Pulmonary Disease

At the Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, we fight lung disease by translating biological research into effective clinical practice.

The researchers at our Pulmonary Center—operated in partnership with Boston Medical Center (BMC)—have contributed enormously to today’s understanding of the intricate cellular events and molecular signals that orchestrate lung development. These discoveries are directly relevant to lung abnormalities, such as congenital lung diseases driven by exposures or deficiencies during pregnancy. In addition, ongoing research is demonstrating that these developmental pathways are linked to many lung diseases in both children and adults, including asthma, lung cancer, emphysema, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pulmonary hypertension, and pulmonary fibrosis.

They may also hold the key to new treatments. The Pulmonary Center’s directed differentiation of stem cells into specialized lung cells has great promise for regenerative medicine, possibly leading to the repair, replacement, or cure of injured lungs.

Historically, scientists worked slowly: one observation per patient, one patient at a time. Today, in contrast, Pulmonary Center investigators work with huge data sets: thousands or even millions of observations from a single patient sample, with thousands or even millions of people included in a single study. These approaches are providing unprecedented insights.

To learn how you can help, please contact the BU Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Development team.

Donate to the Pulmonary Research Fund.

Learn more about BU Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine’s pulmonary disease research.