Lecture Series
The Children’s Research Institute Lecture Series encourages interaction between researchers investigating childhood diseases, and stimulates new research through exposure to cutting-edge, ongoing work.
“A Lung Three Pointer: Integrin Regulation of Branching, Cilia, and the Basement Membrane”
December 12, 2023
12:30-1:30 pm
Mary Ellen Jones 3116 or Zoom
Dr. Plosa’s research program investigates the role of cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) interactions during lung development, alveolar homeostasis, and repair. Her lab has developed organ specific models that are combined with state-of-the-art cell biological techniques to define fundamental mechanisms whereby integrins regulate epithelial cell behavior in both health and disease. Her laboratory has previously shown that lung epithelial deletion of the ECM receptor β1 integrin results in branching morphogenesis defects and impaired alveolarization, delayed epithelial cell differentiation, and increased lung inflammation during lung development. Current work focuses on discriminating the role of the 3 different laminin receptors, integrins a3β1, a6β1, a6β4, during lung morphogenesis. The goal of Dr. Plosa’s research program is to define the mechanisms whereby laminin-binding integrins modulate epithelial differentiation and migration during alveolarization and identify disruptions in ECM-epithelial signaling that phenocopy human developmental lung diseases. Read more >>
This seminar is co-sponsored by the division of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine and the Children’s Research Institute. Please contact childrensresearch@med.unc.edu for Zoom details.
“Epigenetic modulation of the cancer antigen GD2 to improve immunotherapy in pediatric solid tumors”
January 9, 2024
12:30-1:30 pm
Zoom
Justin Sperlazza is a pediatric oncologist working on understanding how chromatin-directed therapeutics can influence tumor susceptibility to immunotherapy, particularly CAR-T therapy, in Ewing’s Sarcoma.
Please contact childrensresearch@med.unc.edu for Zoom details.