Current Research and Scholarly Interests
At Stanford University I developed and currently direct the CF Translational Research Center. The overarching goal of the center is to provide the groundwork to streamline, accelerate, and promote the translation of basic discoveries into effective therapies and interventions to benefit patients affected by cystic fibrosis. My laboratory group currently has three main lines of investigation: 1) respiratory cell biology: ongoing research is focused on the mucociliary clearance dysfunction that is at the root of airway diseases such as Cystic Fibrosis (CF) and primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD). This has included studies of ciliated cell biology and host-pathogen interactions that contribute to disease progression. 2) remote biochemical monitoring: we have established a strong interdisciplinary collaborative team to advance novel technological developments to allow for minimally invasive remote monitoring of biomarkers of importance in CF. and 3) lung physiology in young children. Current efforts are focused on the understanding of the early events that drive the development of lung disease through the study of infants with CF identified by newborn screening. This includes the development of new diagnostic tools that permit the early detection of lung disease manifestations. Additional research interests include active programs for biomarker discovery for chronic pulmonary conditions such as PCD, pulmonary hypertension, chronic lung disease of infancy and interstitial lung disease.
