Current research in my laboratory is primarily focused on determining the impact of influenza A virus infection on alveolar type II (ATII) epithelial cell function at the single cell level in a mouse model of influenza-induced adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). There are 3 major projects investigating: 1) effects of influenza on the ATII cell metabolome, with a particular focus on mitochondrial function and cellular energetics (funded by a new 4-year R01); 2) effects of influenza on the ATII cell miRnome, and the role of miR-155 in influenza pathogenesis (funded by an American Thoracic Society Foundation Recognition Award for Outstanding Established Investigators); and 3) differences between the transcriptomic profiles of virus-positive and virus-negative ATII cells from the same influenza-infected lung. The goal of these studies is to identify novel host determinants of influenza pathogenesis which can be targeted therapeutically. Finally, we are developing additional rodent and primary human ATII cell models that will allow us to test a newly-identified and recently patented therapeutic for ARDS.