In honour of National Postdoc Appreciation Week (NPAW), we spoke with different Postdoctoral Fellows and Research Associates at the CBR to highlight their research, share their stories and celebrate their journeys.
Dr. Yu-Hsuan (Lynn) Huang, Research Associate – Kim Lab
Tell me about your research.
Chronic lung fibrosis is a debilitating, progressive disease for which there is no cure. Patients often have only 3-5 years after diagnosis before succumbing to an irreversible loss of lung function and death. Chronic lung fibrosis is a major health problem worldwide and there is an urgent need for effective new treatments that can stop or reverse this disease. Our study seeks to better understand the mechanisms of lung fibrosis and why it is a chronic disease. We use two mouse models of lung fibrosis: One where the fibrosis disappears over time (acute fibrosis) and the lungs recover, and one where lung damage is persistent and progressive (chronic fibrosis).
By comparing these two models, we plan to identify key differences between them, and then determine if these differences are responsible for driving either recovery or progression. We focus are on two cell types in the lung: macrophages and matrix-producing cells called mesenchymal cells. Macrophages are part of our immune system and protect the lungs from infection and damage, and matrix producing cells help repair the lungs when damage occurs. We have found differences in the macrophage populations and in the type of matrix produced between the acute and chronic models. By investigating these differences in more detail and testing whether specific cells, or the factors they produce, can slow the progression of fibrosis, we will discover new insights into the mechanisms of chronic fibrosis and how it progresses. This new information will change our current understanding of chronic lung fibrosis and offer new opportunities for the development of more effective therapeutics for chronic lung fibrosis patients.
What do you enjoy most about science?
Science is like preparing a unique dish to share with other scientists: from putting together different ingredients to sitting down and enjoying the final meal, it requires a lot of trial and error, brainstorming and teamwork. It is a fun and rewarding process!
What do you like to do outside the lab?
Outside of the lab, I really like baking and hiking.
What is an award or achievement that you are proudest of?
Being a mentor to provide guidance, training, advice and support to the mentee is the greatest accomplishment and most rewarding part of doing what I do!
Thank you for speaking with us, Lynn! Learn more about National Postdoc Appreciation Week at UBC which recognizes the significant contributions that postdoctoral scholars make to research and discovery.