Dr. Spencer's research focuses on translational studies of the immune response to bacteria (e.g., Francisella spp., Mycobacteria spp. and Listeria) incorporating his experience with both mouse and human experimental systems to extrapolate and validate observations made in animals in order to better understand and manipulate the human immune response to pathogens and vaccines.

• Edward and Barbara Brown Egbert Endowed Associate Chair in Biological Sciences (08/17/2020)
• Tenure - University of Texas at El Paso (09/01/2018)
• UT-ROTA College of Science nominee (06/22/2015)
• AAI Undergraduate Faculty Travel Award - American Association of Immunologists (05/01/2015-05/31/2015)
• ABRCMS Travel Subsidy - ASM ABRCMS (10/08/2013)
• COURI Research Award - UTEP-COURI (09/15/2013)
• ASCB MAC 2013 8th Annual Junior Faculty/Postdoctoral Fellows Career Development Workshop Travel Award - American Society for Cell Biology Minorities Affairs Committee (05/16/2013)

• Ph D in Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Saint Louis University (2008)
• BA in Biology, Washington University in St. Louis (2000)

• The association of allostasis with alcohol use disorders: a case-control study in males with and without alcohol use disorder Alcohol (2023), Carlos Portillo, Bryon Adinoff, Charles T. Spencer, Craig A. Field.
• Alcohol self-administration and nicotine withdrawal alter biomarkers of stress and inflammation and prefrontal cortex changes in Gβ subunits The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse 0 0 (2022), Bryan Cruz, Karen Castañeda, Michelle Aranda, Cecilia A. Hinojosa, Roberto Castro-Gutierrez, Rodolfo J. Flores, Charles Spencer, Valentina Vozella, Marisa Roberto, Bharathi S. Gadad, Sukla Roychowdhury, Laura E. O'Dell.
• Francisella tularensis Infection of Mice as a Model of Sepsis Springer (2021), Charles Spencer, Mireya G. Ramos Muniz, Nicole Setzu, Michelle A. Sanchez.
• Alginate Hydrogels with Embedded ZnO Nanoparticles for Wound Healing Therapy. International journal of nanomedicine 15 (2020), C M. Cleetus, F Alvarez Primo, G Fregoso, N Lalitha Raveendran, Juan C. Noveron, Charles Spencer, Ramana V. Chintalapalle, Binata Joddar.
• Alginate Hydrogels with Embedded ZnO Nanoparticles for Wound Healing Therapy INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NANOMEDICINE 15 (2020), Carol M. Cleetus, Fabian A. Primo, Gisel Fregoso, Nivedita L. Raveendran, Juan C. Noveron, Charles Spencer, Ramana, V, Chintalapalle, Binata Joddar.
• Alginate Hydrogels with Embedded ZnO Nanoparticles for Wound Healing Therapy INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NANOMEDICINE 15 (2020), Carol M. Cleetus, Fabian A. Primo, Gisel Fregoso, Nivedita L. Raveendran, Juan C. Noveron, Charles Spencer, Ramana, Chintalapalle, V, Binata Joddar.
• Design, Synthesis, and screening of sulfonylurea-derived NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitors Medicinal Chemistry Research (2020), Amol A. Kulkarni, Ayyiliath M. Sajith, Trevor Duarte, Anahis Tena, Charles Spencer, J P. Bowen.
• Insulin modulates the strong reinforcing effects of nicotine and changes in insulin biomarkers in a rodent model of diabetes. Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology 44 6 (2019), Bryan Cruz, R J. Flores, Kevin P. Uribe, E J. Espinoza, Charles Spencer, Katherine M. Serafine, A Nazarian, Laura E. O'Dell.
• Advances in Emerging and Neglected Infectious Diseases 2018 BioMed Research International 2018 Article ID 4619282 (2018), Charles Spencer, Jose R. Vasconcelos, Natalie J. Thornburg, Sara L. Zimmer.
• Obesity exacerbates the cytokine storm elicited by Francisella tularensis infection of females and is associated with increased mortality BioMed Research International (in press), Mireya G. Ramos-Muniz, Matthew Palfreeman, Nicole Setzu, Michelle A. Sanchez, Pamela Saenz Portillo, Kristine M. Garza, Kristin Gosselink, Charles Spencer.
• Obesity exacerbates the cytokine storm elicited by Francisella tularensis infection of females and is associated with increased mortality BioMed Research International 2018 Article ID 3412732 (2018), Mireya G. Ramos-Muniz, Matthew Palfreeman, Nicole Setzu, Michelle A. Sanchez, Pamela Saenz Portillo, Kristine M. Garza, Kristin Gosselink, Charles Spencer.
• Obesity exacerbates the cytokine storm elicited by Francisella tularensis infection of females and is associated with increased mortality BioMed Research International 2018 Article ID 3412732 (2018), Mireya G. Ramos-Muniz, Matthew Palfreeman, Nicole Setzu, Michelle A. Sanchez, Pamela Saenz Portillo, Kristine M. Garza, Kristin Gosselink, Charles Spencer.

