The lab is currently focused on mechanisms of epithelial injury and matrix remodeling in the context of inflammatory lung disease. We are currently pursuing two main questions in this area:  How is the cellular response to TGFb1 signaling  regulated by the extracellular matrix, and specifically  integrins? Is epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) an important process in pulmonary fibrosis,  and how is EMT regulated?   We are using a combination of transcriptional profiling, ex vivo studies of primary cells, and molecular genetic approaches selectively targeting specific integrins in airway cells to test our hypotheses.   More detailed descriptions of current projects related to integrin signaling and responses to lung injury, current lab members, and recent publications, are provided within the lab website link (pulmonary.ucsf.edu/chapmanlab).