- Professor, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
Dr. Jorge Henao-Mejia is Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine and Deputy Director of Faculty Engagement and Science Discovery for the Institute for Immunology and Immune Health. He earned his MD and PhD, completing postdoctoral training at Yale University in the laboratory of Richard Flavell before joining Penn in 2014.
The Henao-Mejia laboratory uses innovative genetic tools — particularly CRISPR/Cas9 — to investigate the molecular mechanisms of chronic inflammatory disorders, with a focus on noncoding RNAs and inflammasomes. His landmark publications in Nature defined how the inflammasome regulates progression of NAFLD and obesity (2012) and how the long noncoding RNA Morrbid governs short-lived myeloid cell lifespan (2016) — work that has shaped how the field thinks about innate immune regulation in metabolic and inflammatory disease.
In his I3H leadership role, Dr. Henao-Mejia advises on strategic planning, faculty recruitment and retention, and the cultivation of immunology collaborations between Penn and CHOP. He is a senior member of the Penn Colton Center for Autoimmunity and plays a central role in strengthening Penn’s immunology community.