The role of environmental toxicants, such as gaseous and particulate air pollutants, in promoting airway inflammation, hyperresponsiveness, and remodeling may be important in the development of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

As the Director of the Environmental Inhalation Exposure Facility at UTMB, I am interested in inhaled agents, including sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, ozone, diesel and other particulates, VOCs, allergens, and cigarette smoke. Recent work has focused on airway effects of combinations of toxicants such as cigarette smoke and SO2. We are also interested in mechanisms and resolution of allergic rhinosinusitis, and non-invasive imaging techniques for assessment of upper and lower airway changes in a variety of airway diseases.