• Intranasal STING-formulated nanoparticle vaccine elicits protective immunity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (2023), Volume San Antonio TX, Samiur Rahman Sefat, Monish Kumar, Stephanie Kehl, Ankita Leekha, Melisa Martinez Peniagua, Nicole Jones, Charles Spencer, Hugues Ouellet, Navin Varadarajan.
• Proteomics Study of Oligodendrocyte in Postmortem Brain from Subjects with Major Depressive Disorder and Suicidality (2023), Volume TTUHSCEP, Javier Vargas, Charles Spencer, Enrique I. Ramos, Alejandra Ruiz-Velasco, Peter M. Thompson, Bharathi S. Gadad.
• Brain-Cell Type Proteomics Analyses Specific to Oligodendrocyte in Postmortem Brain Subjects With Major Depressive Disorder and Suicidality (2023), Volume San Diego, CA, Javier Vargas Medrano, Charles Spencer, Enrique Ramos, Alejandra Ruiz-Velasco, Andrew Lemoff, Peter Thompson, Bharathi Gadad.
• Alginate Based ZnO Nanoparticle Scaffolds for Wound Healing (2020), Volume UCLA, Carol M. Cleetus, Gisel Fregoso, Fabian Alvarez-Primo, Nivedita L. Raveendran, Shane C. Allen, Juan C. Noveron, Charles Spencer, Chintallapalle V. Ramana, Binata Joddar.
• NKT cell subsets and their roles during infection caused by Francisella tularensis (2019), Leslie Rodriguez, Charles Spencer.
• The Functional Presence of Francisella tularensis in microglia and astrocytes (2019), Iris Ortega, Anahis Tena, Mireya G. Ramos Muniz, Charles Spencer.
• The Localization of Francisella tularensis in microglia and astrocytes (2019), Katherine Montalvo, Iris Ortega, Mireya G. Ramos Muniz, Anahis Tena, Charles Spencer.
• The functional presence of Francisella tularensis in microglia and astrocytes (2019), Iris Ortega, Anahis Tena, Mireya G. Ramos Muniz, Charles Spencer.
• Surveillance of Francisella tularensis, Yersinia pestis, and Rickettsia rickettsii in the Borderland area of El Paso, Texas (2019), Evelyn Shelton, Charles Spencer.
• Macrophage subsets determine sex differences between male and female immune responses to Francisella tularensis. (2019), Michelle A. Sanchez, Charles Spencer.
• Inhibition of Inflammasome Activation as a Potential Treatment for Francisella tularensis Infection (2019), Anahis Tena, Charles Spencer.
• Is Too Much of a Good Thing Bad? (2018), Volume UTEP, Charles Spencer.

• NKT cell subsets modulate systemic inflammation