Dean Sheppard, MD
Professor
Medicine
School of Medicine

415-514-4269

Dean Sheppard is a Professor of Medicine. His research focuses on the molecular mechanisms underlying pulmonary (and other organ) fibrosis, asthma and acute lung injury. One aim of the research is to identify new therapeutic targets to ultimately improve the treatment of each of these common diseases.

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The work began with basic investigation of how cells use members of the integrin family to detect, modify and respond to spatially restricted extracellular clues and how these responses contribute to the development of common lung diseases. Utilizing mice with global or conditional knockouts of the epithelial-restricted integrin, avß6, and the widely expressed integrins, a5ß1, a9ß1, avß5 and avß8, the lab has identified important roles for these integrins in models of each common lung disease and key steps upstream and downstream of the integrins that provide potential therapeutic targets. His lab identified the unique roles that 3 integrins, avß1, avß6 and avß8 play in activation of the growth factor, latent transforming growth factor beta (TGFß) and has identified critical roles for this process in acute lung injury, pulmonary fibrosis, post-natal brain development and immunosuppression in the setting of cancer. Current work is using single cell RNA sequencing to understand the heterogeneity of cells that contribute to tissue fibrosis and using these results to generate novel murine lines to establish the lineage, fate and functional importance of each of the new cell states identified. The lab is also collaborating with Wendell Lim to engineer cells that delivery genetically encoded therapeutics at sites of fibrosis and acute lung injury and to improve cell-based therapies for solid tumors.

Awards

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  • Elected Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2022
  • Lifetime Achievement in Mentoring Award, UCSF, 2021
  • Elected Member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, AAAS, 2018
  • UCSF Faculty Research Lecture in Translational Science, UCSF, 2016
  • Top 20 Translational Scientists, Nature Biotechnology, 2013
  • Amberson Lecturer, American Thoracic Society, 2010
  • NIH Merit Award, NIH, 2004-2014
  • Scientific Achievement Award, American Thoracic Society, 1998
  • Elected Member, Association of American Physicians, AAP, 1995
  • Clean Air Award, California Lung Association, 1995
  • Elected Member, American Society for Clinical Investigation, ASCI, 1992

Education & Training

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  • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Champion Training University of California 2018
  • M.D. School of Medicine SUNY, Stony Brook 1975
  • Residency School of Medicine University of California, San Francisco

Interests

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  • Origins
  • fate and function of heterogenous tissue fibroblasts
  • Cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying pulmonary fibrosis
  • Development of novel therapeutics for lung diseases and cancer

Grants and Projects

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Publications (300)

Top publication keywords:
Receptors, VitronectinAsthmaLungTransforming Growth Factor betaCell AdhesionEpithelial CellsTransforming Growth Factor beta1Integrin alpha ChainsMuscle, SmoothPulmonary FibrosisAntigens, NeoplasmFibronectinsPulmonary AlveoliIntegrinsIntegrin beta Chains

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