Thomas J. Mariani, Ph.D.

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Premature infant morbidity and mortality often results from pulmonary complications, primarily insufficient lung maturation or alveolar formation. Likewise, many adult lung diseases involve obliteration of the distal respiratory structure. With the advent of clinical means to dramatically improve pre-term infant survival, there has been a growing appreciation of a relationship between developmental complications and susceptibility to chronic lung disease. The broad objectives of Dr. Mariani's laboratory are to identify the genetic mechanisms of susceptibility to chronic lung diseases, particularly focusing upon their developmental antecedents and the influence of environmental factors. Dr. Mariani's research program focuses upon defining regulatory networks involved in lung development and maturation, and which may be perturbed in diseased states. His laboratory uses a combination of animal modeling research and studies of human subjects. He is a leader in the application of gene expression array methods to pulmonary biology and lung disease. Current research projects in the Mariani lab include:

1. Defining genetic regulatory networks contributing to airspace morphogenesis using the FGFR3/4 mutant mouse model of abnormal alveolar formation.

2. Determining the physiological role of PPARg in lung epithelial cells during airspace formation and in lung injury/repair.

3. Investigating the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which the protease inhibitor SERPINE2 contributes to airspace formation and susceptibility to COPD.

This work is currently supported by the NIH and FAMRI.

Current Appointments

• Associate Professor - Department of Pediatrics (SMD)
• Associate Professor - Department of Environmental Medicine (SMD)
• Associate Professor - Department of Medicine (SMD)

Education
PhD Microbiology and Molecular Genetics	Rutgers University	1993
B.S. Biology	Rutgers University, Cook College	1989

Post-Doctoral Training & Residency
Research Associate, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO	1997 - 1998
Postdoctoral Fellow, Dermatology Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO	1994 - 1997

Fellowship Awards
PI: Thomas Mariani Title: The Role of PPARg in Pulmonary Macrophage Inflammation Sponsor: Francis Families Foundation Grant Type: non-NIH	2000 - 2003
PI: Thomas Mariani Title: Elastin Regulation in Lung Development and Disease Sponsor: National Research Service Award (NHLBI) Grant Type: non-NIH	1994 - 1997
Ciba Foundation Symposium 192 - The Molecular Biology and Pathology of Elastic Tissues, Sponsor: Novartis (Ciba) Foundation | Nairobi, Kenya/St. Louis, MO	1994

Recent Journal Articles
Showing the 5 most recent journal articles. (42 available)
Kho, A.T.; Bhattacharya, S.; Mecham, B.H.; Hong, J.; Kohane, I.S.; Mariani, T.J. "Expression profiles of the mouse lung identify a molecular signature of time-to-birth." Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol 40 (2009): 47-57. Epub 2008 Jul 29.
Bhattacharya S, Srisuma S, Demeo DL, Shapiro SD, Bueno R,Silverman EK, Reilly JJ, Mariani TJ. "Molecular biomarkers for quantitative and discrete COPD phenotypes." Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol 40 (2009): 359-367.
Blake DJ, Singh A, Kombairaju P, Malhotra D, Mariani TJ, Tuder RM, Gabrielson E, Biswal S. "Deletion of Keap1 in the Lung Attenuates Acute Cigarette Smoke-induced Oxidative Stress and Inflammation". Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol (2009).
Kho, AT.; Bhattacharya, S; Tantisira, KG; Carey, VJ; Gaedigk R; Leeder JS; Kohane IS; Weiss ST; Mariani TJ. "Transcriptomic Analysis of Human Lung Development. Oct 8. [Epub ahead of print]". Am J Respir Crit Care Med (2009).
Kho, AT.; Bhattacharya, S; Tantisira, KG; Carey, VJ; Gaedigk R; Leeder JS; Kohane IS; Weiss ST; Mariani TJ. "Transcriptomic Analysis of Human Lung Development. Oct 8. [Epub ahead of print]". Am J Respir Crit Care Med (2009).