David F LaRosa, M.D.

Description of Research Expertise

Dr. LaRosa completed a three-year fellowship in the medical subspecialty of allergy and clinical immunology and is now faculty at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. During his postdoctoral research, performed under the mentorship of Dr. Laurence Turka, he investigated the functions of Toll-like receptors expressed in T cells and the influence of these pathways on host defense and transplantation tolerance for which he received a Mentored Clinician-Scientist Development Award from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. His current research program focuses on mechanisms of allergic inflammation and mucosal immunology, particularly on the role of mast cells in mucosal homeostasis and inflammation. As our understanding of innate immunity and barrier homeostasis continues to grow, this knowledge will directly impact our clinical perspective of inflammatory airway conditions. Dr. LaRosa’s most recent work is investigating the role of IL-6 trans-signaling in mast cell regulation. This work led to the observation that human mucosal mast cells are a dominant source of IL-17A in inflamed mucosal tissue. Projects are beginning to examine the clinical and pathological findings associated with the presence of IL-17A-producing mast cells within nasal respiratory mucosa.

Description of Clinical Expertise

His clinical interests include the evaluation and management of patients with recurrent infections of the respiratory tract. He has extensive experience in the management of adult patients with primary immunodeficiency disorders.