Alison May

Alison May, PhD, is an Assistant Professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, affiliated with the Cell, Developmental & Regenerative Biology department and the Black Family Stem Cell Institute. Her research focuses on exocrine organ development and stem cell-mediated regeneration of epithelial tissues, particularly in respiratory and salivary glands. She explores mechanisms of upper airway diseases like Cystic Fibrosis and Chronic Rhinosinusitis by studying epithelial structure and function.

• Education: BA from Trinity College Dublin; PhD from King's College London.

Her work at Mount Sinai includes defining gene regulators of gland morphogenesis during her PhD and regulatory mechanisms of nerve-epithelial interactions during postdoctoral training at UCSF. The May Lab investigates how epithelial tissues contribute to disease pathogenesis, aiming to identify therapeutic targets.

Recent publications highlight her contributions to understanding CFTR function in lung host defense, regeneration of radiation-damaged salivary glands via neurogenic hydrogels, and signaling pathways (e.g., FGF, EDA, NRG1-ERBB3-mTORC2) in gland development. These studies span disciplines like cell biology, genetics, and regenerative medicine.

Dr. May's industry relationships are not yet reported, but her affiliations with Mount Sinai's research institutes and multidisciplinary training in Development Regeneration and Stem Cells position her at the forefront of biomedical innovation.