Meet the Current Researchers

Get to know the lung health scientists driving progress through projects funded by the American Lung Association Research Institute.
  • Ayobami Akenroye, MBChB, MPH, PhD

    Ayobami Akenroye, MBChB, MPH, PhD

    Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Inc.

    Matching the Right Patient to the Right Medicine in Allergic and Eosinophilic Asthma

  • Md Zahid Akhter, PhD

    Md Zahid Akhter, PhD

    University of Illinois Chicago

    Blocking Gene Could Lead to New Treatments for Patients with Severe Lung Injury

  • Melinda Aldrich, PhD, MPH

    Melinda Aldrich, PhD, MPH

    Vanderbilt University Medical Center

    Using a Simple Blood Test to Screen People for Lung Cancer

  • Brittany Allen-Petersen, PhD

    Brittany Allen-Petersen, PhD

    Purdue University

    Understanding How a Protein Suppresses Lung Cancer Cells’ Ability to Spread

  • Vikas Anathy, PhD

    Vikas Anathy, PhD

    The University of Vermont and State Agricultural College

    Exploring Role of Cellular Structure That Engulfs Particles in How Lung Cells Control Flu

  • Deepshikha Ashana, MD, MBA

    Deepshikha Ashana, MD, MBA

    Duke University

    Adapting Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Phone App to Help People with COPD

  • Vincent Auyeung, MD, PhD

    Vincent Auyeung, MD, PhD

    University of California, San Francisco

    Why Do Transitional Cells Promote Scarring in Pulmonary Fibrosis?

  • Riyue Bao, PhD

    Riyue Bao, PhD

    UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh

    Tumor Cell Signaling May Impact Immunotherapy Response for Lung Squamous Cell Cancer

  • Xiaoyong Bao, PhD

    Xiaoyong Bao, PhD

    University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston

    Targeting Protein That Regulates SARS-CoV-2 Could Lead to Better COVID-19 Treatments

  • Victoria Barber, PhD

    Victoria Barber, PhD

    University of California, Los Angeles

    Evaluating Health Effects of Re-emitted Smoke Volatile Organic Compounds

  • Juliana Barreto de Albuquerque, PhD

    Juliana Barreto de Albuquerque, PhD

    Massachusetts General Hospital

    Enhancing Immunity Against Respiratory Pathogens Through Mucosal Vaccination

  • Lauren Benton, MD

    Lauren Benton, MD

    University of Arizona

    Why is Asthma More Likely in Children with Febrile Respiratory Infections?

  • Sergejs Berdnikovs, PhD

    Sergejs Berdnikovs, PhD

    University of Colorado Denver

    How Abnormal Metabolic Regulation in Airway Epithelial Cells Affect Body’s Response to Viral Infections

  • Sheena Bhalla, MD

    Sheena Bhalla, MD

    The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UT Southwestern)

    Examining Epigenetic Determinants of Racial Disparities in Lung Cancer Screening

  • Henry Brems, PhD

    Henry Brems, PhD

    Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

    Addressing Inequities from Before Medically Advised Discharges after Asthma Exacerbation

  • Lauren Averett Byers, MD

    Lauren Averett Byers, MD

    University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

    Targeting Diverse Cell Populations to Identify and Treat Resistant Cells in Lung Cancer

  • Daniel Calabrese, MD

    Daniel Calabrese, MD

    University of California, San Francisco

    Unraveling How Cytomegalovirus and Natural Killer Cells Cause Lung Disease

  • Stephen Carpenter, MD, PhD

    Stephen Carpenter, MD, PhD

    Case Western Reserve University - School of Medicine

    Studying T Cell Responses to TB Could Assist Vaccine Development

  • Joseph Minhow Chan, MD, PhD

    Joseph Minhow Chan, MD, PhD

    Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

    Dissecting Large Cell Neuroendocrine Lung Cancer at Single-Cell Level

  • Divay Chandra, MD

    Divay Chandra, MD

    University of Pittsburgh

    Developing Lithium as a Therapy for Emphysema

  • Hui-Zi Chen, MD, PhD

    Hui-Zi Chen, MD, PhD

    The Medical College of Wisconsin

    Why is Small Cell Lung Cancer So Aggressive?

  • Yue Chen, PhD

    Yue Chen, PhD

    Tufts University

    Understanding Interplay Between Cholesterol and Potassium Uptake During TB Infection

  • In Su Cheon, PhD

    In Su Cheon, PhD

    University of Virginia

    How Certain Immune Responses Can Lead to COVID-19 After Viral Pneumonia

  • Carla Concepcion, PhD

    Carla Concepcion, PhD

    Columbia University

    Finding Ways to Make SMARCA Therapy Even Better at Fighting Lung Cancer

  • Navneet Dhillon, PhD

    Navneet Dhillon, PhD

    University of Kansas Medical Center Research Institute, Inc.

    Distinguishing Long COVID-19 Patients Through Proteins of Circulating Extracellular Vesicles

  • Brad Drummond, MD

    Brad Drummond, MD

    The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

    New Way to Analyze CT Scans to Determine Presence of Emphysema

  • Brittany Duchene, MD

    Brittany Duchene, MD

    University of Vermont Medical Center

    Understanding the Relationship Between Asthma and Depression

  • Meaghan Flagg, PhD

    Meaghan Flagg, PhD

    National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

    Can a New Drug Promote Lung Repair in Alveolar Epithelial Cells?

  • Elliott Tyler Gall, PhD

    Elliott Tyler Gall, PhD

    Portland State University

    Impact of Portable Induction Cooktops on Indoor Air Quality

  • Marta Gomes, PhD

    Marta Gomes, PhD

    Indiana University

    Understanding the Role of WWOX Protein in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

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