Research Program
Research in the Pulmonary Center is elucidating the biology of healthy lungs, discovering mechanisms responsible for pulmonary disease, and translating these discoveries to clinical breakthroughs. Aspects of healthy lungs of especial interest include lung development and cellular differentiation within the lungs. Diseases of particular interest include asthma, pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, tuberculosis, COPD, lung cancer, and pulmonary fibrosis. Translational avenues include bioinformatics analyses of patient samples, regenerative medicine, and clinical trials. The Pulmonary Center encompasses >20,000 square feet of research space, with state of the art equipment and facilities for molecular, cellular, physiological, and epidemiological investigations.
Lung Infection and Immunity
The lungs contain an amazingly sophisticated and specialized system of immune defense. This immunity does a remarkable job most of the time, as lungs are constantly challenged but usually healthy. However, respiratory infections like pneumonia and influenza are among the worst burdens of disease worldwide every year, are the leading cause of death due to infection in the US. In addition, the immune processes that normally protect the lung against infection instead contribute to the pathogenesis of perhaps every pulmonary disease, including acute respiratory distress syndrome, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, interstitial lung disease, pulmonary hypertension, and more.
Anna Belkina, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Areas of Interest: Research: |
Markus Bosmann, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Areas of Interest: Bacterial sepsis; Complement system; Lung immunology Research: |
David M. Center, MD
Ruth and Gordon Snider Professor of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Areas of Interest: Allergy; Asthma |
Erin L. Crossey, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Lab Website: Pneumonia Biology Labs Areas of Interest: Lymphangiogenesis Research: |
Rachel Fearns, PhD
Ernest Barsamian Professor of Virology, Immunology & Microbiology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Areas of Interest: Respiratory syncytial virus; Parainfluenza virus; Polymerase inhibitors Research: |
Yang Jin, MD, PhD
Professor of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Areas of Interest: Bacterial sepsis; Macrophage biology Research: |
Matthew R. Jones, PhD
Associate Professor of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Lab Website: Pneumonia Biology Labs Areas of Interest: Pneumonia biology; Lymphangiogenesis Research: |
Igor Kramnik, MD, PhD
Associate Professor of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Areas of Interest: Tuberculosis Research: |
Giovanni Ligesti, PhD
Associate Professor of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Areas of Interest: Pulmonary fibrosis; Lung repair; Pulmonary vascular biology Research: |
Paul J. Maglione, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Lab Website: Pneumonia Biology Labs Areas of Interest: Common variable immunodeficiency; Human B cell biology Research: |
Joseph P. Mizgerd, ScD
Jerome S. Brody, MD, Professor of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Lab Website: Pneumonia Biology Labs Areas of Interest: Lung immunology; Pneumonia biology; Streptococcus pneumoniae Research: Dr. Mizgerd’s research focuses on lung immunology and the biology of respiratory infection by illuminating the regulation and function of innate and adaptive immune cells and signals in the lung, and how variations in these parameters determine pneumonia susceptibility, pathophysiology, and outcome. The long-term goal is to enable new approaches to preventing and treating pneumonia |
Jussi J. Saukkonen, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Areas of Interest: Tuberculosis Research: |
Katrina E. Traber, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Lab Website: Pneumonia Biology Labs Areas of Interest: Lung immunology; Pneumonia biology Research: |
Maria Trojanowska, PhD
Professor of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Lab Website: Arthritis & Autoimmune Diseases Research Center Areas of Interest: Pulmonary arterial hypertension; Pulmonary fibrosis; Systemic sclerosis Research: |
Regenerative Medicine and Developmental Biology
Pulmonary researchers at Boston University have contributed enormously to today’s understanding of the intricate cellular events and molecular signals that orchestrate the processes of lung development, in which a bulge in the developing esophagus grows into an intricate and complete set of lungs. These discoveries are immediately and directly relevant to lung development abnormalities, such as congenital lung diseases driven by exposures or deficiencies during pregnancy. In addition, ongoing research is demonstrating that these pathways of developmental origin are central components of a great many lung diseases in both children and adults, including asthma, lung cancer, emphysema, and pulmonary fibrosis. Finally, discoveries related to lung development have prospects for radicalizing new treatment approaches for pulmonary disease. The directed differentiation of stem cells into specialized lung cells, as dictated by lung development programs defined in Pulmonary Center labs, has great promise for regenerative medicine and the hopes for repairing (or replacing) injured lungs and curing pulmonary disease.
