Michael E. Yeager PhD

Michael Yeager is a pulmonary vascular biologist at the University of Colorado Denver jointly appointed as an assistant professor in the departments of Pediatrics-Critical Care and Bioengineering. His training began in 1997 in the laboratory of Rubin Tuder, M.D. and under the co-mentorship of Norbert Voelkel, M.D., two pioneers in the comprehensive clinical, basic, and translational study of cardiopulmonary pathobiology. During this formative time, Michael uncovered the first evidence of somatic mutation in pulmonary vessel lesions in the setting of pulmonary hypertension, a finding built on previous observations in the Tuder-Voelkel group of a cancer-like phenomenon being operational in pulmonary hypertension.

Currently, his lab has three major research objectives. First, they investigate the biology of tertiary lymphoid tissue in the lung and its potential contributions to autoimmune and auto-inflammatory processes in pulmonary hypertension. Second, they are interested in derangements of protein folding in lung cells and how the unfolded protein response is activated in pulmonary vascular diseases. Finally, his lab studies the complex interplay between peripheral blood mononuclear cells and bronchopulmonary (adventitial) fibroblasts during lung inflammation. Each of these research objectives are intertwined and studied together using animal models, primary cell culture, and samples from both pediatric and adult patients with pulmonary vascular diseases with the goal of prevention and treatment.

His Publications are as follows:
Myeloid Suppressor Cells are Increased and Activated in Children and Young Adults with Pulmonary Hypertension. Yeager ME, Nguyen CM, Belchenko DD, Colvin KL, Takatsuki S, Ivy DD, Stenmark KR. CHEST 2011, in press.
Circulating Fibrocytes are Increased in Children and Young Adults with Pulmonary Hypertension. Yeager ME, Nguyen CM, Belchenko DD, Colvin KL, Takatsuki S, Ivy DD, Stenmark KR. Eur Resp J 2011, in press.
Endothelin-1, the Unfolded Protein Response, and Persistent Inflammation-Role of Pulmonary Artery Smooth Muscle Cells. Yeager ME, Belchenko DD, Nguyen CM, Colvin KL, Ivy DD, Stenmark KR. Am J Resp Cell Mol Biol, 2011, in press.
Progenitor Cells in Pulmonary Vascular Remodeling. Yeager ME, Frid MG, Stenmark KR. Pulm Circ, 2011 Jan: 1(1) 3-16.
Fibrocytes: potential new therapeutic targets for pulmonary hypertension? Stenmark KR, Frid MG, Yeager ME. Eur Respir J. 2010 Dec;36(6):1232-5.