Current Lab Members
Victor Laubach, PhD
Professor of Surgery and Molecular Physiology
Email: laubach@virginia.edu
Dr. Laubach received a Ph.D. in Genetics from the George Washington University. His graduate research was conducted in the Pulmonary Branch of the NHLBI, Bethesda, MD, where he studied alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency. Dr. Laubach then did postdoctoral research at Glaxo Wellcome Pharmaceuticals in Research Triangle Park, NC to study nitric oxide biology. In 1996 Dr. Laubach came to the UVA Department of Surgery where he directs laboratory research in discovering mechanisms of lung ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) after transplant and in perfusion-based methods to treat severe ARDS (via in vivo lung perfusion, IVLP) or prevent IRI (via ex vivo lung perfusion, EVLP). He is a PI on our NIH-funded research and PI on our NHLBI-funded T32 Research Training Program for surgery residents in cardiovascular surgery.
Professor of Surgery and Molecular Physiology
Email: laubach@virginia.edu
Dr. Laubach received a Ph.D. in Genetics from the George Washington University. His graduate research was conducted in the Pulmonary Branch of the NHLBI, Bethesda, MD, where he studied alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency. Dr. Laubach then did postdoctoral research at Glaxo Wellcome Pharmaceuticals in Research Triangle Park, NC to study nitric oxide biology. In 1996 Dr. Laubach came to the UVA Department of Surgery where he directs laboratory research in discovering mechanisms of lung ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) after transplant and in perfusion-based methods to treat severe ARDS (via in vivo lung perfusion, IVLP) or prevent IRI (via ex vivo lung perfusion, EVLP). He is a PI on our NIH-funded research and PI on our NHLBI-funded T32 Research Training Program for surgery residents in cardiovascular surgery.
Irving Kron, MD
Professor of Surgery Emeritus
In 1993, Dr. Kron was named Chief of the Division of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery at UVA and became the Program Director of the Thoracic Residency program. Dr. Kron helped increase the national visibility of the Division and the Thoracic Residency program at UVA. He was Chair of the Department of Surgery from 2002 – 2017. He developed a successful NIH-funded research laboratory where many residents and students have gained experience in thoracic surgical research. He is a PI on our NIH-funded research into lung ischemia-reperfusion injury and perfusion-based methods to treat ARDS as well as PI on our NHLBI-funded T32 Research Training Program for surgery residents in cardiovascular surgery.
Professor of Surgery Emeritus
In 1993, Dr. Kron was named Chief of the Division of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery at UVA and became the Program Director of the Thoracic Residency program. Dr. Kron helped increase the national visibility of the Division and the Thoracic Residency program at UVA. He was Chair of the Department of Surgery from 2002 – 2017. He developed a successful NIH-funded research laboratory where many residents and students have gained experience in thoracic surgical research. He is a PI on our NIH-funded research into lung ischemia-reperfusion injury and perfusion-based methods to treat ARDS as well as PI on our NHLBI-funded T32 Research Training Program for surgery residents in cardiovascular surgery.
Zequan Yang, MD
Associate Professor of Surgery
As a clinician, Dr. Yang specializes in acute care surgery, trauma and surgical intensive care. As a scientist, his research has focused in the areas of myocardial and lung ischemia-reperfusion (IRI) for >20 years and septic shock for >10 years. His research utilizes small and large animal models of acute myocardial IRI, post-infarct LV remodeling, and sepsis. MRI is used to evaluate mouse myocardial infarct size and cardiac function. He has recently reported the novel finding of a cardiac-splenic axis that mediates inflammatory responses that exacerbate myocardial infarct and post-MI LV remodeling, as documented in several publications. He also laid the groundwork for utilizing topical neck cooling to attenuate inflammatory responses and preserve organ function during severe intra-abdominal sepsis in both murine and porcine models. Dr. Yang trains surgery residents both in the operating room as well as in laboratory research. As a PI on our NIH-funded R01, he helps guide all of our research studies focused on perfusion-based methods to treat acute lung injury. Dr. Yang is also a PI on our T32 Research Training Program for surgery residents in cardiovascular surgery.
