We recently had the opportunity to sit down with John Bostick, PhD, to discuss his research on the intersection of the nervous and immune systems- an area known as neuroimmunology. His work explores how inflammation impacts cognition and neurological conditions, with upcoming research focusing on how neuroimmune interactions are regulated in the intestines.
Dr. Bostick shared insights into his career journey, from engineering at MIT to immunology research at Northwestern, and emphasized the importance of collaboration in advancing complex scientific challenges. He has received several prestigious awards, including the Caltech Presidential Postdoctoral Fellowship and the Chen Neuroscience Diversity and Inclusion Award. Outside the lab, he enjoys exploring nature, birdwatching, and visiting local breweries.
The IDI department is excited to feature Dr. Bostick as part of our faculty and researcher interview series, with new interviews releasing on the second Friday of each month.
Read the full interview here:
Can you provide a brief introduction about yourself and your academic background?
My name is John Bostick, and I have my PHD from Northwestern University in chemical and biological engineering. My research was all in immunology as a PHD student. I went on to study innate lymphoid cells with Dr. Zhou who is actually a fellow faculty member in the IDI. We have a long working relationship together.
My background is actually kind of unusual! I started at MIT in electrical engineering and computer science, and then went to work for Honeywell working on guidance systems for the military, NASA and the Airforce. I worked 8 years in the industry, before coming back for my PHD at Northwestern University in Chicago.
When I thought about using my engineering skills, I really wanted to do more than just weapons systems. I was proud of the work I did for the military but I wanted to do more with the skills I learned. For me, that application was medicine and biology.
What is the primary focus of your research?
My research area is the intersection between the nervous system and the immune system. People call this different things, but it’s usually referred to as neuroimmunology, or neuroimmune crosstalk. It’s a really exciting area. We’ve always known that pain was associated with inflammatory processes, even in ancient times. Ancient physicians knew that pain was one of the cardinal signs of inflammation. The connection has always been known, but it’s only been recently that we’ve had the tools to study it.
Why is your research important? What impact does it have on the field or society?
My research is important because it affects many areas of health, for people and for animals. What’s interesting is that this connection means that some of these inflammatory processes trigger these higher level neural functions related to cognition and people think inflammation associated with some of these diseases leads to depression, or other types of neurological issues. This is the interesting part! I’m not
sure how much of my research will go into the depression side, but I would be interested in pursuing it for my future work.
Can you describe any current research projects you are working on?
There are some interesting things I’m going to work on in the near future related to how neuroimmune interactions are regulated, especially in the intestines. I’ll focus initially on inflammatory bowel diseases- like ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease. I’ll be looking at how potentially diet and the bacteria in your gut affect these neuroimmune crosstalk. I am excited about this because these are things you can modulate by changing eating habits and behaviors. Potentially in the future bacteria in your gut changes as well, but that’s a little more complicated. Diet is more easily controlled.
What methodologies or approaches do you use in your research?
I will use a lot of genetic manipulation. Adeno associated viruses are a new effective way of delivering genes to animals. These viruses can carry genetic material into the animals, but they don’t replicate. So they’re relatively safe compared to an infectious virus. For animals, they’re just affected one time by the genetic material. Another approach I use a lot is microscopy. Using very advanced microscopes allow us to peer into cells and into tissues to see these processes unfold. I’ll be using that combined with newer techniques in clearing tissues. To more easily image a tissue you need to make it optically clear.
Are you collaborating with any other researchers or institutions? If so, how do these collaborations enhance your work?
I’m looking at the Department of Neuroscience, the Department of Medicine, and the McKnight Brain Institute. I’ve been having conversations with faculty there about future work. In regards to my past collaborations, they have been critical for my work. It’s hard to be solo in science these days! Collaborations really allow you to expand the scope of your projects and give you the tools and expertise to help you and make those projects successful. I really depend on collaboration to help move the research forward. I’ve worked on multiple collaborative projects related to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s previously in my postdoc at Caltech. Those experiences taught me that these complex diseases need a real team to address them. So, I’m happy to work with others!
Have you received any notable awards or recognitions for your research?
I just left Caltech as a postdoc, and while I was there I received the Caltech Presidential Postdoctoral Fellowship, which was a very high honor. I received the Chen Neuroscience Diversity and Inclusion Award for working with many types of people and bringing my own experiences to that work. I also received a research outreach fellowship, which was my main source of funding at Caltech through the Department of Biology and Biological Engineering. That was related to outreaching to the community and educating others.
Outside of your research, what other interests or hobbies do you have?
I believe that this interest is partly because of my brother, because he used to brew his own beer, but I enjoy supporting local breweries around Gainesville. I also enjoy spending time in nature. Being outside and walking on trails is how I relax. When I was in California, I was a part of the Audubon Society which protects birds and other wildlife. I’ve been participating in a similar organization here in Gainesville. I attend a monthly event called Birds and Brews. It combines both of my interests!
How can others learn more about your work or get in touch with you?
They can contact me directly at my email jwbostick@ufl.edu. I’m pretty responsive! They can also check out my research itself. To learn more about my kind of work, I recommend checking the primary papers or finding review papers about the field right now. It’s constantly changing. In the future hopefully there will be more communication to make the field even more accessible.
What is your general advice for anyone who wants to do what you do?
This advice is common but good: Keep at it! Perseverance is the key to making your goals happen. Academia is a long path, and there are many potential setbacks. Having that mindset that you’re going to continue and keep going really helps!
Interviewer: Julia Martin, UF Undergraduate
Interview with Dr. John Bostick
Transcribed: 3/3/2025
