Lynch Lab
While the idea that “structure is function” is a fundamental tenant of biology, little is known about the dynamic mechanisms that maintain distinct regional compartmental structures in health or permit plasticity among otherwise distinct stem cell compartments after injury. The Lynch Lab leverages cutting-edge animal models, cell and tissue culture techniques, and transcriptomics to study region-specific cell differentiation, renewal and regenerative plasticity in the conducting airways of the lung.
Our Research
Lungs have a complex structure of intricately branching airways that conduct your breath to and from specialized cellular membranes where CO2 can be exchanged for O2. While a person lives with the same lungs for hopefully many, many decades, the cells that make up those lungs have a much shorter lifetime. Luckily, lung-resident stem cells are capable of renewing multiple cell types including themselves. The Lynch Lab focuses on studying how stem cells in different parts of the lungs renew specific cell types in order to maintain the complex structure that is necessary for healthy physiologic function.
Featured Publications
- Submucosal Gland Myoepithelial Cells Are Reserve Stem Cells That Can Regenerate Mouse Tracheal Epithelium
- Depletion of Airway Submucosal Glands and TP63+KRT5+ Basal Cells in Obliterative Bronchiolitis
- Ferret Lung Transplantation Models Differential Lymphoid Aggregate Morphology Between Restrictive and Obstructive Forms of Chronic Lung Allograft Dysfunction
- Multipotent Myoepithelial Progenitor Cells Are Born Early During Airway Submucosal Gland Development
Join Our Team!
The Lynch Lab is always growing. If you are interested in joining our team as a student intern, clinical research coordinator, or post-doctoral fellow, please email us with a cover letter and a CV/Resume at LynchLab@NationwideChildrens.org.
Lab Staff
Thomas Lynch, PhD
Principal Investigator
Thomas.Lynch@NationwideChildrens.org
Thomas Lynch, PhD, is a principle investigator in the Center for Perinatal Research at the Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and is an assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. Dr. Lynch is a basic science researcher with a focus on the foundational understanding of lung stem cells and their microenvironments, particularly within airway submucosal glands. Glands play important roles in clearing pathogens and their dysregulation is a hallmark feature of multiple human lung diseases such as cystic fibrosis, asthma and chronic bronchitis. The Lynch Lab uses cutting-edge animal models to answer critical questions regarding lung regeneration. As a basic science researcher, Dr. Lynch's mission is to identify new fundamental paths to preserve and restore lung function, teach, train and mentor emerging scientists and physicians, and help make advances in science accessible to everyone.
Postdoctoral Scientist
Venicia.Alhawach@NationwideChildrens.org
Venicia Alhawach, PhD, is a postdoctoral scientist with a doctorate in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry currently working in Dr. Thomas Lynch’s laboratory. Our lab is interested in understanding the molecular processes underlying lung repair and regeneration as well as applying gene editing technologies to address complex biological challenges in airway epithelium. Our current project actively focuses on cystic fibrosis (CF) where we aim to characterize the role of LEF1, a transcription factor involved in stemness and differentiation of airway epithelial basal cells in enhancing the efficacy of gene editing therapies for CF.
Research Associate
Rebecca.Shoffner@NationwideChildrens.org
Rebecca joined the Lynch Lab as a research associate in 2024. She completed her bachelor’s degree in Zoology at The Ohio State University and is a certified laboratory animal technologist by the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science. She assists in Lynch Lab’s translational research efforts using animal models to investigate lung development and diseases.
Research Intern
Sarah.Neighbor@NationwideChildrens.org
Sarah is a research intern in the Lynch Lab investigating lung development by using animal models to better understand lung diseases. In the summer of 2023, she shadowed and worked in the Kim Laboratory at Boston Children's Hospital where she studied Stem Cell Biology. She is currently a senior at Saint Francis DeSales High School and hopes to major in Biomedical Engineering.
