David B. Peden

David B. Peden is the Harry S. Andrews Distinguished Professor of Pediatrics and Senior Associate Dean for Translational Research at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, where he also directs the Center for Environmental Medicine, Asthma and Lung Biology. His career integrates pediatric allergy/immunology with environmental health science to address pollution-induced respiratory diseases through translational research and policy engagement.

Dr. Peden's research focuses on environmental triggers of airway inflammation, particularly air pollutants and wildfire smoke, and their role in asthma, COPD, and cardiovascular events. He pioneered controlled human exposure models using ozone, endotoxin, and particulate matter to identify genetic/physiological risk factors and develop mitigation strategies like chemoprevention. His work bridges molecular mechanisms to public health policy, emphasizing translational approaches to reduce disease burden from environmental exposures.

Analysis of his 2023-2025 publications reveals intensifying focus on wildfire smoke pathophysiology, sex-specific responses to pollutants, and climate change impacts on pediatric asthma. His research increasingly incorporates data science frameworks like the Biomedical Data Translator while maintaining core emphasis on controlled exposure studies and clinical interventions for environmentally triggered inflammation.

The Center for Environmental Medicine, Asthma and Lung Biology, under Dr. Peden's leadership, conducts innovative pre-clinical and clinical investigations using translational methods to develop novel treatments for lung diseases while identifying societal and biological risk factors for pollutant-induced illnesses.