Professional Training and Experience

• Bachelor of Anatomical Science (with honours), University of Bristol, Bristol, England
• Bachelor of Veterinary Science (with honours), University of Bristol, Bristol, England
• Clinical Veterinarian, Animal Resources Program, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
• Predoctoral Fellow, Department of Comparative Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
• Ph.D., Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
• Research Instructor, Department of Comparative Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
• Research Instructor, Department of Anesthesiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
• Research Assistant Professor, Department of Anesthesiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
• Veterinary Medical Officer, Birmingham Veterans' Administration Medical Center, Birmingham, Alabama
• Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of Veterinary Biosciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio

Research Interests

Since 2001, my primary research focus has been on the pathophysiologic effects of pulmonary viral infections (hantaviruses, respiratory syncytial virus, and influenza A viruses). In particular, I pioneered investigation of the impact of these pathogens on respiratory epithelial ion transport, alveolar fluid clearance, lung mechanics, and nucleotide signaling in vivo and developed novel techniques for measuring acute lung injury severity in mice. Over the past 9 years as an independent investigator, I have extended my studies to focus on development of new therapeutics for viral acute lung injury, the pathogenesis of viral exacerbations of asthma and cystic fibrosis, and the effects of viral infections on lung mechanics and pulmonary responses to b-adrenergic agonists and glucocorticoids. This research program has resulted in funding awards from the Parker B. Francis Families Foundation, NCRR, the American Lung Association, the American Heart Association, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, NIAID, and NHLBI. My current studies focus on the mechanistic role of alveolar type II epithelial cells and alveolar macrophages in the pathogenesis of influenza-induced acute lung injury, using both murine and primary human airway epithelial cell models. Specifically, I am interested in the impact of influenza infection on the respiratory epithelial cell and alveolar macrophage transcriptome and metabolome. The goal of these studies is to identify novel host determinants of influenza disease severity that can be targeted therapeutically to prevent, retard, or attenuate influenza-induced acute lung injury.