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Dr. Courtney M. Lappas

Courtney Lappas

Professor of Biology

Email: lappas@lvc.edu

Phone: 717-867-6179

Office Location: Neidig-Garber 313

B.S., University of Richmond; M.S., Ph.D., University of Virginia

Expertise:
Immunology, Molecular Biology, Pharmacology

Research & Practice Areas:
My research is focused on the use of natural and synthetic immunomodulatory compounds to regulate T lymphocyte activity.

*undergraduate co-author

Ji, L., Lappas, C. M., Wang, X. and Meier, B. P., The Naturalness Bias Influences Drug and Vaccine Decisions across Cultures, Medical Decision Making, 43(2), https://doi.org/10.1177/0272989X221140803 (2022).

Meier, B. P., Dillard, A. J., Fetterman, A. K., Ji, L. and Lappas, C. M. Religiosity and the Naturalness Bias in Drug and Vaccine Choices, Journal of Religion and Health, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-022-01694-3 (2022).

Lappas, C. M., Coyne, N., Dillard, A. J. and Meier, B. P. Do Physicians Prefer Natural Drugs? The Natural Versus Synthetic Drug Bias in Physicians, European Journal of Health Psychology, https://doi.org/10.1027/2512-8442/a000116 (2022).

Lappas, N. T. and Lappas, C. M. Forensic Toxicology: Principles and Concepts, second edition, Elsevier, Academic Press, 2021.

Meier, B. P., Dillard, A. J. and Lappas, C. M. Predictors of the Intention to Receive a SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine, Journal of Public Health, Journal of Public Health, doi: 10.1093/pubmed/fdab013 (2021).

Roy, B. G.*, Ryndock, E. and Lappas, C. M. Utilizing loop-mediated isothermal amplification to detect the presence of Escherichia coli: an inquiry driven undergraduate laboratory module, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education, 1-8, https://doi.org/10.1002/bmb.21460 (2020).

Meier, B. P., Dillard, A. J. and Lappas, C. M. Naturally better? A review of the natural-is-better bias, Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 13: e12494, https://doi.org/10.1111/spc3.12494, (2019).

Meier, B. P., Osorio, E.* and Lappas, C. M. A behavioral confirmation and reduction of the natural versus synthetic drug bias, Medical Decision Making, 39: 359-369 (2019).

Meier, B. P. and Lappas, C. M. The influence of safety, efficacy and medical condition severity on natural versus synthetic drug preference, Medical Decision Making, 36: 1011-1019 (2016).

Lappas, N. T. and Lappas, C. M. Forensic Toxicology: Principles and Concepts, Elsevier, Academic Press, 2016.*
* Highly Commended Prize: Public Health category and Finalist: Best Student Textbook category – British Medical Association Book Awards Competition
*Finalist for a Textbook Excellence Award – Textbook & Academic Authors Association. 

Lappas, C. M. The immunomodulatory effects of titanium dioxide and silver nanoparticles, Food and Chemical Toxicology, 85: 78-83 (2015).

Lappas, C. M. The plant hormone zeatin riboside inhibits T lymphocyte activity via adenosine A2A receptor activation, Cellular and Molecular Immunology, 12: 107-112 (2015).

Lappas, C. M. “The immunotoxicology of nanomaterials” in the Handbook of Nanotoxicology, Nanomedicine and Stem Cell Use in Toxicology. Edited by Saura Sahu and Daniel Casciano, Wiley (2014).

Weilnau, J. N.*, Black, S. E.*, Chehata, V. J.*, Schmidt, M. P.*, Holt, K. L.*, Carl, L. M.*, Straka, C. J.*, Marsh, A. L., Patton, W. A. and Lappas, C. M. ZnS nanocrystal cytotoxicity is influenced by capping agent chemical structure and duration of time in suspension. Journal of Applied Toxicology, 33(3): 227-237 (2013).

Lappas, C. M. The effect of CGS21680 treatment on thioglycollate-induced peritonitis: An introduction to immunopharmacology. Bioscene. 38: 3-9 (2012).

Lappas, C. M. and Lappas, N. T. d-limonene modulates T lymphocyte activity and viability. Cellular Immunology. 279: 30-41 (2012).

Lappas, C. M. “Allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation followed by graft-versus-host disease: Role of adenosine A2A receptor” in Stem Cells and Cancer Stem Cells: Therapeutic Applications in Disease and Injury. Edited by Eric Hayat, Springer Company, (2011).

Chehata, V. J.*, Domeier, P.D.*, Weilnau, J. N.*, and Lappas, C. M. Adenosine A2A receptor activation limits chronic granulomatous disease-induced hyperinflammation. Cellular Immunology. 267: 39-49 (2011).

Lappas, C. M., Liu, P. C., Linden, J., Kang, E. M., and Malech, H. L. Adenosine A2A receptor activation limits graft-versus-host disease after allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.  Journal of Leukocyte Biology. 87(2): 345-354 (2010).

Srinivasan, S., Bolick, D. T., Lukashev, D., Lappas, C. M., Sitkovsky, M., Lynch, K. R. and Hedrick, C. C. Sphingosine-1-phosphate reduces CD4+ T lymphocyte activation in type-1 diabetes through regulation of hypoxia-inducible factor short isoform I.1 and CD69.  57(2): 484-493 (2008).

Dyer, K.D., Czapiga, M., Foster, B., Foster, P. S., Kang, E. M., Lappas, C. M., Moser, J. M., Naumann, N., Percopo, C. M., Siegel, S. J., Swartz, J. M., De Ravin, S., Rosenberg, H. F. The dblGATA enhancer in the promoter of the GATA-1 gene is not essential for eosinophil differentiation ex vivo.  Journal of Immunology. 179(3): 1693-1699 (2007).

Lappas, C. M., Day, Y. J., Marshall, M. A., Engelhard, V. and Linden, J. Adenosine A2A receptor activation reduces hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury by inhibiting CD1d-dependent NKT cell activation.  Journal of Experimental Medicine. 203(12): 2639-2648 (2006).

Naganuma, M., Wiznerowicz, E. B., Lappas, C. M., Linden, J., Worthington, M. T., Ernst, P. B. Critical role for A2A adenosine receptors in the T cell-mediated regulation of colitis.  Journal of Immunology.  177(5): 2765-2769 (2006).

Lappas, C. M. and Linden, J.  “A2A adenosine receptors and ischemia reperfusion injury” in Adenosine Receptors: Therapeutic Aspects for Inflammatory and Immune Diseases.  Edited by Gyorgy Hasko, Bruce Cronstein, Csaba Szabo, CRC Press, (2006).