? ? This five year mentored research plan will develop this new investigator into a mature clinician scientist and ? independent investigator in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Stanford University. The ? principal investigator has completed a fellowship in pulmonary and critical care medicine and a one year ? research fellowship in the Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation and Pulmonary and Critical Care ? Medicine at Stanford University. He is currently an Instructor of Medicine in the Pulmonary and Critical Care ? Medicine division of the Department of Medicine at Stanford University. To complete the proposed research, ? the principal investigator will acquire expertise in flow cytometry, lung histology, stem cell biology, ? developmental biology, mouse genetics, biochemistry, immunology, and genomic approaches. Dr. Judith A. ? Shizuru will mentor the principal investigator's scientific development. She is an Associate Professor of ? Medicine at Stanford who has successfully trained individuals who have gone on to establish their own ? laboratories and successfully compete for independent funding. The principal investigator has enlisted ? recognized experts in the field of lung morphogenesis, stem cell biology, vascular biology, lung ? histopathology, and lung injury as consultants. The mentor and consultants will work closely with the ? principal investigator to complete the proposed research plan. An advisory committee of senior investigators ? has been assembled to provide scientific and career development guidance. The principal investigator has ? also identified local and national courses to expand his scientific expertise. The proposed project focuses on ? identifying and characterizing progenitor cells that participate in repair of the endothelial component of the ? alveolus. The long term goal of this research is to translate lung repair research into therapy for acute and ? chronic lung injury. We have discovered a novel population of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) that ? regenerates alveolar capillary structures as contiguous clusters of endothelial cells.
In Specific Aim 1 we will ? further purify and characterize these EPCs.
In Specific Aim 2 we will study the proliferation of donor-derived ? endothelial clusters and measure the magnitude of functional endothelial repair in different models of lung ? injury. This project is a multidisciplinary effort that will facilitate completion of the research plan and will ? prepare the principal investigator for a career in academic medicine. ? (End of Abstract) ? ? ?