Associate Professor of Surgery
As a clinician, Dr. Yang specializes in acute care surgery, trauma and surgical intensive care. As a scientist, his research has focused in the areas of myocardial and lung ischemia-reperfusion (IRI) for >20 years and septic shock for >10 years. His research utilizes small and large animal models of acute myocardial IRI, post-infarct LV remodeling, and sepsis. MRI is used to evaluate mouse myocardial infarct size and cardiac function. He has recently reported the novel finding of a cardiac-splenic axis that mediates inflammatory responses that exacerbate myocardial infarct and post-MI LV remodeling, as documented in several publications. He also laid the groundwork for utilizing topical neck cooling to attenuate inflammatory responses and preserve organ function during severe intra-abdominal sepsis in both murine and porcine models. Dr. Yang trains surgery residents both in the operating room as well as in laboratory research. As a PI on our NIH-funded R01, he helps guide all of our research studies focused on perfusion-based methods to treat acute lung injury. Dr. Yang is also a PI on our T32 Research Training Program for surgery residents in cardiovascular surgery.
Huy Ta, PhD
Research Assistant Professor
Phone: 434-924-5951
Email: hqt7e@virginia.edu
Dr. Ta helps conduct and guide our various projects focused on defining mechanisms that mediate lung ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) after transplant. His current studies include evaluating the role of Piezo1 and TRPV4 channels and purinergic receptors in lung IRI. In vivo murine and in vitro pulmonary microvascular endothelial and alveolar epithelial cell models are being used. Dr. Ta also plays an important role in the research training of the surgery residents in the lab by assisting with analysis of cell, molecular and biochemical pathways after lung transplant in pigs as well as training in our murine models.
Research Assistant Professor
Phone: 434-924-5951
Email: hqt7e@virginia.edu
Dr. Ta helps conduct and guide our various projects focused on defining mechanisms that mediate lung ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) after transplant. His current studies include evaluating the role of Piezo1 and TRPV4 channels and purinergic receptors in lung IRI. In vivo murine and in vitro pulmonary microvascular endothelial and alveolar epithelial cell models are being used. Dr. Ta also plays an important role in the research training of the surgery residents in the lab by assisting with analysis of cell, molecular and biochemical pathways after lung transplant in pigs as well as training in our murine models.
Steve Young, MD (Univ of Virginia)
Surgery Resident
Phone: 434-982-3711
Email: SDY4VR@uvahealth.org
Steve is a Surgery Research Resident supported by our NIH T32 training grant. He is working on several projects in the lab involving porcine lung ischemia-reperfusion injury after transplant, murine lung ischemia-reperfusion injury, as well as porcine EVLP and IVLP projects.
Surgery Resident
Phone: 434-982-3711
Email: SDY4VR@uvahealth.org
Steve is a Surgery Research Resident supported by our NIH T32 training grant. He is working on several projects in the lab involving porcine lung ischemia-reperfusion injury after transplant, murine lung ischemia-reperfusion injury, as well as porcine EVLP and IVLP projects.
Sean Noona, MD (Univ of Virginia)
Surgery Resident
Phone: 434-982-3711
Email: SWN5DV@uvahealth.org
Sean is a Surgery Research Resident supported by our NIH T32 training grant. He is working on several projects in the lab involving porcine lung ischemia-reperfusion injury after transplant, murine lung ischemia-reperfusion injury, as well as porcine EVLP and IVLP projects.
Surgery Resident
Phone: 434-982-3711
Email: SWN5DV@uvahealth.org
Sean is a Surgery Research Resident supported by our NIH T32 training grant. He is working on several projects in the lab involving porcine lung ischemia-reperfusion injury after transplant, murine lung ischemia-reperfusion injury, as well as porcine EVLP and IVLP projects.
Matthew Weber, MD (Thomas Jefferson Univ)
Surgery Resident
Phone: 434-924-5951
Email: zds7kb@uvahealth.org
Matt is a Surgery Research Resident supported by our NIH T32 training grant. He is working with Dr. Zequan Yang on several projects: 1) assessing therapeutics attenuating the cardio-splenic axis in myocardial ischemia to limit infarct progress and cardiac dysfunction, and 2) role of vagal nerve stimulation in hemorrhagic and septic shock models. Matt is also helping us with our porcine models of lung ischemia-reperfusion injury after transplant as well as EVLP and IVLP projects.
