My research interests are focused on the airway smooth muscle cell and its role in the pathologic narrowing of the airways in asthma. My lab utilizes a suite of novel nano-technologies, in combination with multiple chemical and genetic manipulations, to quantify the extent to which airway hyperresponsiveness in asthma is attributable to the ability of this muscle cell to stiffen, to generate contractile force, and to remodel its cytoskeleton, with an emphasis on the molecular mechanisms that regulate these processes.

My current work focuses squarely upon ADAM33, which has been recently identified as a novel asthma susceptibility gene linked to airway hyperresponsiveness and, importantly, its role on biophysical properties of the human airway smooth muscle cell as they relate to excessive airway narrowing in asthma.

respiratory disease, asthma, airway hyperresponsiveness, airway smooth muscle, cytoskeleton, ADAM33, nanotechnologies

1993-1995 Full-tuition Trustee Scholarship

1995 Graduate Studies Alumni Research Award

1995-1996 Brown University Fellowship

1999 The 43rd Biophysical Society Meeting Travel Award

1999 The 2nd John C. Seidel Memorial Symposium Travel Award

2000-2003 Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award

2006 Ann Woolcock Memorial Award, American Thoracic Society

2007 Pilot Grant, Johns Hopkins Center in Urban Environmental Health

2007 Faculty Research Initiative Fund Award

An SS, Kim J, Ahn K, Trepat X, Drake KJ, Kumar S, Ling G, Purington C, Rangasamy T, Kensler TW, Mitzner W, Fredberg JJ, and Biswal S. Cell stiffness, contractile stress and the role of extracellular matrix. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Comm. 382:697-703, 2009.

An SS, and Fredberg JJ. Biophysical basis of airway smooth muscle contraction and hyperresponsiveness in asthma. In: Airway smooth muslce in asthma and COPD: biology and pharmacology. Edited by Kian Fan Chung. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., Chichester, UK. June 2008.

Trepat X, Deng L, An SS, Navajas D, Tschumperlin DJ, Gerthoffer WT, Butler JP, and Fredberg JJ. Universal physical responses to stretch in the living cell. Nature 447:592-595, 2007.

An SS, Bai TR, Bates JHT, Black JL, Brown RH, Brusasco V, Chitano P, Deng L, Dowell M, Eidelman DH, Fabry B, Ford LE, Fredberg JJ, Gerthoffer WT, Gilbert SH, Gunst SJ, Halayko AJ, Ingram RH, Irvin CG, James AL, Janssen LJ, King GG, Knight DA, Lauzon AM, Lakser OJ, Ludwig MS, Lutchen KR, Maksym GN, Martin JG, Mauad T, McParland BE, Mijailovich SM, Mitchell HW, Mitchell RW, Mitzner W, Murphy TM, Pare PD, Pellegrino R, Seow CY, Smith PG, Solway J, Schellenberg RR, Silveira PS, Stephens NL, Sterk PJ, Stewart AG, Tang DD, Tepper RS, and Wang L. Airway smooth muscle dynamics: a final common pathway of airway obstruction in asthma. Eur. Respir. J. 29:834-860, 2007.

An SS, and Fredberg JJ. Biophysical basis for airway hyperresponsiveness. Can. J. Physiol. Pharm. 85:700-714, 2007.

Bursac P, Fabry B, Trepat X, Lenormand G, Butler JP, Wang N, Fredberg JJ, and An SS. Cytoskeleton dynamics: fluctuations within the network. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Comm. 355:324-330, 2007.

Klinger JR, Murray JD, Casserly B, Alvarez DF, King JA, An SS, Choudhary G, Owusu-Sarfo AN, Warburton R, and Harrington EO. Rottlerin causes pulmonary edema in vivo: a possible role for PKCdelta. J. Appl. Physiol. 103:2084-2094, 2007.

Ratnovsky A, Mellema M, An SS, Fredberg JJ, and Shore SA. Airway smooth muscle proliferation and mechanics: Effects of AMP kinase agonists. Mole. Cell. Biomech. 4:143-157, 2007.

An SS, Fabry B, Trepat X, Wang N, and Fredberg JJ. Do biophysical properties of the airway smooth muscle in culture predict airway hyperresponsiveness? Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Biol. 35:55-64, 2006.

Laudadio RE, Millet EJ, Fabry B, An SS, Butler JP, and Fredberg JJ. The rat airway smooth muscle cell during actin modulation: rheology and glassy dynamics. Am. J. Physiol. 289:C1388-C1395, 2005.

An SS, Pennella CM, Gonnabathula A, Chen J, Wang N, Gaestel M, Hassoun PM, Fredberg JJ, and Kayyali US. Hypoxia alters biophysical properties of endothelial cells via p38 MAPK- and Rho kinase-dependent pathways. Am. J. Physiol. 289:C521-C530, 2005.

An SS, Fabry B, Mellema M, Bursac P, Gerthoffer WT, Kayyali US, Gaestel M, Shore SA, and Fredberg JJ. Role of heat shock protein 27 in cytoskeletal remodeling of the airway smooth muscle cell. J. Appl. Physiol. 96:1701-1713, 2004.

An SS, Laudadio RE, Lai J, Rogers RA, and Fredberg JJ. Stiffness changes in cultured airway smooth muscle cells. Am. J. Physiol. 283:C792-C801, 2002.

An SS, and Hai C-M. Mechanical signals and mechanosensitive modulation of intracellular [Ca2+] in smooth muscle. Am. J. Physiol. 279:C1375-C1384, 2000.

An SS, and Hai C-M. Mechanical strain modulates maximal phosphatidylinositol turnover in airway smooth muscle. Am. J. Physiol. 277:L968-L974, 1999.