Announcing Creation of the Penn-CHOP Lung Biology Institute
May 28, 2019
To:Penn Medicine Faculty, Students and Staff
From:J. Larry Jameson, MD, PhD
Jonathan A. Epstein, MD
We are excited to announce the creation of the Penn-CHOP Lung Biology Institute (LBI), under the leadership of founding director Edward E. Morrisey, PhD. The LBI will position both Penn Medicine and CHOP at the forefront of pulmonary research, developing novel approaches to prevent and treat human lung disease.
Chronic lung diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), interstitial pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), and asthma have now become the third leading cause of death in the U.S., and their prevalence is increasing, while respiratory deficiency and congenital diseases are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in pediatric patients. The unique patient populations at Penn and CHOP will enable breakthrough research focused on identifying the underlying causes of human respiratory diseases using innovative cellular, genetic and genomic technologies to define the molecular and genetic basis of both chronic and rare lung diseases.
Penn and CHOP have a long history of excellence in both pulmonary clinical care and research, and the Penn Center for Pulmonary Biology (PCPB), which was established four years ago by Dr. Morrisey, has fostered strong collaborations between scientists and clinicians at both institutions to invigorate lung biology research. This has catalyzed large multi-investigator grants and industry partnerships, generating important scientific discoveries and high impact publications. By expanding the scope of the PCPB to a broader community of physicians and scientists under the LBI, the breadth and depth of innovative pulmonary research across Penn and CHOP will increase. The establishment of the LBI will also strengthen collaborative efforts with the Schools of Engineering and Veterinary Medicine, fostering an integrative, multidisciplinary approach towards pulmonary biology research.
Dr. Morrisey is an international leader in pulmonary and cardiovascular cell biology, development, and regeneration. He is a past and present member of many NIH and private foundation research consortia focused on lung and cardiac regeneration, as well as stem cell biology. Dr. Morrisey has served as the Scientific Director of the Penn Institute of Regenerative Medicine since 2007 and currently serves on multiple advisory boards for industry and academic institutes, and on editorial boards of several leading journals, including Developmental Cell, eLife, and the Journal of Clinical investigation.
Please join us in congratulating Dr. Morrisey on the establishment of the Penn-CHOP LBI, and in wishing the LBI continued success in advancing the field of pulmonary research.