Research

Leadership

Director Jay K. Kolls, MD

Jay Kolls, MD, returned to Pittsburgh in September 2011 to take the helm of the Richard King Mellon Foundation Institute for Pediatric Research. He also serves as vice chair for Translational Research in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

Dr. Kolls also directs one of the Institute's key research laboratories in addition to managing the Institute and recruiting Mellon Scholars, the top research talent who will help to fulfill the vision and mission of the Institute.

Dr. Kolls’ work has increased our understanding of how organs exposed to the outside environment, like the lung and GI tract, defend themselves from invasion by bacteria, viruses and fungi, thus improving our understanding of pneumonia, steroid refractory asthma, inflammatory diseases of the liver and immunodeficiencies that cause serious disease in children. In addition to directing the Richard King Mellon Foundation Institute for Pediatric Research, Dr. Kolls is conducting investigations into new strategies for the treatment of pneumonia, asthma and allergic bronchopulmonary disease in children with cystic fibrosis. Dr. Kolls also holds three R01 awards, an R37 MERIT award, and roles in several projects and center grants.

Dr. Kolls was chief of the Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Allergy and Immunology at Children’s Hospital from 2003 to 2008, after which he spent two and one-half years as chair of the Department of Genetics at Louisiana State University before returning to Pittsburgh to head the Institute.

Last Update
September 7, 2012

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