Our Research Projects
We have several ongoing exciting projects that employ state-of-the-art experimental and numerical methodologies to investigate lung health.
Cardiopulmonary Health Following Wildland Fire Exposure
In collaboration with the Bellini (NU) and the Gollner (UC Berkeley) labs, we are engineering exposure protocols to investigate immunological-driven changes in cardiopulmonary structure/function following prolonged exposure to wildland fire smoke. This work is supported by the DHS/FEMA AFG program and a NIH/NIEHS ONES Award.
Impact of Long Term E-Cigarette Use on the Cardiopulmonary System
We are interested in how chronic use of e-cigarettes, either alone or in alteration with conventional cigarettes, impacts the respiratory and cardiovascular (in collaboration with the Bellini Lab). To do this, we have engineered standardized exposure protocols, utilizing particle measurements, dosimetry calculations, and PBPK modeling. Pre-clinical assessment are conducted following prolonged exposures. Funding is provided by NIH/NHLBI.
Optimization of Surfactant Delivery in Babies Born Prematurely
Babies born prematurely in low and medium income countries often are unable to receive care to prevent respiratory distress syndrome. In collaboration with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, our team is performing multi-scale simulations to optimize delivered dose of aerosolized surfactant to premature babies. We utilize patient-specific and whole lung models to perform calculations.
Phenotyping Severe Asthma with Aerosol Dosimetry
Subjects with severe asthma suffer from exacerbations and are refractory from standardized asthma treatment. In collaboration with Sean Fain, we are developing and utilizing data-driven computational models to sub-classify asthmatic subjects in order to recommend alternative treatment strategies.