A2DRC Research Update Seminar with Dr. Scott Boitano

The Asthma & Airway Disease Research Center (A2DRC) at the University of Arizona Health Sciences Tucson Campus Presents:

“Is There a Role for Protease-Activated Receptor-2 in Allergic Asthma?” 

Presented by:
Scott Boitano, PhD | Professor of Physiology, Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Physiological Sciences Graduate Interdisciplinary Program (GIDP), Research Scientist at the University of Arizona Health Sciences Asthma & Airway Disease Research Center, and Member, UArizona BIO5 Institute

A2DRC Research Update Seminar
Thursday, Nov. 7, 2019 | 4 – 5 p.m.
UAHS Asthma and Airway Disease Research Center, Conference Room 2343

Please join us!

About the Speaker
After graduating from the University of California Berkeley with a bachelor’s degree in Plant Biology, Dr. Boitano earned his doctorate in Genetics and Cell Biology from Washington State University in Pullman, Wash. He returned to California to serve as a post-doctoral fellow and assistant research professor studying lung cell biology at UCLA. After a stint at the University of Wyoming, Dr. Boitano joined the University of Arizona in 2002, and holds joint appointments as a professor in the Departments of Physiology and Cell and Molecular Medicine and is a member of the Asthma and Airway Disease Research Center and BIO5 Institute. He has over 25 years of experience studying lung epithelial cell biology with a major focus on cell junctions, cell signaling, and extracellular matrix effects on cell physiology. He has specialized expertise in developing lung epithelial models to evaluate lung diseases and environmental exposures to toxic materials. He also is a co-author of Gonang’s Review of Medical Physiology, a textbook published by McGraw-Hill now in its 26th edition.

Dr. Boitano’s primary research interest is in cell respiration. This encompasses the analysis and observation of cell physiology, cell-cell communications and cell-pathogen interactions. Dr. Boitano’s research pertains to the upper airway epithelium — an active cellular layer with ciliary movement to clear materials, the ability to secrete inflammatory effectors, and a biological barrier function that helps protect against pathogenic microorganisms, foreign insults and injury. Although much is known concerning the microbial genetics and microbial signaling of infection by Bordetella, relatively little is known about host cell pathology after exposure to Bordetella. Individuals have a primary tissue culture system that serves as an in vitro model of airway cell signaling and communication, and a battery of B. bronchiseptica strains, some of which are mutant in key factors shown to inhibit their ability to establish infection in animal models. His research goal is to define specific pathogen factors that alter host cell physiology to initiate or overcome host cell defense. The Boitano lab also analyzes the layers of the alveoli of the distal mammalian lung. Minimal information is known about this subject and Dr. Boitano believes that this model system for alveolar intercellular communication could expedite the formulating and testing of new medical treatments for dysfunctional alveolar cell physiology that underlies specific airway conditions following disease, insult and injury in the lung.

Contact: Eva Barrow | evachere@email.arizona.edu