It’s all about the aerosols
Welcome to the Reed lab at the University of Pittsburgh
Our Mission
The Reed lab studies infectious disease aerobiology: the study of airborne pathogens and how they cause disease when inhaled. In particular, we are interested in viruses and bacteria that cause severe, acute infections like tularemia, avian influenza, and encephalitis.
Our goals:
gain a better understanding of how these pathogens infect and cause disease when inhaled in small- or large-particle aerosols
understand the host’s response to respiratory infections, at a physiological and immunological level
examine respiratory delivery of vaccines and therapeutic antibodies
To do this research, we have a world-class, state-of-the-art aerobiology suite located in the Regional Biocontainment Laboratory at the University of Pittsburgh. In that suite we have a class III biological safety cabinet that allows us to safely aerosolize pathogens. We also use radiotelemetry and plethysmography to study changes in body temperature, cardiac function, and respiratory function in response to infection.