Vet Cetera magazine 2015

7TH ANNUAL LUNDBERG-KIENLEN LECTURESHIP IN BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH
GARY LAWSON / UNIVERSITY MARKETING
Researching Pneumonia
DOERSCHUK DESCRIBES HOW DISEASE CHANGES LUNGS
Claire Doerschuk, M.D., presented “Leukocyte Recruitment and Function during
Bacterial Pneumonia” at the 7th Annual Lundberg-Kienlen Lectureship in
Biomedical Research on Nov. 18, 2015. Doerschuk is a professor in the Department
of Medicine and the director of the Center for Airways Disease at the University
of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine.
Dr. Martin Furr (left)
and CVHS Dean Dr. Jean
Sander welcome Dr. Claire
Doerschuk to the Center for
Veterinary Health Sciences,
along with Dr. Lin Liu (right).
Internationally known for her
contribution to bacterial pneumonia
research, her interests focus on
understanding innate immunity in
the lungs and the host defense, particularly
the mechanisms that initiate
the host’s responses.
Doerschuk’s current research
focuses on the mechanisms underlying
the recognition of pathogens
or other lung injuries, the
recruitment of leukocytes, the
changes in vascular permeability,
the functions of leukocytes
and the effects of leukocytes and
edema or excess fluid.
“We have determined that bacterial
pathogens induce changes
in the expression of mRNAs and
microRNAs in lung neutrophils
during pneumonia,” says Doerschuk.
“Bioinformatics analyses
of correlations between microR-
NAs and mRNAs provide testable
hypotheses for future research.”
Doerschuk has published
approximately 140 scientific
papers. She is a councilor of the
Society for Leukocyte Biology and
a fellow of the American Association
for the Advancement of Science.
Doerschuk has received the
MERIT award from the National
Institutes of Health and the Elizabeth
Rich, M.D. Award and the
Recognition Award for Scientific
Accomplishments from the American
Thoracic Society.
The Lundberg-Kienlen Lectureship
in Biomedical Research is
hosted by Lin Liu, Ph.D., Lundberg-Kienlen
Endowed Chair in
Biomedical Research, director of the
Oklahoma Center for Respiratory
and Infectious Diseases and director
of the Lung Biology and Toxicology
Laboratory at the OSU Center for
Veterinary Health Sciences.
2015 Oklahoma State University 25