THE SUCRE LAB
studying lung development, injury, and regeneration across the lifespan
RESEARCH
We study normal lung development and the abnormal lung development that occurs after preterm birth.
We use in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo tools to help us understand the molecular mechanisms that drive the pathogenesis of bronchopulmonary dysplasia, a leading complication in survivors of prematurity.
Our understanding of normal lung development helps us understand
acute and chronic lung disease across the human lifespan.
MODELING LUNG DEVELOPMENT IN 4D
We have developed a 4-dimensional live imaging platform to study alveologenesis across space and time, leading to new insights about the cellular and molecular drivers of lung development and lung repair after injury
RARE DISEASES LEAD TO INSIGHTS ABOUT COMMON LUNG CONDITIONS
Sometimes rare genetic mutations (e.g. TBX4, FOXF1) can lead to developmental diseases that resemble the abnormal lung development after preterm birth. Studying these lung diseases helps us understand patients with rare conditions and more common conditions, such as bronchopulmonary dysplasia
UNDERSTANDING DEVELOPMENTAL PATHWAYS IN THE CONTEXT OF INJURY AND REPAIR
After injury, developmental pathways are reactivated to facilitate tissue regeneration and repair. Understanding how the pathways are regulated in the lung will provide the foundation for new targeted therapies to promote normal lung growth and regeneration.
COMPLEX BIOLOGY AT SINGLE CELL RESOLUTION
Using single-cell RNA transcriptomics, we seek to identify the populations of cells regulating normal lung development and the cell types driving abnormal repair after injury.