Members
Environmental epidemiology of the effect of air polution on respiratory health
Understanding the pathogenesis of Acute Lung Injury (ALI), a life threatening pulmonary inflammatory condition
Defining molecular pathways by which allergens and particulates activate epithelia and dendritic cells in the lung immune system
Delineating mechanisms by which environmental exposures during different life stages alter immune function
Genetic and environmental susceptibility to developmental lung injury
Developing and coordinating a wide variety of science education and outreach programs for students (elementary through high school), teachers, and the general community.
Airway epithelial stem cells in chemical inhalation exposures
Smoking Cessation in special populations, Technology/Web Assisted Risk Behavior Intervention and Dissemination of effective interventions to physician practices
Defining how an aberrant oxygen environment and oxygen-induced DNA damage signaling alter distal lung development, the host response to respiratory viral infections, and promotes cardiovascular disease later in life
Behavioral medicine and outcomes management include tobacco use and smoking interventions, obesity prevention and exercise
The mechanisms of lung vascular endothelial cell dysfunction in acute lung injury
Redox signaling mechanism of Proinflammatory gene expression in pathogenesis of chronic inflammatory lung diseases caused by environmental toxicants
Mechanisms of toxicity of the environmental contaminant and neurotoxicant methylmercury (MeHg), defining MeHg effects on early life development of neural and muscular systems at the molecular, cellular, and organismal levels using invertebrate and mammalian models, and detailed characterization of MeHg metabolism and elimination kinetics in humans.
Our research program focuses on mechanisms underlying gene environment interaction in pregnancy. We are interested in elucidating how environmental factors influence epigenetic regulation of developmental-relevant genes including imprinted genes, and how exposure modulates maternal-fetal health.
