Luis Rodriguez, PhD

Research Project:
Linking Distal Bronchiolization to Intrinsic Epithelial Stress

Grant Awarded:

Hastings Innovation Award for Interstitial Lung Disease

Research Topic:

basic biologic mechanisms

Research Diseases:

COVID-19
interstitial lung disease
pulmonary fibrosis

Defining the molecular mechanisms that support lung repair is critical to understanding the pathology of disease, from infections to chronic conditions including interstitial lung disease. This study applies a unique genetic model of lung fibrosis and aims to discover why repair succeeds in some settings but fails in others. It will study how epithelial cells respond when the lung faces both genetic susceptibility to injury and an external infection. First, it aims to determine if severe damage drives upper airway progenitor cells (early-stage cells) into the deepest part of the lung (distal alveolar space) and disrupts normal remodeling. Secondly, it will examine how these upper airway cells attempt to become healthy alveolar cells and why genetic susceptibility to injury impairs this process. The results of this study will refine our understanding and modeling of interstitial lung disease, produce data that strengthens the translational insight of this model, and form the foundation of a robust research program.

Hastings Innovation Award for Interstitial Lung Disease

Page last updated: September 28, 2026

Luis Rodriguez, PhD

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