Yun Zhang, MD, PhD

Research Project:
Role of CC16 in Pulmonary Development and Maternal Smoking-induced Lung Deficits

Grant Awarded:

ACRC Early Career Investigator Grant

Research Topics:

basic biologic mechanisms
biomarkers
combination therapies experimental therapeutics
computational biology
proteomics

Research Diseases:

bronchopulmonary dysplasia
COPD
emphysema

Many perinatal factors, such as maternal smoking, cause lung deficiencies that persist into adulthood, yet a poor understanding of how these factors disrupt lung development has limited the development of effective therapies. Club cells in the lung produce club cell protein 16 (CC16), which we have previously shown to be protective against lung injury, but its role in lung development and injury repair remains largely unknown. In this study, we will characterize gene expression in individual lung cells and determine how CC16 deficiency and supplementation alter lung cellular composition, using maternal smoking as a model to define CC16's role in lung development and injury repair. This work will lay the foundation for therapeutic application of CC16 in high-risk newborns.

Page last updated: September 22, 2026

Yun Zhang, MD, PhD

A Breath of Fresh Air in Your Inbox

Make a Donation

Become a Lung Health Insider

Select Your Location

Change Language

Lung HelpLine

1-800-LUNG-USA