Dr. Young’s translational research program aims to understand mechanisms underlying interstitial and rare lung diseases and develop new strategies to treat these disorders. Her laboratory focuses on the roles of epithelial cells in alveolar homeostasis, injury, and repair.
Dr. Marks investigates the molecular mechanisms underlying the formation of cell type-specific lysosome-related organelles; the assembly, delivery and function of their contents; and how these processes are impacted by genetic diseases.
Cell biologist Michael Marks, PhD, studies strange, specific organelles that are only found in certain cell types in our bodies. By dissecting the ways these lysosome-related organelles are assembled, he has gained novel insights into how these mechanisms are thwarted in a rare genetic disease called Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome (HPS). The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) honored his
Christoph Seiler, PhD, received a Foerderer Fund for Excellence award at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in 2015 to study this mechanism. German-born Dr. Seiler pointed out that “Foerderer,” in German, means supporter or sponsor. Its name is therefore apt, because the internal award program spurs research projects that need a bit of support to generate pilot data that can later help those projects stand out in the competitive awarding of external funds.
Cell biologists at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute speculate that platelet granules hold the key to unlocking the mechanisms behind Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome.
The Marks Lab aims to dissect the molecular mechanisms underlying the formation of cell type-specific lysosome-related organelles and the assembly, delivery, and function of their contents, and to understand how these processes are impacted by genetic diseases.
Elaine H. Zackai, MD, Professor of Pediatrics in Genetics, will be presenting “Where Have All the Fellows Gone? Progress Over a Span of 48 Years” and Michael Marks, PhD, Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, will be presenting "The Dark Side of Subcellular Organelle Biogenesis Enlightened by the Hermansky-Pudlak Syndromes".
Transforming how rare lung diseases are diagnosed and treated in children by expanding the use of genetic and pathologic testing, enabling the clinical team to provide a more accurate diagnosis and a personalized, specific care plan for each child.
