Environmental Lung Disease Consultant

Technical Consultant #1321

Research Interests

Cellular and molecular mechanisms of pulmonary fibrosis and chronic airway remodeling in asthma and bronchitis.
Disruption of intracellular signaling pathways by air pollution particulate matter and metal-induced oxidative stress, particularly vanadium pentoxide.
Pulmonary responses to manufactured carbon nanotubes and nanoparticles.
Epithelial-fibroblast interactions in mediating airway remodeling and fibrosis.
Growth factor receptor tyrosine kinases and their role in lung fibroblast proliferation, apoptosis, and cytokine production.
Control of growth factor activity by extracellular cytokine-binding proteins.
Strategies for the intervention of pulmonary fibrosis.

Academic Appointments

Undisclosed University, Present

As Associate Professor studying the cellular and molecular mechanisms through which toxic environmental agents such as particles, nanoparticles, and metals cause fibroblast growth or matrix production resulting in fibrosis.
Utilizing molecular techniques in genomics and transgenic mouse models, identified intracellular signaling pathways and novel genes that contribute to the progression of fibrosis.
Research focus on two families of cell surface growth factor receptor tyrosine kinases (RTK) that mediate these cellular responses: the platelet-derived growth factor receptor family (PDGFR) and the epidermal growth factor receptor family (EGFR).
Identified these RTKs as potentially important targets for therapeutic intervention of pulmonary fibrosis.
New initiatives in nanotechnology aimed at understanding the possible health effects of manufactured nanomaterials (carbon nanotubes and nano-sized metal catalysts).
Determine the physico-chemical properties of nanomaterials that trigger fibrotic reactions in the lung in order to provide information for the design of safer nanomaterials.
Particular interest is determining the fibrotic potential of nanomaterials in mouse models of pre-existing lung disease such as asthma, viral infection, and bacterial endotoxin-induced inflammation.

Research Areas

Lung fibrosis, asthma, nanotoxicology, metals, particles, fibers and microbial infections.

CIIT Centers for Health Research, Research Triangle Park, NC, 2004 - 2010

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, 1990 - 2004

Laboratory of Pulmonary Pathobiology

Adjunct Faculty Positions

Teaching Appointments

North Carolina State University

Department of Toxicology

Graduate Level Biochemical Toxicology 710 Biochemical Toxicology Course; lecture on "Respiratory Cell and Molecular Toxicology." 701 Introductory Toxicology Course, lecture to undergraduates on "Basic Principles of Respiratory Toxicology."

Veterinary Medical Sciences

570 Cell Biology Course, Department of Anatomy, College of Veterinary Medicine; lecture on "Growth Factors in Health and Disease".

Duke University

Pathology 200 Core Course for Medical Students, Department of Pathology, Basic Principles of Pathology, lecture on "Mechanisms of Environmental Lung Injury."

Academic and Professional Affiliations

Member, American Heart Association Mid-Atlantic Consortium Study Section, Baltimore, MD
Ad Hoc Reviewer, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Acute Lung Injury SCCOR Study Section, Bethesda, MD
Ad Hoc Reviewer, University of California Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program Study Section, San Francisco, CA
Ad Hoc Reviewer and Committee Member, Berrylium Rule Advisory Committee. U.S. Depart. of Energy
Committee member, North Carolina Visiting Pulmonary Scholar Program, co-hosted by Duke University, University of North Carolina, North Carolina State University, Glaxo-Welcome, US EPA and CIIT Centers for Health Research
Coordinator, North Carolina Visiting Pulmonary Scholar Program
Member, American Thoracic Society
Sigma Xi Honorary Member
Board Member, Environmental Federation of North Carolina

Editorial Activities

Continued Education

NIH Postdoctoral Fellow, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina

Publications

Ad Hoc Reviewer for Journals

Overall Publications