Aggarwal Lab

About the Lab

The Aggarwal Lab conducts translational and mechanistic research focused on toxicology, inflammation, pulmonary injury, chronic pain and the biological effects of HIV infection and emerging synthetic opioids.

The lab studies how oxidative stress, immune dysregulation and neuroinflammatory signaling contribute to lung injury, fibrosis, emphysema, chronic widespread pain and substance-induced toxicity, with an emphasis on sex-based differences in disease risk and outcomes. Its research has identified key roles for SDF-1/CXCR4 signaling in inhalation-related lung injury, heme-induced activation of macrophages and mast cells in HIV-associated chronic pain, and impaired opioid homeostasis in people living with HIV.

The lab also welcomes undergraduate students to participate in clinical research studies. Students gain hands-on experience with participant recruitment, screening and enrollment, data collection, study documentation and participant interviews, while learning about research ethics, regulatory procedures and basic data analysis.

Lab equipment

• TSA 2 Air for comprehensive Quantitative Sensory Testing (QST)
• Algomed designed to objectively measure human pain sensitivity by quantifying pressure pain thresholds (PPT) and tolerance