Ross Summer, MD

Contact Dr. Summer

Center for
Translational Medicine
1025 Walnut Street
College Building, Suite 412
Philadelphia, PA 19107

(215) 503-3893
(215) 955-0830 fax

Medical School
Louisiana State University New Orleans

Residency
Johns Hopkins University

Fellowship
Boston University School of Medicine

Board Certification
Internal Medicine
Pulmonary Medicine
Critical Care Medicine

University Appointment
Associate Professor of Medicine

Clinical Interests
Acute lung injury
Interstitial lung disease
Dyspnea
General Pulmonary Medicine

Research interests
The major focus of Dr Summer's laboratory is on understanding the molecular interaction between lung and adipose tissue. It is now increasingly apparent that adipose tissue is not only a storage depot for fuel but also is an important endocrine organ. Endocrine activities of adipose tissue are mediated by hormones called adipokines, which act on distant tissues to regulate diverse biological processes. Recent work from Dr Summer's laboratory and that of others has identified key roles for adipokines in regulation of immune, vascular and smooth muscle homeostasis in the lung. Using genetic and diet-induced models to alter adipose tissue function, Dr. Summer's laboratory is hoping to better elucidate the role of these newly recognized hormones in lung health and disease.

Clinical Studies
Dr Summer is also involved in several clinical projects including investigations examining the impact of physician work targets on the performance of clinical (e.g. time at bedside, number of procedures) and non-clinical (e.g. teaching, research) activities as well as investigations into the factors contributing to diagnostic delays in patients with sepsis.

Publications

Most Recent Peer-reviewed Publications

1. Cavin1; a Regulator of Lung Function and Macrophage Phenotype
2. The adipokine adiponectin has potent anti-fibrotic effects mediated via adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase: Novel target for fibrosis therapy
3. Acute respiratory distress syndrome: Epidemiology and management approaches
4. Physician perception of the impact of productivity measures on academic practice
5. Obesity: "Priming" the lung for injury
6. Adiponectin attenuates lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury through suppression of endothelial cell activation
7. Plasma adiponectin and mortality in critically ill subjects with acute respiratory failure
8. Adiponectin promotes macrophage polarization toward an anti-inflammatory phenotype
9. Adiponectin deficiency: A model of pulmonary hypertension associated with pulmonary vascular disease
10. Mesenchymal progenitor cell research limitations and recommendations
11. Alveolar macrophage activation and an emphysema-like phenotype in adiponectin-deficient mice
12. The prolonged life-span of alveolar macrophages
13. Stem cells in airway smooth muscle state of the art
14. Isolation of an adult mouse lung mesenchymal progenitor cell population
15. Adiponectin modulates inflammatory reactions via calreticulin receptor-dependent clearance of early apoptotic bodies
16. Stem and Progenitor Cells in the Formation of the Pulmonary Vasculature
17. Restoration of cardiac progenitor cells after myocardial infarction by self-proliferation and selective homing of bone marrow-derived stem cells
18. Gene expression profiling and localization of Hoechst-effluxing CD45- and CD45+ cells in the embryonic mouse lung
19. Evidence that bone marrow cells do not contribute to the alveolar epithelium
20. CD31- but not CD31+ cardiac side population cells exhibit functional cardiomyogenic differentiation

View All Publications