Airway Inflammation and Lung Function in Asthma

For reasons that are not entirely clear, patients with asthma develop deleterious immune responses to otherwise innocuous substances, like allergens, that result in tissue inflammation and airway hyperreactivity.  Patients with asthma are also more susceptible to infections with respiratory viruses, that can lead to prolonged loss of asthma control.  Many pathologic immune responses in asthma are “type 2”, that is they are characterized by aberrant production of the Th2-type cytokines IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13 by CD4+ T cells and innate lymphoid cells.  I began my career by studying how the innate and adaptive immune systems interact to generate type 2 immune responses.  Currently a major emphasis of my research lab is to study respiratory-virus induced epithelial barrier dysfunction, that may be associated with virally-induced asthma exacerbations.

I am also a practicing physician and see outpatients with severe asthma at the Mary Parkes Asthma Center.  We are currently enrolling subjects in different studies investigating new ways to diagnose asthma, as well as new treatment options for patients with asthma. 

If you are a patient interested in participating in a clinical research study:  Clinical Research Information