Skip to main content

Purushothama Rao Tata

Associate Professor of Cell Biology
Cell Biology

Overview


Lung regeneration
Lung stem cells
Cell plasticity
Organoid models
Lung Fibrosis
Single Cell Biology

Current Appointments & Affiliations


Associate Professor of Cell Biology · 2024 - Present Cell Biology, Basic Science Departments
Director of the Duke Regeneration Center · 2025 - Present Cell Biology, Basic Science Departments
Associate Professor in Medicine · 2024 - Present Medicine, Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Medicine
Member of the Duke Cancer Institute · 2016 - Present Duke Cancer Institute, Institutes and Centers
Affiliate of the Duke Regeneration Center · 2021 - Present Duke Regeneration Center, Basic Science Departments

In the News


Published November 15, 2023
Study Provides Clues to Developing Better Treatments for Lung Damage
Published July 20, 2022
Tata to Receive International Society for Regenerative Biology Rising Star Award
Published November 19, 2020
NIH-Directors blog- Mini-Lungs in a Lab Dish Mimic Early COVID-19 Infection

View All News

Recent Publications


Ferret model of bleomycin-induced lung injury shares features of human idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Journal Article NPJ Regen Med · November 21, 2025 Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a devastating lung disease with limited treatment options, partly due to a lack of effective disease models. This study presents a ferret model of pulmonary fibrosis (PF) induced by bleomycin, which replicates key cha ... Full text Link to item Cite

Modeling functional responses to pollutant exposure using modular hydrogel supported vascularized alveolosphere-on-a-chip.

Journal Article Biomater Sci · October 21, 2025 Alveolar type 2 (AT2) cells play a pivotal role in maintaining lung homeostasis, and the generation of three-dimensional cultures, such as alveolospheres, provides a valuable model for studying lung development, pathologies, and drug responses. Here, we in ... Full text Link to item Cite
View All Publications

Recent Grants


Role of Protein S-Palmitoylation in TGFbeta Signaling and Fibrotic Lung Disease

ResearchMentor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2025 - 2030

Molecular control of a novel transitional cell state in alveolar regeneration

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2020 - 2029

Tau Mediates Microtubule and Mitochondrial Dynamics to Control Cellular Organization and Alveolar Epithelial Repair

ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute · 2024 - 2029

View All Grants

Education, Training & Certifications


University of Ulm (Germany) · 2011 Ph.D.