Inhaled Medical Aerosols and Respiratory Therapeutic Interventions to Promote Neonatal and Pediatric Lung Health

DiBlasi Lab

The DiBlasi Lab aims to develop and evaluate inhaled therapies and life-support systems for newborns and children with life-threatening respiratory failure. Working with worldwide collaborators, industry partners and clinical staff at Seattle Children's Hospital, the lab conducts innovative pre-clinical research to investigate respiratory therapies and devices' therapeutic benefits and responses to promote gas exchange, lung health, growth and development.

The lab focuses on novel drug delivery formulations and devices for administering inhaled medical aerosols and specialty gases, improving airway secretion clearance and optimizing mechanical ventilation. Laboratory findings have been translated into clinical trials and resulted in several devices and therapies that are currently being used clinically in children. Ultimately, we aim to improve respiratory care for children in all low- and well-resourced clinical settings.

Featured Research

Aerosolized Surfactant Research

The DiBlasi lab is working to eliminate the need for intubation and mechanical ventilation for surfactant therapy by generating surfactant aerosols that can be easily inhaled by premature infants with respiratory distress while receiving noninvasive CPAP support.

Evaluation of High-Frequency Airway Clearance Devices

Comparing the effectiveness of different high-frequency mucus clearance devices.

Neonatal and Pediatric EIT Study

To validate the measurement of pulmonary regional ventilation distribution by a novel bedside pediatric electrical impedance tomography (EIT) device.