University of Cincinnati Department of Pediatrics

Susan E. Wert, PhD

Title

Associate Professor, Division of Pulmonary Biology, Section of Neonatology, Perinatal and Pulmonary Biology, Perinatal Institute

Appointment

Research Associate Professor of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine

Email

susan.wert@chmcc.org

Phone

513-636-4297

Fax

513-636-7868

Credentials

PhD: Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio 1988

Postdoctoral Fellowship: Perinatology, Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, 1988-1991

Position History

1988-1991 Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio.

1991-1994 Research Scholar, Director, Morphology Core,
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio.

1994-1996 Instructor of Pediatrics, Director, Morphology Core, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio.

1996-2002 Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Director, Morphology Core, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio.

2002-present Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Director, Morphology Core, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Centre, Cincinnati, Ohio.

Awards and Honors

National Research Service Award Fellowship in Perinatology, 1988-1990

Research

Lung development, injury, and repair as it pertains to molecular morphology (gene and protein expression in situ); ultrastructure, and histopathology of the developing and adult lung; the histopathology of the human lung as it relates to interstitial lung disease, especially to genetic disorders of surfactant dysfunction in the neonatal and pediatric population.

Research Grants and Contracts

NIH/NHLBI, 5P01HL61646-08 (Weaver).Regulation of Respiratory Epithelial Cell Homeostasis. Core C: Molecular Morphology Core Facility (Wert), Role: Core Director, 08/10/04-06/30/09.

NIH/NHLBI, 5 R01HL085610-03 (Whitsett).ABCA3 and Alveolar Homeostasis. Role: Co-Investigator. 07/10/06-06/30/11.

NIH/NHLBI, 5R01HL090156-02 (Whitsett).Transcriptional Control of Respiratory Epithelial Progenitor Cells. Role: Co-Investigator, 09/28/07-09/30/11.

Publications, Most Recent

Wert SE, Whitsett JA, Nogee LM (2009). Genetic disorders of surfactant dysfunction. Pediatric Developmental Pathology 16:1.

Wert SE (2008). Does adiponectin play a role in pulmonary emphysema?Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol. 294(6):L1032-4.

Wert, SE (2008). Normal and Abnormal Structural Development of the Lung.Fetal and Neonatal Physiology, 4th edition, Polin R.A., Fox, W.W. and Abman, S.H. (Eds.). Saunders; Philadelphia, pp. 783-793.

Gower WA, Wert SE, Nogee LM (2008). Inherited surfactant disorders.NeoReviews 9:e458-e467.

Nogee L, Wert SE (2008). Genetic Abnormalities of Surfactant Metabolism.Molecular Pathology of Lung Diseases; Series: Molecular Pathology Library, Vol. 1; Zander, D.S.; Popper, H.H.; Jagirdar, J.; Haque, A.K.; Cagle, P.T.; Barrios, R. (Eds.); Springer; p.590.

Kalin TV, Wang IC, Meliton L, Zhang Y, Wert SE, Ren X, Snyder J, Bell SM, Graf L Jr, Whitsett JA, Kalinichenko VV (2008). Forkhead Box m1 transcription factor is required for perinatal lung function. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 105(49):19330-5.

Besnard V, Wert SE, Stahlman MT, Postle AD, Xu Y, Ikegami M, Whitsett JA (2009). Deletion of Scap in alveolar type II cells influences lung lipid homeostasis and identifies a compensatory role for pulmonary lipofibroblasts.
J Biol Chem. 284(6):4018-30.

Suzuki T, Sakagami T, Rubin BK, Nogee LM, Wood RE, Zimmerman SL, Smolarek T, Dishop MK, Wert SE, Whitsett JA, Grabowski G, Carey BC, Stevens C, van der Loo JC, Trapnell BC. (2008). Familial pulmonary alveolar proteinosis caused by mutations in CSF2RA.J Exp Med. 205(12):2703-10.

Wan H, Luo F, Wert SE, Zhang L, Xu Y, Ikegami M, Maeda Y, Bell SM, Whitsett JA (2008). Kruppel-like factor 5 is required for perinatal lung morphogenesis and function. Development. 135(15):2563-72.

Matsuzaki Y, Besnard V, Clark JC, Xu Y, Wert SE, Ikegami M, Whitsett JA (2008). STAT3 regulates ABCA3 expression and influences lamellar body formation in alveolar type II cells. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 38(5):551-558.

