Lung Inflammation Research Affinity Group (LIRAG)
The focus of the Lung Inflammation Research Affinity Group is on research that drives understanding of the mechanisms underlying lung disease broadly, with a special focus on those that involve inflammatory diseases of (or in) the lung. Examples of the types of research we are interested in includes asthma and other obstructive lung diseases, Cystic Fibrosis, pulmonary fibrosis, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, as well as the lung immune response to respiratory pathogens or other environmental insults.
Our Goals
- Provide a “home” for lung related research at the Abigail Wexner Research Institute (AWRI) at Nationwide Children's Hospital and The Ohio State University.
- Increase collaboration and amount of research on lung inflammatory diseases at AWRI.
- Increase collaboration between Nationwide Children's Hospital and Ohio State University investigators, leveraging their strengths, and a biorepository to create a supportive and collaborative research environment for studies of lung inflammation.
LIRAG Synergism
The Lung Inflammation Research Affinity Group is synergistic with:
- The Center for Vaccines and Immunity through shared interest in immunology and respiratory viral infections.
- The Center for Microbial Pathogenesis through pathogenic infections of the lungs.
- The Center for Perinatal Research through the effect of prematurity on inflammatory diseases of the lung, including asthma.
- The Cystic Fibrosis Center, and the Allergy and Immunology and Pulmonary divisions through the shared clinical concern for lung disease.
Our Activities
The monthly series facilitates opportunities for investigators to collaborate and provide insight into each other’s work. It also provides a venue for visiting speakers to bring cutting-edge research on lung disease to the Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital.
The “Buckeye Wheeze” Asthma Repository (BWAR) is a specimen biobank for samples from patients with asthma.
Annually, we administer small grants of up to $10,000 to support collaborative research in lung diseases through the Grant Program.