The Cook Lab studies a deceptively simple question with big consequences: why do people with cystic fibrosis (CF) so often develop allergic, "type 2" inflammation, and what can we do about it? CF is caused by loss of a single chloride channel, CFTR. We've discovered that CFTR doesn't just move chloride across airway surfaces, it also acts as a brake on the immune cells that drive allergic disease. When that brake fails, type 2 inflammation accelerates, and patients pay the price in worse lung disease.

Working at the interface of immunology, pulmonary medicine, and data science, our lab connects the bedside to the bench in both directions. We mine large clinical datasets to find patterns in real patients, then test those ideas in human cells and animal models to uncover the mechanisms behind them. Our goal is to turn these discoveries into new therapies, not only for the ~40,000 Americans living with CF, but for the much larger population affected by asthma and other allergic diseases.

We are part of the Department of Internal Medicine and the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Immunology at the University of Iowa, a longtime hub of CF research. If you're a student, trainee, collaborator, or patient curious about our work, welcome, we're glad you're here.