Medical College of Wisconsin - Pritchard Research Laboratory

The primary research focus of the Pritchard lab is on vascular function in sickle cell disease and bronchopulmonary dysplasia. The lab discovered that sickle cell disease and bronchopulmonary dysplasia induce an inflammatory pathway that impairs vascular and lung function. In sickle cell disease, vascular dysfunction increases the risk of vasculopathy and vasocongestion that in turn increase the risk of vaso-occlusive crisis and stroke. In bronchopulmonary dysplasia, vascular and airway dysfunction impairs angiogenesis and airway maturation. Babies who have bronchopulmonary dysplasia are at greater risk of developing asthma-like airway disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease as they grow into adults.