Sally E Wenzel

Sally E Wenzel MD is a Professor and Chair at the University of Pittsburgh, holding the Rachel Carson Chair in Environmental Health. She directs the Asthma and Environmental Lung Health Institute@UPMC and has faculty appointments in Medicine and Immunology. After completing her MD at the University of Florida, she spent 19 years at National Jewish Health and the University of Colorado before joining Pitt. As an American Association of Physicians member with over 300 publications, she currently serves as Associate Editor for Physiological Reviews.

• Education: MD, University of Florida
• Affiliations: University of Pittsburgh (Environmental and Occupational Health, Medicine, Immunology), UPMC

A leading expert in asthma pathogenesis, Dr. Wenzel pioneered the concept of asthma heterogeneity, identifying distinct phenotypes driven by environmental and genetic factors. Her work integrates oxidative stress, inflammation, and 'omics approaches in human studies to understand severe asthma mechanisms. Current research examines regional environmental threats (e.g., pollution in environmental justice areas) and their impact on lung disease severity.

Her publications from 2025-2022 reveal focus areas:

• Air pollution effects on asthma pharmacology
• Mitochondrial DNA dynamics in exacerbations
• Epithelial redox regulation
• Mucus plug quantification via CT
• Computational endotype discovery
• Environmental justice and lung health disparities

Scientific honors include:

• Elizabeth Rich Award (promoting women in science)
• ATS Scientific Achievement Award
• ERJ President’s Award
• Over 300 peer-reviewed publications

She leads the Severe Asthma Research Program (SARP) and collaborates on projects like the Precision Interventions Network (PrecISE). Her lab develops machine learning tools (e.g., ICLite) and investigates ferroptosis-lipid mediator interactions in respiratory disease.