Pitt Pediatrics congratulates Taylor Eddens, MD, PhD on recently receiving his first R01 award from the NIH. Eddens is an Assistant Professor in our Division of Allergy and Immunology.
The focus of this project will look at how the lung heals itself after significant early life respiratory viral infection. Specifically investigating the human metapneumovirus, Eddens’ work will observe how the immune system initiatives the repair process after the virus makes its way into the lungs.
Initial findings have already demonstrated that a rare, innate cell population known as gamma delta T cells are critical in early life as first responders to viral infections, ultimately leading to the repair process. The project will then work from these findings by researching the mechanisms of how these cells lead to lung repair while also investigating similar pathways from archived nasal swabs from children with early life viral infections.
Join us in congratulating Dr. Eddens on receiving this grant for this exciting work. And follow Pitt Pediatrics on Bluesky for future updates on faculty research, awards, and publications.