The Cloonan lab focuses on understanding how cellular iron metabolism is regulated in the lung and how dysregulation of iron uptake, release or turnover contributes to disease processes. We also seek to understand how iron and the mitochondrion interact. Mitochondria are the primary storage sites for iron inside the cell, yet how iron is transported in and out of the mitochondrion and how iron regulates mitochondrial homeostasis remains to be fully determined. We primarily focus on the discovery of novel diagnostic and/or therapeutic approaches to treat chronic lung diseases focusing on Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF). However, our research goals have broader implications for other diseases involving iron metabolism and mitochondrial dysfunction.