Yuan Pu (Peter) Di’s research focuses on lung epithelial biology, with particular emphasis on how airway epithelial cells defend against infection, injury, and cancer. His work explores innate immune responses in the lung and advances new strategies to prevent and treat respiratory disease.
His research is supported by multiple National Institutes of Health awards, including R01 grants studying airway immune responses to fungal infections and the development of peptide antibiotics targeting drug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria, as well as an R21 project focused on inhalable antimicrobials for respiratory infections.
A tenured professor and lung biologist, Di leads a research program at FIU Medicine’s Center for Translational Science in Port St. Lucie. He has maintained continuous extramural funding for more than 20 years, securing over $33 million from the National Institutes of Health, the American Heart Association, the American Lung Association, and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
See research publications and more on FIU Discovery.
Contact Us
For information about our lab or undergraduate research opportunities, please contact us at ydi@fiu.edu.
About the Lab
The Di lab focuses on understanding the pathogenic mechanisms underlying pulmonary diseases, with particular emphasis on lung mucosal immunity, inhalation toxicology, and how airway epithelial defenses protect against infection and injury. The lab also investigates how these processes can be leveraged to develop effective therapies for respiratory disease.
The Di lab has pioneered the use of engineered antimicrobial peptides, applying structure–activity relationship (SAR)–based rational design to develop novel therapeutics that address the growing challenge of multidrug-resistant microbial infections. Through NIH-supported research, the lab advances translational science while contributing to FIU Medicine’s research mission and providing hands-on training opportunities for students and trainees.
Lab Equipment:
- Real-time qPCR
- Smoke exposure machine
- Flow cytometer
Lab Members
Hexin Lu
Ph.D. Student
Pedro Sanchez, Ph.D.
Post-doctoral Associate
Junming Song
Ph.D. Student
Donate
Interested in supporting our research or scholars?
Please contact:
Naomi Nixon
Associate Dean for Development
Phone: 305-348-9038
Email: nnixon@fiu.edu