsiella pneumoniae Infection. Infect Immun [electronic-print]. 2016 May; 84(5): 1548-55. PMID: 26953325, PMCID: PMC4862712, PII: IAI.00646-15, DOI: 10.1128/IAI.00646-15, ISSN: 1098-5522.
Zhou W, Toki S, Zhang J, Goleniewksa K, Newcomb DC, Cephus JY, Dulek DE, Bloodworth MH, Stier MT, Polosuhkin V, Gangula RD, Mallal SA, Broide DH, Peebles RS. Prostaglandin I2 Signaling and Inhibition of Group 2 Innate Lymphoid Cell Responses. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2016 Jan 1/1/2016; 193(1): 31-42. PMID: 26378386, PMCID: PMC4731613, DOI: 10.1164/rccm.201410-1793OC, ISSN: 1535-4970.
Stier MT, Sewell AE, Mwizerwa EL, Sim CY, Tanner SM, Nichols CM, Durai HH, Jennings EQ, Lindau P, Wilfong EM, Obeidalla SN, Kerchberger VE, Newcomb DC, Bastarache JA, Ware LB, Rathmell JC. Metabolic adaptations rewire CD4+ T cells in a subset-specific manner in human critical illness with and without sepsis. Nat Immunol [print-electronic]. 2026 Feb; 27(2): 236-49. PMID: 41540263, PMCID: PMC12864044, PII: 10.1038/s41590-025-02390-6, DOI: 10.1038/s41590-025-02390-6, ISSN: 1529-2916.
Rusznak M, Toki S, Hao Y, Todd MJC, Malone L, Goodhead JF, DuPuy C, Zhou W, Babin D, Warren CM, Abney M, Stier MT, Thomas CM, Li J, Jacobse J, Pahnke AP, Petrovic MI, Cephus JY, Kuehnle SN, Calcutt MW, Norlander AE, Yan F, Goettel JA, Miller DR, Lynch RM, Cook DP, Newcomb DC, Zou F, Peebles RS. Genetic diversity of Collaborative Cross mice implicates FFAR3 as a target for ILC2 anti-inflammatory reprogramming. Nat Commun. 2026 Jan 1/3/2026; 17(1): 1053. PMID: 41484153, PMCID: PMC12847941, PII: 10.1038/s41467-025-67813-2, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-67813-2, ISSN: 2041-1723.
Chowdhury NU, Cephus JY, Henriquez Pilier E, Wolf MM, Madden MZ, Kuehnle SN, McKernan KE, Jennings EQ, Arner EN, Heintzman DR, Chi C, Sugiura A, Stier MT, Voss K, Ye X, Scales K, Krystofiak ES, Gandhi VD, Guzy RD, Cahill KN, Sperling AI, Peebles RS, Rathmell JC, Newcomb DC. Androgen signaling restricts glutaminolysis to drive sex-specific Th17 metabolism in allergic airway inflammation. J Clin Invest. 2024 Oct 10/15/2024; 134(23): PMID: 39404231, PMCID: PMC11601904, PII: 177242, DOI: 10.1172/JCI177242, ISSN: 1558-8238.
Wu WK, Stier MT, Stokes JW, Ukita R, Patel YJ, Cortelli M, Landstreet SR, Talackine JR, Cardwell NL, Simonds EM, Mentz M, Lowe C, Benson C, Demarest CT, Alexopoulos SP, Shaver CM, Bacchetta M. Immune characterization of a xenogeneic human lung cross-circulation support system. Sci Adv [print-electronic]. 2023 Mar 3/31/2023; 9(13): eade7647. PMID: 37000867, PMCID: PMC10065447, DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ade7647, ISSN: 2375-2548.
Meyer AR, Engevik AC, Madorsky T, Belmont E, Stier MT, Norlander AE, Pilkinton MA, McDonnell WJ, Weis JA, Jang B, Mallal SA, Peebles RS, Goldenring JR. Group 2 Innate Lymphoid Cells Coordinate Damage Response in the Stomach. Gastroenterology [print-electronic]. 2020 Dec; 159(6): 2077-2091.e8-2091.e8. PMID: 32891625, PMCID: PMC7726005, PII: S0016-5085(20)35123-4, DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2020.08.051, ISSN: 1528-0012.
Stier MT, Mitra R, Nyhoff LE, Goleniewska K, Zhang J, Puccetti MV, Casanova HC, Seegmiller AC, Newcomb DC, Kendall PL, Eischen CM, Peebles RS. IL-33 Is a Cell-Intrinsic Regulator of Fitness during Early B Cell Development. J Immunol [print-electronic]. 2019 Sep 9/15/2019; 203(6): 1457-67. PMID: 31391233, PMCID: PMC6736727, PII: jimmunol.1900408, DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1900408, ISSN: 1550-6606.
Stier MT, Peebles RS. Host and Viral Determinants of Respiratory Syncytial Virus-induced Airway Mucus. Ann Am Thorac Soc. 2018 Nov; 15(Suppl 3): S205-S209-S209. PMID: 30431348, PMCID: PMC6322028, DOI: 10.1513/AnnalsATS.201806-380AW, ISSN: 2325-6621.
Toki S, Goleniewska K, Reiss S, Zhang J, Bloodworth MH, Stier MT, Zhou W, Newcomb DC, Ware LB, Stanwood GD, Galli A, Boyd KL, Niswender KD, Peebles RS. Glucagon-like peptide 1 signaling inhibits allergen-induced lung IL-33 release and reduces group 2 innate lymphoid cell cytokine production in vivo. J Allergy Clin Immunol [print-electronic]. 2018 Nov; 142(5): 1515-1528.e8-1528.e8. PMID: 29331643, PMCID: PMC9639650, PII: S0091-6749(18)30027-7, DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2017.11.043, ISSN: 1097-6825.
