Researchers in the Division of Pediatric Pulmonology, Allergy & Immunology are engaged in research on how the lung responds to viral and other infections in chronic lung diseases such as cystic fibrosis, asthma and bronchopulmonary dysplasia. A further focus is on the role of sphingolipids in the development of childhood asthma and on long term lung complications of childhood cancer. Specific research projects in these areas include:
Sphingolipid Synthesis and Asthma. Stefan Worgall, M.D., Ph.D., Division Chief and Distinguished Professor of Pediatric Pulmonology, and his laboratory study how abnormalities in the production of sphingolipids are related to asthma. The group has demonstrated that that reduced activity of serine-palmitoyl transferase, the critical enzyme for sphingolipid synthesis, results in airway hyperreactivity. Additional studies evaluate sphingolipid metabolism in primary cell cultures of human airway epithelial cells and primary airway smooth muscle cells. The group collaborates with investigators from both Weill Cornell Medicine (Jennie G. Ono, M.D., MS) and Columbia University to translate these lab-based findings clinically. The investigators analyzed cohorts of children in their composition of sphingolipids in the blood and exhaled breath condensates. These studies have now led to the identification of sphingolipid markers that can be used to predict if asthma persists in these children.
Pediatric Obesity and Asthma. There has long been an observed, but poorly understood, link between pediatric obesity and asthma. Dr. Worgall’s laboratory collaborates with pediatric pulmonologist Ibrahim Janahi, M.D., for a population study opportunity to further explain the role between pediatric obesity, asthma, and sphingolipid synthesis. Both obesity and asthma are common in Qatari children, and their geographically concentrated population and Weill Cornell’s campus in the region makes this an ideal research opportunity. The study is funded by the Qatar Foundation.
Adenovirus-based vaccines against Pseudomonas and respiratory syncytial virus. Dr. Worgall’s laboratory studies the recombinant adenovirus-based vaccines against pulmonary infections with Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which is a dominant problem for patients with cystic fibrosis and a still-growing source of opportunistic, hospital acquired infections, and RSV, a common threat for infants, particularly those born prematurely.
Lung microbiome and Pseudomonas and respiratory viral infections. Dr. Worgall’s laboratory collaborates with Largus (Lars) T. Angenent, Ph.D. from Cornell
University in Ithaca on the important issue how the lung microbiome is altered in cystic fibrosis and how microbes in the lung affect lung infections with the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa and respiratory viruses such as RSV and rhinovirus. Anurag Sharma,Ph.D. and Emily Wasserman, M.D. study the microbiome in mouse lungs and also in airways of children with respiratory viral infections related to asthma who require admission to the intensive care unit.
Mast cells in the development of chronic lung disease and asthma in premature infants. In collaboration with Randi B. Silver, Ph.D., professor of physiology and biophysics at Weill Cornell Medicine Dr. Worgall’s laboratory studies the role of mast cells and mast cell products for bronchopulmonary dysplasia.
The Pediatric Asthma Program and the Asthma Center at NewYork-Presbyterian-Queens have established a highly successful collaboration with clinical, educational, and research initiatives focused on pediatric patients with asthma across the two campuses. Read More.
Dr. Priya Katari
Dr. Priya Katari is a pediatric Allergist and Immunologist, Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medicine and an Assistant Attending Pediatrician at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. She completed her undergraduate degree at Rice University. She went on to pursue her interest in health policy and received her Master’s degree in Biomedical Science Policy and Advocacy from Georgetown University. She completed medical school at the University of Central Florida and residency at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center. She then moved to Boston and completed a fellowship in Allergy/Immunology at Boston University/Boston Medical Center. Dr. Katari has a special interest in food allergy, asthma, and atopic dermatitis. She is actively involved in research focused on identifying risk factors for food oral immunotherapy (OIT) and improving continuity of care following emergency department visits for anaphylaxis. In addition to her research efforts, she contributes to national educational initiatives and serves as a writer for the AAAAI Board Review book.
For more information, see Dr. Katari’s VIVO page.
Dr. Perdita Permaul
Dr. Perdita Permaul is a clinical investigator, pediatric Allergist and Immunologist, Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medicine and an Associate Attending Pediatrician at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. She completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Pennsylvania, her medical degree at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and completed her pediatric residency at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. She continued her training at Boston Children’s Hospital, where she completed a fellowship in Allergy and Immunology. Upon completing fellowship, Dr. Permaul continued on as a pediatric allergist and immunologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School until her return to Weill Cornell Medicine.
Dr. Permaul has authored a number of scientific papers, reviews and book chapters on original research showing how indoor allergen exposures affect asthma outcomes in urban children with asthma, both in the school and home environments. Her current clinical/translational asthma research work has been supported by NIH grant funding to study the interactions between childhood obesity, the environment, and asthma morbidity in an established cohort of inner-city children with asthma. Ongoing work has focused on studying how obesity related systemic inflammation contributes to the development of severe asthma in children through profiling of cytokines, metabolites, and other inflammatory and immune mediators. Dr. Permaul has led and contributed to multiple pediatric cohort studies, including the NIH funded Pandemic Response Repository Microbial and Immune Surveillance and Epidemiology (PREMISE): Enterovirus D68 Pilot Study which she leads as site principal investigator and the NYP Pediatric Asthma Cohort and Biobank study. She has over 15 years of clinical asthma/allergy research experience, with a growing record of NIH-funded longitudinal cohort studies and more than 45 peer-reviewed publications.
For more information, see Dr. Permaul’s VIVO page.
Dr. Dana O'Toole
Dr. Dana O'Toole is a pediatric Allergist and Immunologist, Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medicine and an Assistant Attending Pediatrician at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. She completed her undergraduate degrees (BA, BS) at Villanova University in Biology and Psychology, followed by her medical degree (MD) at SUNY Upstate Medical University. She completed her residency training in Pediatrics at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center and her fellowship training in Allergy and Immunology at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Dr. O'Toole's clinical and translational research focuses on allergic skin and gastrointestinal conditions, evaluating disorders of the skin and gut epithelial barrier and well-being interventions, working with interdisciplinary teams including pediatric dermatology, gastroenterology, psychology and digital health experts.
For more information, see Dr. O’Toole’s VIVO page.
Dr. Miriam Samstein
Dr. Miriam Samstein is a pediatric Allergist and Immunologist, Assistant Professor in Clinical Pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medicine and an Assistant Attending Pediatrician at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. She received her MD PhD degree from the Tri-Institutional program at Weill Cornell/Rockefeller/Memorial Sloan Kettering followed by a residency in pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medicine. After completing her fellowship in allergy and immunology diseases at Northwell health in 2020, she joined the Pediatric Allergy and Immunology division at Weill Cornell Medicine. Her research interests include anaphylaxis and improving patient experience surrounding epinephrine use. She has several quality improvement projects helping coordinate care between primary care, emergency department, and allergy, as well as ensuring robust epinephrine training for both patients and medical trainees. Dr. Samstein is principal investigator of industry sponsored clinical studies allowing our patients access to cutting edge food allergy care.
For more information, see Dr. Samstein’s VIVO page.