Clean Up and Clear Out: A Novel Role for Scavenger Receptors in Environmental Lung Disease

Our lungs are constantly being challenged by environmental exposures (air pollutants, particulate matter, noxious gases, allergens, viruses, bacteria, etc).The central focus of Dr. Kymberly Gowdy's research is to explore and identify novel mechanisms by which the environment can modify pulmonary innate and adaptive immune responses. She has a great interest in understanding how environmental exposures can alter the host defense response of the lung making it more susceptible to infection.