Konstantinos D. Alysandratos, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Lab Website: Alysandratos Lab Areas of Interest: Pulmonary fibrosis; Induced pluripotent stem cells Research: |
Andrew Berical, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Lab Website: Hawkins Lab Areas of Interest: Induced pluripotent stem cells; Airway epithelial cells; Cystic fibrosis; Primary ciliary dyskinesia. Research: Dr. Berical’s research focuses on the function and diseases of the conducting airway. While working to understand specific mechanisms that cause and exacerbate disease states, he hopes to develop more models of human diseases that can be utilized to develop rational treatments for patients afflicted with primary ciliary dyskinesia, cystic fibrosis, asthma, and related diseases that affect the conducting airways. His research is supported by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (Harry Shwachman Clinical Investigator) and Emily’s Entourage. |
Felicia Chen, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Areas of Interest: Lung development biology; Retinoid biology; Lung microbiome Research: |
Alan Fine, MD
Professor of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Areas of Interest: Lung development biology; Lymphangiogenesis Research: The Fine lab is interested in characterizing the biology of the lung’s lymphatic system beyond its roles in lung water regulation and immune cell trafficking. These studies are focused on lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs), specialized cells that line lymphatic networks. They are learning how the lymphatic system grows and differentiates during early post-natal lung development, and how this system responds to lung disease. They are particularly interested in identifying functionally distinct LEC subsets and the unrecognized effector functions of LECs that shape immune cell activity and lung healing. |
Finn J. Hawkins, MBBCh
Associate Professor of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Lab Website: Hawkins Lab Areas of Interest: Cystic fibrosis; Induced pluripotent stem cells; Lung regeneration; Lung disease modeling Research: The Hawkins lab studies the basic mechanisms of lung development and airway regeneration. They use iPSC and primary cell in vitro models to study these mechanisms and also for disease modeling, including cystic fibrosis and primary ciliary dyskinesia. |
Joseph E. Kaserman, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Lab Website: Wilson Lab Areas of Interest: Alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency; Induced pluripotent stem cells Research: |
Darrell N. Kotton, MD
David C. Seldin Professor of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Lab Website: Kotton Lab Areas of Interest: Gene therapy; Induced pluripotent stem cells; Lung development biology Research: |
Gustavo Mostoslavsky, MD, PhD
Professor of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Lab Website: Mostoslavsky Lab Areas of Interest: Induced pluripotent stem cells Research: |
George J. Murphy, PhD
Associate Professor of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Lab Website: Murphy Lab Areas of Interest: Stem cell biology; Developmental hematopoiesis; Aging Research: |
Xaralabos (Bob) Varelas, PhD
Professor of Biochemistry & Cell Biology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Lab Website: Varelas Lab Areas of Interest: Mechanotransduction; Lung epithelial biology; Lung cancer; Lung regeneration and fibrosis Research: |
Daniel J. Wallman, MD
Instructor of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Lab Website: Hawkins Lab Areas of Interest: Monogenic airway diseases, primary ciliary dyskinesia, gene editing, cell-based gene therapy Research: Dr. Wallman studies the monogenic airway diseases, such as primary ciliary dyskinesia, using the basal cell – the stem cell of the airway epithelium. In the Hawkins lab, he uses advanced gene editing techniques in the induced basal cell to interrogate gene function, develop genotype-to-phenotype assessments of genetic variants and recapitulate monogenic airway diseases both in vitro and in vivo. |
Andrew A. Wilson, MD
Professor of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Lab Website: Wilson Lab Areas of Interest: Alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency; COPD; induced pluripotent stem cells Research: |
Clinical Research Sciences
Amyloidosis Research
John L. Berk, MD
Professor of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Lab Website: Amyloidosis Center Areas of Interest: Amyloidosis Research: Dr. Berk conducts translational medicine targeting drug development for patients with wild type and hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis. |
Asthma/COPD Research
George T. O’Connor, MD, MS
Professor of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Lab Website: Framingham Heart Study Areas of Interest: Genetic epidemiology; Genome-wide association studies Research: |
Robyn T. Cohen, MD
Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Areas of Interest: Asthma; Sickle cell disease Research: |
Clinical Guideline/Methodology Research
Kevin C. Wilson, MD
Professor of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Areas of Interest: Clinical guideline methodology; Interstitial lung disease; Systematic reviews Research: Dr. Wilson is a clinical practice guideline methodologist. He leads teams of experts who research the published literature, appraise and synthesize evidence, and make recommendations that inform worldwide clinical practice. He also conducts research into the methods used to develop guidelines. The scope of his work encompasses all pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine, with a focus in interstitial lung disease. |
Critical Care Medicine Research
