Dr. Gökhan Mutlu

Dr. Mutlu’s research career has focused on the mechanisms of that underlie the development and resolution of acute lung injury/ARDS and the mechanisms by which particulate matter air pollution causes acute ischemic cardiovascular events. He has made significant contributions to our understanding of the role of alveolar epithelial beta-2 adrenergic receptors in ARDS, including identification of the mechanisms that aid in clearance of excess fluid after lung injury. Currently, his laboratory focuses on the molecular mechanisms by which alveolar macrophage beta-2 adrenergic receptors contribute to the release of IL-6 during lung injury/inflammation. He also created a mouse model appropriate for systematically studying the cardiopulmonary adverse effects of particulate matter air pollution. He has engaged a team of colleagues to investigate these adverse health effects. They discovered that IL-6 released by alveolar macrophages is required for the particulate matter-induced prothrombotic state and vascular thrombosis. His laboratory has recently shown that activation of beta-2 adrenergic receptors on alveolar macrophages worsens the IL-6 release and vascular thrombosis. These findings have important clinical and public health implications as they link air pollution with acute ischemic cardiovascular events. His work is supported by the National Institutes of Health. He is the recipient of the Outstanding New Environmental Scientists (ONES) Award from the NIH for his research in particulate matter field. He has also received support from the American Heart Association and the American Lung Association.

Dr. Mutlu’s academic contributions include elected membership to the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI) and over 50 peer reviewed publications in such journals as the Journal of Clinical Investigation, PNAS, Nature Immunology, Nano Letters, and high impact specialty journals such as the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, and Circulation Research. He is an active member of the American Thoracic Society where he serves on the program committee for the Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology Assembly as well as the Scientific Advisory Board. He also serves the American Heart Association as a member of the Lung 1 Committee Review Panel. Locally he has served on the executive committee of the Chicago Respiratory Society. He is an Associate Editor of AJRCCM, the highest-impact journal in the specialty.