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Sadis Matalon, PhD, FAPS

University of Alabama at Birmingham

Sadis Matalon, PhD, FAPS, is the vice chair for research and the Alice McNeal Endowed Chair and Director of the Division of Molecular and Translational Biomedicine in the Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He is also editor-in-chief of Physiological Reviews. He’s been an APS member since 1976.

APS members are doing amazing things. We asked Sadis Matalon, PhD, FAPS—one of our esteemed member-researchers—to tell us about his research and its implications on our understanding of life and health. He also describes why the work he does today is exactly what he’d always dreamed of doing.

What do you do?

I am the vice chair for research and the Alice McNeal Endowed Chair and Director of the Division of Molecular and Translational Biomedicine in the Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. I am a researcher working on lung injury and repair. We are currently investigating how various environmental agents damage the lungs and develop countermeasures. We are also trying to identify the mechanisms by which viruses (such as influenza and SARS CoV-2) damage lung ion channels which causes pulmonary edema.

Give it context.

We are trying to understand the basic mechanisms by which chlorine damages the cardiopulmonary system and develop drugs that will decrease this injury. Every year, there are a large number of incidents of people exposed to chlorine either because of industrial accidents or acts of terrorism (as it happened in Syria). Our work shows that pregnant mothers and their fetuses are highly susceptible to even small exposures to chlorine gas. We are in the process of developing several drugs that will reverse or at least decrease this injury. In addition, one of our published articles in Physiological Reviews was the basis of a clinical trial to reduce the severity of COVID-19.

What would you be doing if not science? Describe your passion.

I always dreamed about being a scientist. I enjoy reading books on the history of Medicine.  I am very passionate about the work we are doing, teaching and mentoring students, postdoctoral fellows and junior faculty. My desire is to prepare them to become highly productive scientists whose work will benefit mankind.