Research

The main focus of the research in my lab is to understand the mechanisms by which the esophagus is protected from acid injury. The long term goal of the work is to elucidate how esophageal protective mechanisms are regulated in order to advance strategies to prevent and treat gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD). GERD affects up to 20% of the national population, and in some patients, untreated and chronic GERD develop into more serious diseases, ranging from erosive esophagitis to Barrett's esophagus and cancer of the esophagus.

Two important protective mechanisms are evident in...