Bloodworth MH, Rusznak M, Pfister CC, Zhang J, Bastarache L, Calvillo SA, Chappell JD, Boyd KL, Toki S, Newcomb DC, Stier MT, Zhou W, Goleniewska K, Moore ML, Hartert TV, Niswender KD, Peebles RS. Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor signaling attenuates respiratory syncytial virus-induced type 2 responses and immunopathology [letter]. J Allergy Clin Immunol [print-electronic]. 2018 Aug; 142(2): 683-687.e12-687.e12. PMID: 29678751, PMCID: PMC6078807, PII: S0091-6749(18)30561-X, DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2018.01.053, ISSN: 1097-6825.
Stier MT, Zhang J, Goleniewska K, Cephus JY, Rusznak M, Wu L, Van Kaer L, Zhou B, Newcomb DC, Peebles RS. IL-33 promotes the egress of group 2 innate lymphoid cells from the bone marrow. J Exp Med [print-electronic]. 2018 Jan 1/2/2018; 215(1): 263-81. PMID: 29222107, PMCID: PMC5748848, PII: jem.20170449, DOI: 10.1084/jem.20170449, ISSN: 1540-9538.
Stier MT, Peebles RS. Innate lymphoid cells and allergic disease. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2017 Dec; 119(6): 480-8. PMID: 29223298, PMCID: PMC5777228, PII: S1081-1206(17)30969-9, DOI: 10.1016/j.anai.2017.08.290, ISSN: 1534-4436.
Cephus JY, Stier MT, Fuseini H, Yung JA, Toki S, Bloodworth MH, Zhou W, Goleniewska K, Zhang J, Garon SL, Hamilton RG, Poloshukin VV, Boyd KL, Peebles RS, Newcomb DC. Testosterone Attenuates Group 2 Innate Lymphoid Cell-Mediated Airway Inflammation. Cell Rep. 2017 Nov 11/28/2017; 21(9): 2487-99. PMID: 29186686, PMCID: PMC5731254, PII: S2211-1247(17)31590-5, DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2017.10.110, ISSN: 2211-1247.
Juttukonda LJ, Berends ETM, Zackular JP, Moore JL, Stier MT, Zhang Y, Schmitz JE, Beavers WN, Wijers CD, Gilston BA, Kehl-Fie TE, Atkinson J, Washington MK, Peebles RS, Chazin WJ, Torres VJ, Caprioli RM, Skaar EP. Dietary Manganese Promotes Staphylococcal Infection of the Heart. Cell Host Microbe [print-electronic]. 2017 Oct 10/11/2017; 22(4): 531-542.e8-542.e8. PMID: 28943329, PMCID: PMC5638708, PII: S1931-3128(17)30342-6, DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2017.08.009, ISSN: 1934-6069.
Stier MT, Goleniewska K, Cephus JY, Newcomb DC, Sherrill TP, Boyd KL, Bloodworth MH, Moore ML, Chen K, Kolls JK, Peebles RS. STAT1 Represses Cytokine-Producing Group 2 and Group 3 Innate Lymphoid Cells during Viral Infection. J Immunol [print-electronic]. 2017 Jul 7/15/2017; 199(2): 510-9. PMID: 28576981, PMCID: PMC5505788, PII: jimmunol.1601984, DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1601984, ISSN: 1550-6606.
Stier MT, Bloodworth MH, Toki S, Newcomb DC, Goleniewska K, Boyd KL, Quitalig M, Hotard AL, Moore ML, Hartert TV, Zhou B, McKenzie AN, Peebles RS. Respiratory syncytial virus infection activates IL-13-producing group 2 innate lymphoid cells through thymic stromal lymphopoietin. J Allergy Clin Immunol [print-electronic]. 2016 Sep; 138(3): 814-824.e11-824.e11. PMID: 27156176, PMCID: PMC5014571, PII: S0091-6749(16)30080-X, DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2016.01.050, ISSN: 1097-6825.
Toki S, Goleniewska K, Reiss S, Zhou W, Newcomb DC, Bloodworth MH, Stier MT, Boyd KL, Polosukhin VV, Subramaniam S, Peebles RS. The histone deacetylase inhibitor trichostatin A suppresses murine innate allergic inflammation by blocking group 2 innate lymphoid cell (ILC2) activation. Thorax [print-electronic]. 2016 Jul; 71(7): 633-45. PMID: 27071418, PMCID: PMC4941189, PII: thoraxjnl-2015-207728, DOI: 10.1136/thoraxjnl-2015-207728, ISSN: 1468-3296.
Bloodworth MH, Newcomb DC, Dulek DE, Stier MT, Cephus JY, Zhang J, Goleniewska K, Kolls JK, Peebles RS. STAT6 Signaling Attenuates Interleukin-17-Producing ¿d T Cells during Acute Klebsiella pneumoniae Infection. Infect Immun [electronic-print]. 2016 May; 84(5): 1548-55. PMID: 26953325, PMCID: PMC4862712, PII: IAI.00646-15, DOI: 10.1128/IAI.00646-15, ISSN: 1098-5522.
Zhou W, Toki S, Zhang J, Goleniewksa K, Newcomb DC, Cephus JY, Dulek DE, Bloodworth MH, Stier MT, Polosuhkin V, Gangula RD, Mallal SA, Broide DH, Peebles RS. Prostaglandin I2 Signaling and Inhibition of Group 2 Innate Lymphoid Cell Responses. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2016 Jan 1/1/2016; 193(1): 31-42. PMID: 26378386, PMCID: PMC4731613, DOI: 10.1164/rccm.201410-1793OC, ISSN: 1535-4970.