Benjamin D Singer

Benjamin D Singer, MD is an Associate Professor of Medicine (Pulmonary and Critical Care) and Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, where he holds the Lawrence Hicks Professorship in Pulmonary Medicine. He serves as Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Medicine and leads the Singer Lab focused on lung inflammation and repair mechanisms. His work bridges clinical practice in critical care medicine with fundamental research in immunology and epigenetics.

Dr. Singer received his MD from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in 2007, completed residency and chief residency in Internal Medicine at Northwestern University, McGaw Medical Center in 2010, and finished fellowship training in Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in 2015 before returning to Northwestern as faculty.

Dr. Singer's research focuses on the epigenetic control of lung lymphocytes, particularly how DNA methylation and gene expression define T lymphocyte immunoregulatory phenotype and pro-repair function in the context of acute lung inflammation and injury. His laboratory investigates how these epigenetic phenomena can potentiate resolution of acute lung inflammation and repair of lung damage, with applications extending to aging, autoimmune conditions, malignancy, and organ allograft rejection. His work utilizes transgenic mouse models, primary cell culture, multiparameter flow cytometry, and next-generation sequencing techniques to reveal molecular networks controlling the balance between inflammation/injury and repair/resolution.

• Elected member, American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI) (2024)
• Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) Distinguished Speaker, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine Chapter (2025)
• Carol Basbaum Award for outstanding scientific achievement, mentorship, and leadership, American Thoracic Society (2020)
• Young Physician-Scientist Award, American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI) (2019)
• Mentor of the Year, Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine (2022)
• Multiple Excellence in Teaching Awards from residents and fellows

Dr. Singer has mentored numerous trainees, as evidenced by his multiple teaching and mentorship awards including 'Mentor of the Year' (2022) and several 'Excellence in Teaching Awards.' He serves in editorial roles for prestigious journals including as Associate Editor for the Journal of Clinical Investigation (2022-present) and Science Advances (2021-present), and holds leadership positions in professional societies including the American Society for Clinical Investigation and American Thoracic Society. His research has been supported by NIH funding, including a recent $12 million grant for lung disease studies.

The Singer Lab operates within the Simpson Querrey Lung Institute for Translational Science (SQLIFTS) and collaborates with multiple internal and external researchers including Ali Shilatifard, Alexander Misharin, GR Scott Budinger, and colleagues at Johns Hopkins University, Wake Forest University, and University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. The lab's work focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms that determine how lung immune cells drive tissue injury, inflammation and repair in conditions like severe pneumonia, lung transplantation, and asthma.