麻豆原创

Microbiology and Immunology Discipline

Center for Cancer Cell Biology, Immunology, and Infection

Dr. Svetlana (Lana) Dambaeva is a Research Associate Professor in the Center for Cancer Cell Biology, Immunology, and Infection at the Chicago Medical School, 麻豆原创 of Medicine and Science (麻豆原创MS). She also serves as the Director of the Clinical Immunology Laboratory at 麻豆原创MS and is the Program Director for the Medical Laboratory Immunology Fellowship Program, which is accredited by the American Society for Microbiology (ASM).

Education and Board Certification

• Fellowship: Medical Laboratory Immunology, 麻豆原创 of Medicine and Science (CPEP, ASM-accredited).
• PhD: Immunology and Allergology, State Research Center - Institute of Immunology, Moscow, Russia.
• MD: Siberian State Medical University, Tomsk, Russia.
• Certifications:
  • High-complexity Clinical Laboratory Director (HCLD) by the American Board of Bioanalysis (ABB).
  • Diplomate of the American Board of Medical Laboratory Immunology (ABMLI).
  • New York State Certificate of Qualification (NYS CQ) for Laboratory Director.

Research Interests

Dr. Dambaeva’s research is dedicated to understanding the immune response at the maternal-fetal interface and the pathogenesis of infertility and recurrent pregnancy loss. Her primary goal is to develop and validate novel diagnostic tests that assist physicians in identifying the underlying causes of reproductive failure. Specific areas of focus include:

• The Endometrium and Decidualization:
  • Dr. Dambaeva studies the cyclic molecular changes in the endometrium. Her research utilizes a “decidualization score” to identify endometrial dysregulation in women with unexplained infertility or recurrent pregnancy loss.
  • She investigates specific factors involved in progesterone signaling (FOXO1), tissue homeostasis (SCNN1A, SGK1, SCL2A1), and uterine NK cell proliferation (IL15, GZMB) to evaluate the status of the endometrium and identify patients who may benefit from therapeutic intervention.
• Natural Killer (NK) Cells and their role in endometrium:
  • Her research focuses heavily on NK cells, which are the most abundant immune cells in the early pregnancy endometrium.
  • She analyzes Killer Cell Immunoglobulin-like Receptors (KIRs) and their ligands to predict NK cell functionality and its impact on pregnancy outcomes.
• Cytokine Regulation and Interleukin-22 (IL-22):
  • A significant portion of her recent work explores the role of IL-22 in endometrial regeneration and pregnancy.
  • She investigates how IL-22 balances proinflammatory and homeostatic signals to support a healthy pregnancy and its potential to prevent inflammation-induced preterm labor.
  • Her studies suggest IL-22 may serve as a potential treatment for secondary infertility by promoting endometrial regeneration.
• Clinical Diagnostics and Genetic Phenotyping:
  • Dr. Dambaeva applies advanced techniques such as RNA targeted sequencing and next-generation sequencing to identify gene sets associated with endometrial dysregulation.
  • She works on determining the optimal balance of immune signals required for successful implantation and the development of clinical assays for diagnosing reproductive disorders.

Professional Leadership and Awards

Dr. Dambaeva is highly active in professional societies, including:

• ASRM: Recipient of the Star Award (2023, 2024) and former Chair-Elect for the Reproductive Immunology Special Interest Group.
• ASRI: Serving as Secretary (2025-2027) and former Councilor and recipient of the Dr. John Gusdon Memorial New Investigator Award.
• ISIR: Serving as Co-Chair for the ISIR 2026 meeting in Busan, Korea.
• Community Service: Received the 2020 Outstanding Faculty Community Service Award for establishing COVID-19 testing for the 麻豆原创 and Lake County community.

Selected Recent Publications

• Alanazi HA, Ganieva U, Thees A, Fatunbi J, Luu T, Dambaeva S, Kwak-Kim J. Endometrial molecular genetic phenotypes and histological endometrial phase in women with reproductive failure. J Reprod Immunol. 2026 Feb; 173:104834.
• Ganieva U, Bilal M, Adam A, Pena-Rasgado C, Michaels W, Rasgado-Flores H, Thees A, Luu T, Kwak-Kim J, Dambaeva S. The dual role of interleukin-22: balancing protection and risk in pregnancy during inflammatory challenges. F&S Science. 2025; ISSN 2666-335X.
• Zhang Y, Alzaharani M, Luu T, Fatunbi J, Ganieva U, Bilal M, Thees A, Fonseca Gonzalez M, Hawryluk D, Dambaeva S, Kwak-Kim J. Dyslipidemia is associated with increased NK cell cytotoxicity and autoimmunity in women with recurrent pregnancy losses. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. 2025; dgaf283.
• Ganieva U, Schneiderman S, Bu P, Beaman K, Dambaeva S. IL-22 regulates endometrial regeneration by enhancing tight junctions and orchestrating extracellular matrix. Frontiers in Immunology. 2022 Aug 25; 13:955576.
• Dambaeva S, Bilal M, Schneiderman S, Germain A, Fernandez E, Kwak-Kim J, Beaman K, Coulam C. Decidualization score identifies an endometrial dysregulation in samples from women with recurrent pregnancy losses and unexplained infertility. Fertility & Sterility Reports. 2021; 2(1):95-103.
• Dambaeva S, Schneiderman S, Jaiswal M, Agrawal V, Katara G, Gilman-Sachs A, Hirsch E, Beaman K. IL22 prevents lipopolysaccharide-induced preterm labor in mice. Biology of Reproduction. 2018 Mar; 98(3):299-308.
• Dambaeva SV, Lee DH, Sung N, Bao S, Gilman-Sachs A, Kwak-Kim J, Beaman KD. Recurrent pregnancy loss in women with killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor KIR2DS1 is associated with an increased HLA-C2 allelic frequency. American Journal of Reproductive Immunology (AJRI). 2016; 75(1):70-81.
• Dambaeva SV, Durning M, Rozner AE, Golos TG. Immunophenotype and Cytokine Profiles of Rhesus Monkey CD56bright and CD56dim Decidual Natural Killer Cells. Biology of Reproduction. 2012; 86(1):1-10.