Parker B. Francis Fellowship Fellow Profile:
Chad Steele
As a newly appointed Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Alabama – Birmingham, Chad Steele is convinced that he would not be where he is today without the Parker B. Francis Fellowship. The prestigious award provided not only salary support and recognition at a critical time in his career, but it also gave him a huge boost of confidence. “Being given the award,” Steele said, “empowers you, it makes you want to do the best that you can.”
Steele, who holds a Ph.D. in Microbiology/Immunology from Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, studies innate immunity, which is how the immune system defends against infection at the site where disease-causing organisms enter the body in the first hours after encountering the pathogen. He became focused on the lung as a site of infection once he began his post-doctoral work with Dr. Jay K. Kolls, a former PBF fellow (1991-1993) who was in the department of Medicine at LSU at that time. Steele, who had previously worked on innate immunity at the oral and vaginal surfaces, described the lung as “a challenge.” With its large surface area and direct interface with inhaled air, the lung provides a huge entryway for pathogenic organisms to invade the body. He expected to find complex systems to protect against infection in the lungs, and he was not disappointed. In fact, he has published more than 15 articles from his own lab and with his collaborators related to innate immune defenses in the lung within the past 5 years.
In 2003 he moved, along with Dr. Kolls, to the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. With Dr. Kolls’ encouragement, he applied for and received the Parker B. Francis Fellowship in 2004. Soon after receiving the Fellowship, he was appointed to a tenure-track assistant professor position. A few months later he secured his first major grant from the National Institutes of Health to study defenses against Pneumocystis carinii, a common infection in people with AIDS, which provided 1.25 million dollars in direct costs. Other grants from the NIH and the American Lung Association have followed, allowing him to start his work at the University of Alabama on strong financial footing. He feels certain that these successes came about as a result of the high prestige that the PBF fellowship carries, as well as the confidence and motivation he felt at having been honored with the award. “If you have a PBF”, Steele said, “you are hoping for good things to come.”
Reflecting on the PBF Fellowship Program as a whole, Steele appreciates the thoughtful design of the program. According to Steele, “It’s the people who have been supported by the PBF who are the leaders in the field of pulmonary research. Without PBF support, they may have gone into another field.” He feels that PBF support is especially critical for physician researchers, since the salary support and protected research time keeps them in the lab at a time when they might be pushed into doing clinical work. He also appreciates the required interactions between fellow and mentor. Since Dr. Kolls works on adaptive immune defenses, which are activated after an infection has been established, together the two of them can explore the whole spectrum of lung defenses. Their collaboration will continue after the end of Steele’s fellowship, and his move to Alabama.
In re-establishing his lab at the University of Alabama – Birmingham, Steele looks forward to providing the same kinds of opportunities for his fellows as Dr. Kolls provided for him. “I’ll certainly encourage my fellows to apply for the PBF award.” Steele said, “In fact, I might require it.” Steele also feels an obligation to the Francis Family Foundation and to the field of pulmonary research as a whole. “A responsibility of mine, Steele said, “is to train the best possible candidates for this award.”
