Overview
Dr. Swain is an Assistant Professor of Medicine and a basic research scientist. He has expertise in ion channel biology and is interested in understanding the molecular mechanisms of mechanically activated ion channels in regulating pancreatic and intestinal pathophysiology. Mechanical ion channels regulate critical physiological processes such as cell migration, growth, and tissue repair. However, altered channel activities lead to fibrosis and cancer. His long-term goal is to understand how mechanosensing regulates pancreatic and intestinal function and regeneration and how targeting these channels could be a checkpoint to pancreatic and intestinal fibrosis. Dr. Swain works with Dr. Rodger Liddle on the following areas: (1) mechanisms of mechanically induced acute pancreatitis (2) mechanisms of pancreatic fibrosis (3) gut neuroendocrine cell signaling and (4) pancreatic regeneration and cancer.