Research in the Meredith McCormack Lab deals primarily with pulmonary diseases, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and the role of environmental exposures in lung diseases. We have researched the factors that contribute to inner-city asthma, with a focus on how particulate matter air pollution impacts pulmonary function. We are also part of the LIBERATE clinical study, which is focused on patients who experience difficulty breathing and have been diagnosed with severe emphysema. We also have a longstanding interest in the effects of race/ethnicity, poverty and urbanization on nutrition and food allergies.

The Peisong Gao Lab’s major focus is to understand the immunological and genetic regulation of allergic diseases. We have been involved in the identification of the genetic basis for atopic dermatitis and eczema herpeticum (ADEH) as part of the NIH Atopic Dermatitis and Vaccinia Network-Clinical Studies Consortium. Major projects in the Gao Lab include immunogenetic analysis of human response to allergen, identification of candidate genes for specific immune responsiveness to cockroach allergen, and epigenetics of food allergy (FA).