Overview
I am a physician-scientist and stem cell biologist focused on understanding the fundamental mechanisms involved in lung injury and repair. I am particularly interested in determining the critical components of the alveolar epithelial stem cell niche and the cellular crosstalk signals that dictate cell identity and behavior during steady state maintenance and repair after injury and infection. I believe this work is fundamental to better understanding the biology of the human lung and the pathogenesis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a disease that is characterized by relentless scar accumulation in the lung with only minimally effective therapy short of lung transplant.
Through my work, I have developed several areas of expertise which include the following: 1) Development and use of mouse models to genetically manipulate and lineage trace specific cell populations; 2) Isolation and characterization of murine lung cell subpopulations by flow cytometry; 3) Development and use of an ex vivo 3-dimensional organoid assay to study the self-renewal and differentiation of murine alveolar epithelial stem cells and their niche components; 4) Isolation and 3-dimensional culture of alveolar epithelial cells from fresh human lung; 5) Development and analysis of models of experimental lung fibrosis.
Current Appointments & Affiliations
Recent Publications
Long-term outcomes of passive immunotherapy for COVID-19: a pooled analysis of a large multinational platform randomized clinical trial.
Journal Article Clin Microbiol Infect · June 2025 OBJECTIVES: Passive immunotherapy, including monoclonal antibodies and neutralizing proteins, was used for the treatment of patients with COVID-19 during the pandemic. Accelerating COVID-19 Therapeutic Interventions and Vaccines-Therapeutics for Inpatients ... Full text Link to item CiteCorrection: Niche-mediated BMP/SMAD signaling regulates lung alveolar stem cell proliferation and differentiation.
Journal Article Development · August 6, 2024 Full text Link to item CiteClinical Utility of Plasma Microbial Cell-Free DNA Sequencing Among Immunocompromised Patients With Pneumonia.
Journal Article Open Forum Infect Dis · August 2024 BACKGROUND: Plasma microbial cell-free DNA (mcfDNA) sequencing can establish the etiology of multiple infectious syndromes by identifying microbial DNA in plasma. However, data are needed to define the clinical scenarios where this tool offers the highest ... Full text Link to item CiteRecent Grants
1/2 PREcision VENTilation to attenuate Ventilation-Induced Lung Injury (PREVENT VILI)
Clinical TrialPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center · 2024 - 2030ARDS, Pneumonia, and Sepsis Phenotyping Consortium Clinical Centers (APS)_Fixed Budget
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Intermountain Healthcare · 2024 - 2029Red blood cell ATP export and transfusion in sepsis (R01)
ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute · 2023 - 2026View All Grants