Sara Prescott

Sara Prescott, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), conducting research at the intersection of neuroscience and pulmonary biology from her laboratory at 31 Ames St., Room 68-330, Cambridge, MA.

Her research focuses on:

• Neuron-mediated lung tissue remodeling after environmental insults
• Neural-stem cell communication in airway physiology
• Mechanisms of mucus production and scarring in respiratory diseases
• Interoception in barrier tissues using mouse airway models

Employing advanced techniques in cell/molecular genetics, tissue physiology, and neural biology, her work investigates how airway neurons act as cellular sentries to detect pathogens and irritants, with implications for asthma and COPD therapeutics. Dr. Prescott's lab specifically examines molecular pathways underlying neuron-stem cell interactions during tissue repair.

Her scientific recognition includes:

• Pew Biomedical Scholar Award (2024) for pioneering research on neural regulation of lung remodeling

As principal investigator of the Sara Prescott Lab, she leads investigations into physiological insult detection in barrier tissues, with research keywords spanning lung neurobiology, respiratory disease, stem cells, and tissue remodeling. Her future work aims to translate neural signaling discoveries into novel respiratory therapeutics.