Research Interests:
Epidemiology of occupational lung disease, Asthma outcomes and Occupational toxicology
Summary:
Dr. Blanc’s research addresses the impact of work-related and environmental exposures on human health, in particular respiratory diseases such as asthma, and COPD. His work focuses on the role that such exposures can play in causing disease and also how ongoing stressors can aggravate pre-existing disease and lead to disability
Research Interests:
Genomics, Asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Stereology, Epidemiology, Clinical Trials, Medical Education
Summary:
My research relates to two common lung diseases, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and falls into three specific categories: 1) the identification of molecular sub-phenotypes of these diseases, 2) the elucidation of mechanisms of inflammation and remodeling in these diseases and 3) clinical trials of novel therapies.
Research Interests:
Apoptotic cell and collagen clearance in health and disease.
Summary:
The accumulation of cellular and molecular debris in the extracellular compartment must be precisely regulated to preserve tissue integrity. We are interested in discovering the pathways that regulate tissue homeostasis through the removal of matrix molecules (collagen) and cellular debris (apoptotic cells) under normal and pathological conditions.
Research Interests:
Cellular dynamics of allergic immune responses underlying asthma
Summary:
Asthma is a chronic lung disease that afflicts tens of millions of people in the US and is particularly prevalent in children. In the majority of individuals with asthma, underlying allergic inflammation in the lung makes a significant contribution to the disease etiology. In order to understand the cellular and molecular events driving this allergic inflammation, we use advanced technologies, including two-photon microscopy and flow cytometry, to directly visualize and characterize inflammatory cells in the lungs as well as in lymphoid organs that ‘prime’ cells for immune responses in the respiratory tract. A particular emphasis of our research is on the generation and function of the IgE class of antibodies that contribute to allergic responses.