Ross Summer M.D.
Faculty and Fellows
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Medical School: Louisiana State University New Orleans
Internship: Johns Hopkins University
Residency: Johns Hopkins University
Fellowship: Boston University
- Internal Medicine
- Pulmonary Medicine
- Critical Care Medicine
- Lung Immunology
- Innate immune response
- Macrophage Biology
- Stem Cell Biology
- General Pulmonary Medicine
- Critical Care Medicine
Dr. Summer is Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine. He attends in the Medical Intensive Care Unit and on the Pulmonary Consultation Service at Boston Medical Center.
Dr. Summer’s major research focus is to investigate the relationship between lung and adipose tissue. Recent findings from his lab and others demonstrate that a key signaling axis exists between these tissues. For example, Dr Summer’s lab showed that an adipocyte-derived protein called adiponectin acts in lung to suppress inflammation. Mice deficient in adiponectin develop a spontaneous lung phenotype characterized by emphysema-like changes, and inflammatory vascular lesions.
Ongoing investigations are examining the cellular targets of adiponectin in lung, and determining the signaling mechanisms contributing to adiponectin’s immune suppressive actions in lung. Dr Jason Konter, a post-doctoral pulmonary fellow in Dr Summer’s laboratory is spearheading this investigation.
- Summer, R., Fiack, C.A., Farber, H., Dwyer, D., Fine, A., Ouchi, N., Yasumasa, I., Walsh, K., Adiponectin deficiency: a model of pulmonary hypertension associated with pulmonary vascular disease. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol. Accepted June 2009.
- Summer, R., Fine, A., Mesenchymal Progenitor Cell Research: Limitations and Recommendations. Proc Am Thorac Soc. Aug;5(6):707-10 2008.
- Summer, R., Little, F, Ouchi, N, Takemura,Y, Aprahamian, T., Dwyer, D, Fitzsimmons, K., Suki, B., Parameswaran, H., Fine, A., Walsh, K. Alveolar macrophage activation and an emphysema-like phenotype in adiponectin deficient mice. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol. Jun;294(6):L1035-42.2008.
- Murphy, J., Summer, R., Wilson, A., Kotton, D., Fine, A. The Prolonged Life-span of Alveolar Macrophages Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 2008 Apr;38(4):380-5. 2008.
- Murphy, J., Summer, R., Fine, A. Stem Cells in Airway Smooth Muscle; State of the Art. Proceedings of the American Thoracic Society- 2008 Jan;5(1):11-4.
- Summer, R., Fitzsimmons, K., Dwyer, D., Murphy, J., Fine, A. Isolation of an Adult Mouse Lung Mesenchymal Progenitor Cell Population. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 2007 Aug;37(2):152-9.
- Takemura Y, Ouchi N, Shibata R, Aprahamian T, Kirber MT, Summer R., Kihara S, Walsh K. Adiponectin modulates inflammatory reactions via calreticulin receptor-dependent clearance of early apoptotic bodies. J Clin Invest. 2007 Feb;117(2):375-86.
Contact for clinic patients
Pulmonary Clinic: Doctors Office Building (DOB) 4th floor
Boston Medical Center
Doctors’ Office Building, 4th Floor: 617-638-7480
Hospital Operator: 617-638-8000
The Boston University Pulmonary Center: 617-638-4860