LAB

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Our research program has a long-standing focus on asthma and airway smooth muscle (ASM), a central driver of airway hyperresponsiveness and remodeling. We integrate mechanistic discovery with innovative, human-relevant translational models to uncover disease-driving pathways, generate clinically relevant insights, and identify and validate new therapeutic targets for asthma and other obstructive lung diseases. Our work is organized around two broad themes:

1. Asthma Mechanisms and Therapeutic Target Discovery. We investigate how GPCR and calcium signaling, E3 ubiquitin ligases, and protein homeostasis regulate ASM contraction, growth, inflammation, and remodeling. A major emphasis is translating these discoveries into next-generation therapeutic strategies, including targeted protein degradation, that address limitations of current asthma treatments.
2. Human-Relevant Models of Airway Disease and Inhaled Injury. We integrate primary human airway cells and tissues, precision-cut lung slices, multicellular and organotypic systems, and other new approach methodologies (NAMs) with complementary in vivo models. These platforms support mechanistic discovery, target validation, therapeutic testing, and biomarker identification. As a collaborative extension, we also investigate the adverse cardiopulmonary effects of emerging inhaled toxicants and environmentally derived inhalation hazards.

EDUCATION, TRAINING & CREDENTIALS

• Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
• Postdoctoral Fellow, Center for Translational Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA
• University of Manitoba, Canada - Ph.D., Airway Biology
• Birla Institute of Technology, India - Master of Pharmacy, Pharmacology
• Birla Institute of Technology, India - Bachelor of Pharmacy (4 years with Distinction)

AWARDS & HONORS

• 2026 – Fellow, American Thoracic Society (ATSF)
• 2018 – European Respiratory Society Short-Term Research Fellowship, Basel Children’s Hospital, Switzerland
• 2018 – ERS Best Abstract Grant by GSK in Airway Diseases (senior author)
• 2017 – Ann Woolcock Memorial Award, American Thoracic Society (ATS)
• 2017 – Stuart Hirst Award for Scientific Excellence, American Thoracic Society (senior author)
• 2017 – Best Abstract Award, Thoracic Society of Australia & New Zealand
• 2015 – ATS RSF Assembly Abstract Award
• 2013 – European Respiratory Society Young Scientist Award
• 2012 – CIHR/Rx&D/Canadian Lung Association/GSK Fellowship
• 2012 – Early Career Development Award, Alberta Innovates Health Solutions
• 2012 – ATS RSF Assembly Abstract Award
• 2011 – PhD Thesis Award for Excellence in Pediatrics & Child Health Research, Manitoba Institute of Child Health
• 2010 – Dr. Newman Stephens Award for Excellence in Respiratory Physiology, University of Manitoba
• 2009 – ATS RSF Assembly Abstract Award
• 2008 – CIHR Banting & Best Canada Graduate Scholarship
• 2008 – Dean of Graduate Studies Award, Canadian Student Health Research Forum
• 2007 – NTPAA (CIHR-STIHR) & Manitoba Institute of Child Health Graduate Scholarship
• 2007 – International Graduate Student Scholarship, University of Manitoba

MEMBERSHIPS

• American Thoracic Society
• European Respiratory Society

Publications

NCBI Bibliography