Robert Foronjy

Robert Foronjy, MD is an Associate Professor of Medicine and Chief of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University. Previously, he was Director of Lung Research at St. Luke's Roosevelt Medical Center (2011-2015) and a faculty member at Columbia University Medical Center (2001-2011).

• Education: MD from Temple School of Medicine (1995), Internal Medicine Residency and Pulmonary Fellowship at Columbia University Medical Center.
• Research Focus: Pathogenesis of COPD, antioxidant therapies, and mechanisms of lung inflammation via PP2A and alpha-1 antitrypsin. Developed mouse models of COPD and smoke exposure.
• Key Contributions: First to demonstrate antioxidant protection against smoke-induced emphysema (NIH-funded). Established roles for PP2A and A1AT in counteracting proteolytic processes in COPD.

Publications focus on MMPs, viral interactions (e.g., RSV), and redox biology. His research training initiatives at Downstate emphasize translational lung science for students and faculty.