Syed Masood

Syed Masood is a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Department of Toxicology & Environmental Medicine. Working under the mentorship of Dr. Ilona Jaspers, his research focuses on environmental exposures and their impact on human respiratory health, particularly examining mechanisms of toxicity at the cellular level.

Dr. Masood's research interests center on redox biology and environmental toxicology, with particular emphasis on wood smoke exposure effects on human airway epithelial cells. His work combines in vitro exposure technology with organotypic primary cell culture models at air-liquid interface to evaluate toxicities of different wood smokes and combustible materials. He investigates molecular initiating events and mechanisms of oxidative stress due to environmental exposures in real-time, contributing significantly to understanding how air pollutants affect respiratory health at the cellular level.

His publication record shows a consistent focus on oxidative stress mechanisms in respiratory cells exposed to environmental pollutants. The research spans wood smoke, plastic incineration emissions, ozone, and various environmental peroxides, with particular emphasis on real-time monitoring techniques and redox adaptations. His work employs advanced methodologies including live cell imaging, air-liquid interface models, and molecular analysis of redox signaling pathways.

Scientific Awards:

• The Leon and Bertha Golberg Postdoctoral Fellowship

Dr. Masood's research program demonstrates strong methodological expertise in environmental toxicology, with particular strengths in real-time monitoring of cellular redox responses to environmental exposures. His work bridges laboratory research with potential public health applications, particularly in understanding how common environmental exposures affect respiratory health at the molecular level.