Inflammatory and Diarrheal Diseases
Gurjit (Neeru) K. Khurana Hershey, MD, PhD
Professor and Director, Division of Asthma Research
Kindervelt Endowed Chair in Asthma Research
Department of Pediatrics; Division of Asthma Research
Description of Research
Dr. Hershey investigates regulatory mechanisms of allergic inflammation. One major research focus is identification of epithelial genes and pathways that contribute to allergic inflammation and atopic disorders. Dr. Relevant to digestive disease research, Dr. Hershey utilizes custom Illumina SNP arrays to identify epithelial genes and pathways that are associated with atopic disorder phenotypes. Recently, she was awarded a grant to identify epithelial genes that are common and those genes that are distinct between the lung (asthma), gut (food allergy) and skin (atopic dermatitis). Testing of related hypotheses in the laboratory, Dr. Hershey began dissecting the molecular basis of allergic inflammation at these target organs and the unique and redundant epithelial pathways using in vitro and in vivo experimental models of disease.
Collaborations
Dr. Hershey collaborates with Drs. Aronow and Rothenberg on the grant Epithelial Genes in Allergic Inflammation. She also works with Drs. Aronow on several ongoing genomic and genetic studies, and with Dr. Jeffrey Whitsett on the role of serpins in mucus production. Anticipated use of Cores: Integrative Morphology and Gene and Protein Expression Cores.
