I am an Assistant Professor of Aerospace Physiology and Co-Director of the Space Physiology Antibody and Cellular Engineering (SPACE) Lab at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. My research focuses on host–pathogen interactions, respiratory biology, organoid development, immune responses to pathogens, and therapeutic strategies for spaceflight and other extreme environments. My current work uses lung organoid models to investigate how planetary dust affects healthy lungs and those affected by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).