Scott Boitano

The goal of the center is to provide a collaborative environment with cutting edge cores to foster novel research on environmental exposures. Within the center, Dr. Boitano works closely with all of the pulmonary core members and provide a unique cell biology perspective. This perspective comes from over 20 years experience in lung cell biology. Dr. Boitano's research in airway epithelial cells started with second messenger signaling and communication in unique primary cellular models from the conducting and the alveolar airway. His focus has shifted to evaluating airway signaling and junctional structure/function in response to environmental changes. Such changes have included pathogens (e.g. Bordetella sp. and Alternaria alternata), and environmental toxicants (e.g., arsenic). With respect to arsenic, his lab has successfully integrated cellular work with other center investigators including animal models from Dr. R. Clark Lantz' laboratory and human populations from Dr. Jefferey Burgess' laboratory. Within the framework of the Southwest Environmental Health Sciences Center, he will continue to provide cellular mechanistic studies that can complement work from established collaborations as well as work from others in the center.