Lundberg-Kienlen Lecture to Focus on Stem Cells

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Darrell N. Kotton, M.D., will present “Pluripotent Stem Cells for Modeling Lung Development and Disease” at the 6th Annual Lundberg-Kienlen Lectureship in Biomedical Research on Wednesday, Nov. 12. The seminar is open to the public at no charge and will be held from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. in McElroy Hall Auditorium at the Oklahoma State University Center for Veterinary Health Sciences.

The lecture is hosted by Lin Liu, Ph.D. Liu is an OSU Regents Professor of Physiological Sciences, the Lundberg-Kienlen Endowed Chair in Biomedical Research, and director of the Oklahoma Center for Respiratory and Infectious Diseases at the veterinary center.

Kotton’s research focuses on stem cell biology and gene therapy related to lung injury and repair.  Dr. Kotton’s laboratory currently utilizes several stem cell populations including induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells in order to develop novel stem cell-based therapies for lung disease.

He also specializes in the genetic manipulation of stem cells as well as resident lung cells using lentiviral vectors, which can infect both dividing and nondividing cells.  In his lab the following projects utilize these novel vectors to study alpha-1 anti-trypsin deficiency, COPD, Cystic Fibrosis, childhood interstitial lung disease, pulmonary vascular disease and lung inflammatory pathways.

“Dr. Kotton plays a leading role in stem cell-based therapy of pulmonary diseases,” says Liu.  “We welcome him and are delighted he will present his exciting research at this year’s Lundberg-Kienlen Lecture.”

Kotton is a professor in the Department of Medicine and in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the Boston University School of Medicine. He attends in the Medical Intensive Care Unit and on the Pulmonary Consultation Service at Boston Medical Center.  Kotton is also the Founding Director for the Center for Regenerative Medicine and Co-Director for The Alpha-1 Center.

McElroy Hall is located on the OSU Stillwater campus at the corner of McFarland and West Farm Road.  The seminar will be available via telecommunications in Room 230 College of Pharmacy Building at the OU Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City and in Room D-101 Forensics/Biomedical Sciences Building at the OSU Center for Health Sciences in Tulsa.

The Lundberg-Kienlen Lectureship is co-sponsored by the Oklahoma Center for Respiratory and Infectious Diseases and the Interdisciplinary Program in Regenerative Medicine at Oklahoma State University.