Prescott Woodruff

Prescott Woodruff, MD, MPH, is a Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), School of Medicine. His research is centered on translational approaches to understanding and treating chronic lung diseases, particularly asthma and COPD. He leads and co-leads major NIH-funded initiatives such as SPIROMICS, U01HL146002, and R01HL143998, focusing on precision medicine and immunometabolic phenotypes in severe asthma.

• MD: Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons (1993)
• MPH: Harvard School of Public Health (1996)

His research interests include identifying molecular sub-phenotypes of asthma and COPD, mechanisms of airway inflammation and remodeling, development of blood-based genomic diagnostics, and conducting clinical trials in obstructive lung diseases. He emphasizes mentoring in translational research, supported by an NHLBI K24 award, and has mentored 21 early-career scientists, including postdoctoral fellows and graduate students.

His recent publications reflect a strong focus on biomarker discovery, imaging (CT), genomics, and health disparities in COPD and asthma. Themes include mucus plugging, exacerbation risk, environmental exposures (PM2.5), sleep quality, and social determinants of health. Much of his work leverages large cohorts like SPIROMICS, SARP, and TOPMed.

Scientific Awards:

• Elected to the Association of American Physicians (2022)
• Elected to the American Society for Clinical Investigation (2012)
• AOA (1993)

Dr. Woodruff is an active mentor and collaborator, involved in multiple clinical trials and multi-center research consortia. He leads the Woodruff Lab and is affiliated with the UCSF Airway Clinical Research Center. His research integrates clinical data, genomics, metabolomics, and imaging to advance precision medicine in respiratory disease.