The Ballinger lab focuses on innate immune cells, specifically macrophages and monocytes, in mediating non-infectious lung injury. In particular, we study Toll-like receptor signaling in regulating monocyte-to-macrophage differentiation and activation during homeostasis and in response to acute lung injury or allergic inflammation. A current focus of our lab is to understand the role of monocytes and macrophages in regulating extracellular collagen deposition during pulmonary fibrosis.