Nicholas A. Bosch, MD, MSc
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Lab Website: Critical Care ECHO Group Areas of Interest: Critical care medicine; Comparative effectiveness; Implementation science Research: Dr. Bosch is a health services researcher, epidemiologist, and critical care physician specializing in leveraging health services, quasi-experimental and causal-inference methods to inform and optimize the care of patients with critical illness. |
Michael H. Ieong, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Areas of Interest: Critical care medicine Research: |
Anica C. Law, MD, MS
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Lab Website: Critical Care ECHO Group Areas of Interests: Critical care medicine; Health services research; Causal inference; Health policy impacts Research: Dr. Law is a critical care physician, clinical epidemiologist, and health services researcher. Using large databases and leveraging natural experiments and econometric methods where feasible, she seeks to understand the determinants of outcomes after critical illness in order to better inform decision-making during critical illness and the optimal delivery of care after acute critical illness. She is supported by an NIH/NHLBI K23, the Boston University Evans Junior Faculty Research Merit Award, and the Coleman Prize. |
Interstitial Lung Disease Research
Divya A. Shankar, MD
Instructor of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Areas of Interest: Interstitial lung disease; Sarcoidosis |
Kevin C. Wilson, MD
Professor of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Areas of Interest: Clinical guideline methodology; Interstitial lung disease; Systematic reviews Research: Dr. Wilson is a clinical practice guideline methodologist. He leads teams of experts who research the published literature, appraise and synthesize evidence, and make recommendations that inform worldwide clinical practice. He also conducts research into the methods used to develop guidelines. The scope of his work encompasses all pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine, with a focus in interstitial lung disease. |
Health Services/Implementation Sciences Research
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Lab Website: Critical Care ECHO Group Areas of Interest: Critical care medicine; Comparative effectiveness; Implementation science Research: Dr. Bosch is a health services researcher, epidemiologist, and critical care physician specializing in leveraging health services, quasi-experimental and causal-inference methods to inform and optimize the care of patients with critical illness. |
Kari R. Gillmeyer, MD, MSc
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Areas of Interest: Pulmonary hypertension; Health services research; Implementation Science Lab Website: Center for Healthcare Organization & Implementation Research Research: Dr. Gillmeyer is a health services researcher and pulmonary and critical physician who leverages quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods approaches to improve the organization, quality, and equity of care for patients with pulmonary hypertension. She is co-located at both Boston University and the VA Boston Healthcare System, where she is an investigator within the Center for Healthcare Organization & Implementation Research. |
Anica C. Law, MD, MS
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Lab Website: Critical Care ECHO Group Areas of Interests: Critical care medicine; Health services research; Causal inference; Health policy impacts Research: Dr. Law is a critical care physician, clinical epidemiologist, and health services researcher. Using large databases and leveraging natural experiments and econometric methods where feasible, she seeks to understand the determinants of outcomes after critical illness in order to better inform decision-making during critical illness and the optimal delivery of care after acute critical illness. She is supported by an NIH/NHLBI K23, the Boston University Evans Junior Faculty Research Merit Award, and the Coleman Prize. |
Stephanie A. Robinson, PhD
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Areas of Interest: Consumer health informatics; COPD; Health services research; Implementation science Research: |
Justin M. Rucci, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Areas of Interest: Health services research; Implementation science Research: |
Renda Soylemez Wiener, MD, MPH
Professor of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Lab Website: Center for Healthcare Organization & Implementation Research Areas of Interest: Lung cancer screening; Health services research; Implementation science; Goals of care Research: |
Cornelia B. Wakeman, MSN, FNP
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Areas of Interest: Tobacco cessation; Health disparities Research: |
Pulmonary Hypertension Research
Elizabeth S. Klings, MD
Professor of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Areas of Interest: Pulmonary hypertension; Sickle cell disease; Venous thromboembolism Research: |
Kari R. Gillmeyer, MD, MSc
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Areas of Interest: Pulmonary hypertension; Health services research; Implementation Science Lab Website: Center for Healthcare Organization & Implementation Research Research: Dr. Gillmeyer is a health services researcher and pulmonary and critical physician who leverages quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods approaches to improve the organization, quality, and equity of care for patients with pulmonary hypertension. She is co-located at both Boston University and the VA Boston Healthcare System, where she is an investigator within the Center for Healthcare Organization & Implementation Research.
