2022 Penn Lung Biology Symposium

 

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Keynote Speakers

Jayaraj Rajagopal, MD

Jayaraj Rajagopal, MD

Bernard and Mildred Kayden Endowed MGH Research Institute Chair

The Rajagopal lab focuses on organ regeneration and the application of developmental biology to human disease. They utilize the lung as a model system, in part due to the abundance of respiratory diseases of unknown causes and without cures.

We seek to isolate and culture lung stem cells and to understand their role in normal lung epithelial homeostasis and in regeneration after tissue injury. Lung stem cells purified from a donor animal or obtained from embryonic stem cell culture will provide novel reagents for generating in vitro models of human lung disease. We are also exploring the in vivo engraftment of lung epithelial stem cells as a basis for regenerative medical therapies.

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Nadia Hansel, MD

Nadia Hansel, MD

Director, Division of Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine

Dr. Hansel is a pulmonary and critical care medicine physician.  She is an expert in the diagnosis and treatment of obstructive airway diseases, including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and care of patients in the Medical ICU.

Dr. Hansel’s research focuses on understanding the determinants of health outcomes in obstructive airway diseases, including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In particular, she has focused on understanding the adverse health effects of low-level air pollution in homes of patients with chronic lung diseases. She is director of the Bridging Research, Lung Health & Environment (BREATHE) Center, and her work has been instrumental in showing that substantially lower pollutant concentrations found in homes not using biomass in developed countries are still an important contributor to respiratory symptoms in patients with chronic lung disease, such as COPD. 

Dr. Hansels' Profile

Steven Rowe, MD

Steven Rowe, MD

Chief Scientific Officer Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

Dr. Rowe specializes in developing new treatments for cystic fibrosis, the most common autosomal recessive genetic disease, and the cause of severe pulmonary disease affecting children and young adults. He founded the CF Transition Clinic for adolescents and young adults with the disease. He maintains expertise in the design and conduct of clinical trials targeting the basic CF defect. Dr. Rowe also has an interest in biomarkers of CF and other related airway diseases including measures of ion transport and the relation between mucus stasis and inflammation. He currently directs a clinical research program that examines the relationship between CF and the chronic bronchitis of COPD. 

Dr. Steven Rowe's Profile