Gregg Duncan, Ph.D.

Obstructive lung diseases such as asthma, cystic fibrosis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease affect millions of people worldwide. People with these diseases suffer from a steady decline in lung function and recurrent worsening of symptoms. Abnormalities in the mucus produced by people with these diseases have been identified as a key contributor to progression and extent of disease. There has been little innovation in diagnostics available to assess these patients. We will use nanotechnology in the design of a novel diagnostic tool to monitor physical changes in mucus associated with the progression of disease. This research may offer a new, highly valuable tool to analyze patients with obstructive lung disease and could potentially improve their outcomes.