
Madison Blanton
Connect
mbbl227@uky.eduPositions
- PhD Candidate - Messaoudi Lab
College Unit(s)
Other Affiliation(s)
- College of Pharmacy
Pronouns
she/herBiography and Education
Biography
I’m a PhD candidate in the lab of Dr. Ilhem Messaoudi. I joined Dr. Messaoudi's lab with a passion for understanding how the immune system shapes health and disease. My research focuses on the role of monocytes and tissue-resident macrophages in alcohol-induced organ damage and the development of alcohol use disorder (AUD). I aim to understand how periods of short-term heavy alcohol consumption, abstinence, and post-abstinence drinking affect these cells. To explore the molecular mechanisms behind these changes, I am utilizing a combination of advanced molecular, cellular, and computational approaches.
Education
Milligan University
- BS in Chemistry; Biochemistry concentration
- Minor in Human Anatomy
Summary:
Current Year: G5 Hometown: Big Stone Gap, VASelected Publications
Blanton MB, Hemati H, Qiao Q, et al. Short-term heavy drinking in a non-human primate model skews monocytes toward a hypo-inflammatory phenotype. Front Immunol. 2025;16:1606092. Published 2025 Jun 23. doi:10.3389/fimmu.2025.1606092