Surgery Resident
Phone: 434-924-5951
Email: zds7kb@uvahealth.org
Matt is a Surgery Research Resident supported by our NIH T32 training grant. He is working with Dr. Zequan Yang on several projects: 1) assessing therapeutics attenuating the cardio-splenic axis in myocardial ischemia to limit infarct progress and cardiac dysfunction, and 2) role of vagal nerve stimulation in hemorrhagic and septic shock models. Matt is also helping us with our porcine models of lung ischemia-reperfusion injury after transplant as well as EVLP and IVLP projects.
Daniella Wong, MD (Univ of Virginia)
Surgery Resident
Phone: 434-924-5951
Email: jrd2nd@uvahealth.org
Daniella is a Surgery Research Resident supported by our NIH T32 training grant. She is working on our research projects that use porcine models of lung ischemia-reperfusion injury after transplant as well as EVLP and IVLP projects.
Surgery Resident
Phone: 434-924-5951
Email: jrd2nd@uvahealth.org
Daniella is a Surgery Research Resident supported by our NIH T32 training grant. She is working on our research projects that use porcine models of lung ischemia-reperfusion injury after transplant as well as EVLP and IVLP projects.
Maggie McLaughlin
UVA Undergraduate Student, Class of 2026
Biology and Spanish double major aiming for Medical School.
Maggie is learning various laboratory techniques while helping discover mechanisms that mediate pulmonary endothelial and epithelial cell injury by ischemia-reperfusion and testing methods to attenuate this injury.
UVA Undergraduate Student, Class of 2026
Biology and Spanish double major aiming for Medical School.
Maggie is learning various laboratory techniques while helping discover mechanisms that mediate pulmonary endothelial and epithelial cell injury by ischemia-reperfusion and testing methods to attenuate this injury.
Cindy Dodson
Senior Research Specialist & Lab Manager
Phone: 434-243-2889
Email: csq3k@virginia.edu
Cindy manages the laboratory and maintains all of our animal and controlled substances protocols. She also supports all aspects of animal surgeries (especially our porcine models) and helps with mouse colony maintenance and animal protocols.
Senior Research Specialist & Lab Manager
Phone: 434-243-2889
Email: csq3k@virginia.edu
Cindy manages the laboratory and maintains all of our animal and controlled substances protocols. She also supports all aspects of animal surgeries (especially our porcine models) and helps with mouse colony maintenance and animal protocols.
Autumn Rogers
Laboratory Specialist
Phone: 434-924-1583
Email: adr9v@virginia.edu
Autumn is supporting our large animal surgery studies such as porcine models of lung transplant, EVLP, IVLP, and ECMO.
Laboratory Specialist
Phone: 434-924-1583
Email: adr9v@virginia.edu
Autumn is supporting our large animal surgery studies such as porcine models of lung transplant, EVLP, IVLP, and ECMO.
Dustin Money, RRT-ACCS
Perfusion Specialist
Email: DTM2J@uvahealth.org
Dustin was trained as a Critical Care Respiratory Therapist and ECMO Specialist and is working in our lab to support many critical aspects of our animal models of EVLP, IVLP, and ECMO.
Perfusion Specialist
Email: DTM2J@uvahealth.org
Dustin was trained as a Critical Care Respiratory Therapist and ECMO Specialist and is working in our lab to support many critical aspects of our animal models of EVLP, IVLP, and ECMO.
Tony Herring
Grants Administrator
Email: ajh@virginia.edu
Tony has been an integral part of our laboratory for over 20 years as a senior surgical technician and laboratory manager. Tony remains an important member of our laboratory research and is our Grants Administrator.
Grants Administrator
Email: ajh@virginia.edu
Tony has been an integral part of our laboratory for over 20 years as a senior surgical technician and laboratory manager. Tony remains an important member of our laboratory research and is our Grants Administrator.