Derek Pociask, PhD
Assistant Professor of Medicine

Biography
Dr. Derek Pociask received Ph.D. from Louisiana State University Health Science Center, where he studied lipid changes and oxidative damage in atherosclerosis. He went on to do his post-doctoral work under the mentorship of Dr. Arnold Brody at Tulane University. During this training he studied the effects of asbestos on epithelial injury and the contribution of specific growth factors and cytokines to asbestos induced fibrosis. It was during this time that he realized his interest and passion for studying the interactions of the immune system with pulmonary epithelium. After Hurricane Katrina Dr. Pociask became a member of the faculty at the University of Pittsburgh, where he trained with Dr. Jay Kolls, studying the effects of Th17 immunity in the lung. There he became interested in the roles of IL-17 and IL-22 in lung injury and repair. Dr. Pociask became a member of the faculty at Tulane University School of Medicine in 2015.
Dr. Pociask’s laboratory is focused on the interactions of the innate immune system with the pulmonary epithelium during chemical (bleomycin, asbestos, naphthalene) or infectious (k. pneumonia, influenza) injury as well as its role in epithelial repair. The lab is funded by the NHLBI to study IL-22 and how it is regulated during influenza infection to promote repair in the lung epithelium. The focus is to develop novel therapies centered around IL-22 that will help hospitalized patients with severe flu infection.
Research
Dr. Pociask's research is on identifying risk factors for severe pulmonary pneumonia and mortality during viral pandemics. He has identified the thymus and its continuous generation of new T cells as pivotal factors. This project aims to explore the anti-inflammatory properties of newly produced T cells from the thymus in viral pneumonia. Additionally, it utilizes innovative models to examine thymic aging in disease susceptibility.
Contributions
View Dr. Derek Pociask's publications at his PubMedPage.
Awards & Accomplishments
Awarded an NIH R21 Grant
Congratulations to Dr. Derek Pociask, Assistant Professor in the Section of Pulmonary Diseases, Critical Care, and Environmental Medicine on his award of an NIH R21 grant! Dr. Pociask's research is on identifying risk factors for severe pulmonary pneumonia and mortality during viral pandemics.