Hitendra Chand oversees extracurricular research opportunities for medical students and supports the academic and professional development of graduate students engaged in advanced research. His background spans more than 25 years in cellular and molecular biology, with experience in fundamental research, academic program leadership, and health science initiatives.
Chand is a tenured associate professor and pulmonary biologist whose work focuses on chronic respiratory diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, and cystic fibrosis. His laboratory uses a range of experimental models — from cell cultures and animal systems to patient-derived samples and clinical cohorts — to study disease mechanisms and explore potential treatments. The research combines basic science with translational approaches, aiming to connect laboratory findings to practical applications that may improve care for people living with chronic respiratory conditions.
Areas of Expertise
- Airway Epithelium and Chronic Lung Diseases
- Trained Immunity – Molecular Mechanisms
- Programmed Cell Death Mechanisms
- Inhalational Toxicology and Respiratory Infections
- Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Aging-associated Diseases
Research Interests
- Innate Mucosal Immunity
- Cell Survival Pathways
- Long Non-coding RNAs
- Pathophysiology of Aging-associated Diseases
- Inhalational Toxicology & Infections
Current Research
- Trained immunity/molecular mechanisms: This project focuses on the concept of trained immunity, wherein innate immune cells and airway epithelial cells develop a form of memory leading to heightened responses upon subsequent exposures. The team is dissecting the molecular underpinnings and its implications for chronic inflammation and infection susceptibility.
- Mitochondrial dysfunction and aging-associated Diseases: The project investigates how mitochondrial health and bioenergetics influence disease progression, particularly in the context of aging. Mitochondrial dysfunction is a key driver of cellular senescence and impaired tissue repair, and this research seeks to uncover therapeutic strategies to restore these functions.
- Inhalational toxicology and respiratory Infections: Environmental exposures (e.g., pollutants, cigarette smoke, E-cigs, vapes) and pathogenic infections are major contributors to respiratory disease exacerbations. This project aims to dissect the host response to inhaled toxicants and pathogens, identifying the molecular cross-talk that dictates disease susceptibility and severity.
See research publications and more on FIU Discovery.
Education
- Post-Doctoral Fellowship, Blood Coagulation and Cancer Biology, Department of Pathology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 2004
- Ph.D., Zoology (Reproductive Endocrinology), University of Delhi, Delhi, India, 2001
- M.Phil., Zoology (Glycoprotein Hormones), University of Delhi, Delhi, India, 1997
- M.Sc., Zoology (Cell and Molecular Biology), University of Delhi, Delhi, India, 1995
- B.Sc., Zoology (Honors), University of Delhi, New Delhi, India, 1993