Viral S. Shah, MD, PhD
Instructor in Medicine
Areas of Expertise: Investigation
Academic Interests
My research program focuses on investigating the role of the airway epithelial cell surface in health and disease. Serving as the first interface between the environment and the lung, these cells play critical roles in infection, inflammation, and many others processes yet to be uncovered. Some of my current projects include utilizing novel imaging techniques to visualize the airway, understanding the role of the CFTR-rich ionocyte, and defining the human hillock. My goal is to deploy translational approaches to understand fundamental biology and apply our findings to develop new therapies for diseases like Cystic Fibrosis, Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia, and many others.
Awards and Recognition
2022 Leroy Matthews Physician-Scientist Award (Cystic Fibrosis Foundation)
2022 LungMAP2 Pilot Grant Awardee
More information can be found on Dr. Shah’s Harvard Catalyst Profile.
+Current Projects
- Defining the role of the ionocyte in Cystic Fibrosis
- Autofluorescence imaging permits label free cell type assignment in unmodified airway and reveals the dynamic formation of airway secretory cell associated antigen passages (SAPs)
- Defining the gene expression and function of human hillocks in the airway epithelium