Dr. Young’s research aims to understand the mechanisms underlying interstitial lung disease (ILD) and other rare and complex lung diseases and to develop new strategies to treat these disorders.

She’s dual-trained and board-certified in pediatric and adult pulmonary medicine and has established rare lung diseases clinics as a framework to provide clinical care and accelerate translational research. Dr. Young has led foundational efforts in the field of childhood ILD, and she’s the principal investigator of a 20-center national registry and observational study in childhood ILD and rare lung diseases. Current and planned studies aim to identify additional genetic mechanisms, define the natural history and predictors of outcomes, and test new therapies.

Dr. Young’s laboratory focuses on the roles of type II alveolar epithelial cells in the regulation of pulmonary fibrosis and other genetic causes of lung disease. Her lab works with mouse models of Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome (HPS) to understand the cell biology and disease pathogenesis. She has led a clinical study on HPS pulmonary fibrosis that’s developing the infrastructure to translate discoveries in the laboratory to patients. Leveraging genetic discovery in neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia of infancy (a form of childhood ILD), her laboratory is also engaged in studies focused on mechanistic investigations of disease pathogenesis working with a novel mouse model and patient biospecimens.

Dr. Young has also made significant contributions in lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM), including studies on serum VEGF-D as a biomarker and as a co-investigator in clinical trials that led to the first FDA-approved therapy for this disease.

Dr. Young mentors fellows in pediatric pulmonary and adult pulmonary/critical care training programs, as well as a number of students, residents, and junior faculty. With support of a K24 Mid-Career award on Patient-Oriented Research in Pediatric Rare Lung Diseases, she’s committed to expanding her contributions to mentoring trainees and new investigators.

BA, University of Virginia, (History/Pre-Med), 1993

MD, Duke University, 1997

Chief, Division of Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine

Associate Director, Penn-CHOP Lung Biology Institute

American Society for Clinical Investigation, 2021-

American Pediatric Society, 2020-

American Thoracic Society, 2000-

Society for Pediatric Research, 2008-

LAM Foundation Board of Directors, 2012-

The Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome Network Scientific Advisory Board, 2014-

Robert B. Mellins Outstanding Achievement Award in Pediatrics, American Thoracic Society Assembly on Pediatrics, 2014

Scientific Advancement Award, Hermansky Pudlak Syndrome Network, 2016

Scientific Advancement Award, The LAM Foundation, 2017

Public Advisory Roundtable (PAR) Excellence Award, American Thoracic Society, 2017

American Thoracic Society Public Advisory Roundtable (PAR) Excellence Award, 2017

Fellow, American Thoracic Society, 2018

Norman J. Siegel Outstanding Science Award, American Pediatric Society, 2020