The focus of research in my laboratory is on the intracellular signaling events regulating leukocyte activation. The relevance of this is to diseases characterized by inflammatory injury including acute lung injury (ARDS), sepsis, ischemia reperfusion, cystic fibrosis, and asthma.

Our laboratory uses state of the art techniques in cell and molecular biology including single cell microfluoresence imaging, microinjection, cloning and sequencing of genomic DNA, PCR, site-directed mutagenesis, fusion protein expression and mammalian cell transfection with dominant negative proteins, and the study of knockout mice.

Specific projects currently ongoing include:

• The characterization of tyrosine phosphatases expressed in leukocytes including SHP-1, SHP-2, and MEG-2. We are studying mice deficient in these protein tyrosine phosphatases. A wide range of effector cell functions are being studied in these mice including phagocytosis, oxidative burst, tyrosine phosphorylation and other signaling pathways.
• The role of adhesion molecules in cell signaling. This involves the study of the signaling pathways activated by beta-2 integrins and L-selectin leading to leukocyte activation. Signaling pathways involving MAP kinases and Akt are being investigated.
• Interaction of neutrophils with bronchial epithelial cells with specific reference to the expression of cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulatory protein on these interactions. This project involves the use of single cell microfluorescence techniques looking at the interaction of isolated neutrophils with bronchial epithelial cells in culture.

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