Nancy Olmsted Chair in Pediatric Pulmonology
Professor of Pediatrics, UC San Diego
Professor of Biomedical Sciences, UC Riverside
Specialty: Epithelial Fluid and Electrolyte Transport Physiology
Dr. Paul Quinton discovered that the basic defect in the Cystic Fibrosis (CF) sweat gland was due to anion impermeability. This discovery is regarded as one of the major advances in understanding the basic defect in this genetic disease.
Research in the Quinton Laboratory is focused to better understand the roles of fluid, electrolyte, and mucus movements over epithelia affected in Cystic Fibrosis and other obstructive lung diseases. We apply electrophysiological, imaging, micro-manipulation, molecular biological and biochemical approaches to investigate the mechanisms of normal and pathophysiological functions in epithelia. Studies include sweat gland, airway, reproductive, and gastrointestinal intestinal tissues with an emphasis on native tissue ex vivo. Specific interests include the control and role of CFTR (the defective protein expressed in CF) in ion secretion and absorption processes, and the interaction of electrolytes with mucins. We specialize in multiple forms of micro-techniques to pursue these investigations.