#005 - Sex Differences in Neonatal Lung Injury (ft. Dr. Krithikia Lingappan)

In this episode of the Incubator, At the bench, we talk with Dr. Krithika Lingappan who is a neonatologist and physician-scientist at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania. Join us as we hear what inspired Dr. Lingappan to build her cutting-edge research program investigating sex-specific differences in preterm lung disease. She explains that every cell in the lung shows sex bias, including epithelial cells, endothelial cells, and immune cells. She explores the role of the X and Y chromosomes in determining susceptibility to lung diseases and the ongoing research to understand the dosage of the X chromosome and genes on the Y chromosome. Dr. Lingappan also discusses the use of multi-omics approaches, such as single-cell RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptomics, to study lung development and disease. We are fortunate to learn from her experiences including finding mentorship, building a research career that addresses a common clinical question, and establishing and then moving a research group. Dr. Lingappan also discusses her work promoting neonatology physician-scientist career development. We are thrilled to bring you this inside look into what it takes to become a neonatology physician-scientist!