Dave' V, Wert SE, Tanner T, Thitoff AR, Loudy DE, Whitsett JA (2008). Conditional deletion of Pten causes bronchiolar hyperplasia.Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 38(3):337-345.

Bell SM, Schreiner CM, Wert SE, Mucenski ML, Scott WJ, Whitsett JA (2008). R-spondin 2 is required for normal laryngeal-tracheal, lung and limb morphogenesis. Development. 135(6):1049-105.

Uchida K, Beck DC, Yamamoto T, Berclaz P-Y, Abe S, Staudt MK, Carey BC, Filippi M-D, Wert SE, Denson LA, Puchalski JT, Hauck DM, Trapnell BC (2007). Anti-GM-CSF autoantibodies cause neutrophil dysfunction In pulmonary alveolar proteinosis.N. Engl. J. Med. 356(6):567-579.

Somaschini M, Nogee LM, Sassi I, Danhaive O, Presi S, Boldrini R, Montrasio C, Ferrari M, Wert SE, Carrera P. Unexplained neonatal respiratory distress due to congenital surfactant deficiency (2007). J Pediatr. 150(6):649-53.

Saugstad OD, Hansen TWR, Nakstad B, Tølløfsrud PA, Reinholt F, Hamvas A, Cole S, Sulenin S, Dean M, Wert SE, Whitsett JA, Nogee LM (2007). Novel mutations in the gene encoding ATP binding cassette protein member A3 (ABCA3) resulting in fatal neonatal lung disease.
Acta Paediatr. 96(2):185-90.

Stahlman MT, Besnard V, Wert SE, Weaver TE, Dingle S, Xu Y, von Zychlin K, Olson SJ, Whitsett JA (2007). Expression of ABCA3 in developing lung and other tissues.
J Histochem Cytochem. 55(1):71-83.

Park KS, Korfhagen TR, Bruno MD, Kitzmiller JA, Wan H, Wert SE, Khurana Hershey GK, Chen G, Whitsett JA (2007). SPDEF regulates goblet cell hyperplasia in the airway epithelium.J Clin Invest. 117(4):978-988.

Deutsch, GH, Young LR, Deterding, RR, Fan LL, Dell SD, Bean JA, Brody AS, Nogee LM, Trapnell BC, Langston C; Pathology Cooperative Group, Albright EA, Askin FB, Baker P, Chou PM, Cool CM, Coventry SC, Cutz E, Davis MM, Dishop MK, Galambos C, Patterson K, Travis WD, Wert SE, White FV; ChILD Research Co-operative (2007). Diffuse lung disease in young children: application of a novel classification scheme. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 176(11):1120-1128.

Presentations, Most Recent

Wert, SE. Genetic Abnormalities of Surfactant Metabolism. Presented at the Society for Pediatric Pathology; October 4, 2008; Louisville, KY.

Wert S.E. Surfactant Metabolism and Deficiencies In Surfactant Proteins. Presented at the XXVI International Congress, International Academy of Pathology, September 16-21, 2006; Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Professional Organization Memberships

American Association of Anatomists (FASCEB), 1990 - present
American Association of University Women, 1993 - present
American Thoracic Society, 1998 – present
Microscopy Society of America, 1984 - present
National Society for Histotechnology, 1993 - present
The Histochemical Society, 2000 - present
Women’s Faculty Association, Department of Pediatrics, UC, 1993 – present; President, 1999-2000, President Elect/Vice president, 1998-1999, Treasurer, 1997-1998
Member of the Children’s Interstitial Lung Disease (chILD) Multidisciplinary Cooperative Group – Pathology/Imaging Working Group, 2004 to present.
Member of the American Thoracic Society Project Committee: Children’s Interstitial Lung Disease (chILD), 2004 to present.
Chair, selection committee, The Robert and Emma Lou Cardell Fellowship, 2007, 2008, 2009
Chair, Louise Rauh Scholarship Committee, 2006.

Special Interests

Structural morphology of the lung; tissue responses to acute and chronic lung injury; morphogenesis of the lung and the origin of pulmonary malformations; use of transgenic mouse models to study mechanisms of lung development, cytodifferentiation, injury and repair in the lung; development of molecular markers for the study of respiratory epithelial cell differentiation and for cell lineage studies; image analysis and morphometry.