Professor David S. Askew

University of Cincinnati, USA

David S. Askew, Ph.D. is a professor of Pathology at the University of Cincinnati, USA. The goal of his lab is to identify fungal stress response pathways that allow A. fumigatus to thrive in the host environment and to resist antifungal drug treatment, as well as understand the contribution of pulmonary fibroblasts to the complex immune interactions that protect the lung from inhaled spores. The long-term goal is to provide a rational basis for the design of therapeutic strategies to enhance fungal cell death and/or improve immune defenses.

Abstract:

Fibroblasts are extracellular matrix-producing cells that maintain structural integrity of a tissue during homeostasis and participate in repair following tissue damage. This presentation will outline the response of fibroblasts to interactions with Aspergillus fumigatus in the lung environment, focusing on the contribution of this underappreciated cell type to antifungal defense.