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Ronald H. Goldstein, MD
Professor of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Areas of Interests: Lung cancer biomarkers Research: |
Justin K. Lui, MD, MS
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Areas of Interest: Pulmonary hypertension; Data science; Medical education Research: Dr. Lui’s research focus is in pulmonary hypertension, specifically related to systemic sclerosis where he conducts clinical and translational research that is at the intersection of medicine and engineering. He applies advanced data science approaches for a deep cardiopulmonary phenotyping of this rare disease population to further advance novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. He has received funding from the NIH, foundations, and industry. |
Global/Public Health Research
John Bernardo, MD
Professor of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Areas of Interest: Tuberculosis |
Davidson H. Hamer, MD
Professor, Global Health and Medicine, Boston University School of Public Health and Chobanian & Avesidian School of Medicine Areas of Interest: Global health
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Stephen I. Pelton, MD
Professor of Pediatrics, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Areas of Interest: Vaccination Research: |
Sarcoidosis Research
Praveen Govender, MBBCh
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Areas of Interest: Sarcoidosis; Interstitial lung disease |
Divya A. Shankar, MD
Instructor of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Areas of Interest: Sarcoidosis; Interstitial lung disease |
Sickle Cell Disease Research
Robyn T. Cohen, MD
Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Areas of Interest: Asthma; Sickle cell disease Research: |
Elizabeth S. Klings, MD
Professor of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Areas of Interest: Pulmonary hypertension; Sickle cell disease; Venous thromboembolism Research: |
Tobacco Use/Lung Cancer Research
Alexis Gallardo Foreman, MSN, DNP
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Areas of Interest: Health disparities; Tobacco cessation |
Ronald H. Goldstein, MD
Professor of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Areas of Interests: Lung cancer biomarkers Research: |
Renda Soylemez Wiener, MD, MPH
Professor of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Lab Website: Center for Healthcare Organization & Implementation Research Areas of Interest: Lung cancer screening; Health services research; Implementation science; Goals of care Research: |
Katrina A. Steiling, MD, MSc
Associate Professor of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Areas of Interest: Lung cancer screening; Lung nodules; Health disparities; Social determinants of health Research: Dr. Steiling’s research is an outgrowth of her passion to mitigate health disparities through the development of lung cancer screening and lung nodule evaluation programs that serve diverse patient populations. She developed and directs the Boston Medical Center Lung Cancer Screening Program and Lung Nodule Clinic. Her research focuses on interventions to improve health equity in lung cancer screening and lung nodule evaluation. |
Cornelia B. Wakeman, MSN, FNP
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Areas of Interest: Tobacco cessation; Health disparities Research: |
Genomics and Bioinformatics
Avrum Spira, MD, MSc
Alexander Graham Bell Professor in Health Care Entrepreneurship, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Lab Website: Spira-Lenburg Lab Areas of Interest: COPD; Lung cancer biomarkers Research: |
Ehab Billatos, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Areas of Interests: Lung cancer biomarkers Research: |
Marc E. Lenburg, PhD
Professor of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Lab Website: Spira-Lenburg Lab Areas of Interest: Lung cancer biomarkers Research: |
Biomedical Engineering
Mark W. Grinstaff, PhD
Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University College of Engineering Lab Website: Grinstaff Lab Areas of Interest: Biomaterials; Biosensors; Drug delivery Research: |
Hadi T. Nia, PhD
Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University College of Engineering Lab Website: Nia Laboratory Areas of Interest: Tumor microenvironment; Intravital imaging; Mechanobiology; Pulmonary physiology Research: |
Clinicians and Medical Educators
Samuel H. Belok, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Areas of Interest: Pleural disease; Point-of-care ultrasonography; Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation |
Christine L. Campbell Reardon, MD
Clinical Professor of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Areas of Interest: Critical care medicine |
Ting-Hsu Chen, MD, MPH
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Areas of Interest: Sleep medicine; Obstructive sleep apnea |
L. Jack Faling, MD
Professor of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Areas of Interest: Clinical reasoning |
Christine Fitzgibbons, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Areas of Interest: Sleep medicine; Obstructive sleep apnea |
Martin F. Joyce-Brady, MD
Clinical Professor of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine |
Christopher M. Kearney, MD, MPH
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Areas of Interest: Critical care medicine; Asthma |
Frederic F. Little, MD
Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Areas of Interest: Allergy; Asthma |
Justin K. Lui, MD, MS
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Areas of Interest: Pulmonary hypertension; Data science; Medical education |
Hector A. Marquez, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Areas of Interest: Pulmonary hypertension; Venous thromboembolism |
Claire Murphy, MSN, FNP
Instructor of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Areas of Interest: Allergy |
Sohera N. Syeda, MD
Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Areas of Interest: COPD; Palliative care Research: |
Arthur C. Theodore, MD
Clinical Professor of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Areas of Interest: Systemic sclerosis-related interstitial lung disease |