April 07, 2017 
RICHLAND, Wash. - The breadth of the scientific team that is developing a sophisticated 3-D model of the respiratory system is enough to take your breath away. The years-long effort has required cooperation from experts in biology, applied mathematics, magnetic resonance imaging, Connecticut scanning, bioinformatics and other areas.
At the D.O.E.'s Pacific Northwest National Lab, the effort was led by toxicologist Rick Corley until his retirement earlier this year after a 20-year career at PNNL.
Last month Corley received the Toxicology Achievement Award from the Pacific Northwest Association of Toxicologists for his work modeling the full chain of human respiration, from organ, to tissue, to cell, and down to individual molecule.
Such work has increased our understanding of how lungs develop in healthy people and in people with diseases that affect millions of people, such as asthma. The work also helps physicians understand lung development in the most vulnerable population - very premature babies whose undeveloped lungs are the chief barrier to survival. Corley's work has also helped scientists understand the actions of pollutants and other contaminants in our bodies.
Read this story to learn more about Corley's contributions to toxicology and lung science.
Tags: Energy, Environment, Fundamental Science, Biomass, Climate Science, Atmospheric Science, Biology, Health Science
Interdisciplinary teams at Pacific Northwest National Lab address many of America's most pressing issues in energy, the environment and national security through advances in basic and applied science. Founded in 1965, PNNL employs 4,400 staff and has an yearly budget of nearly $1 billion. It is managed by Battelle for the D.O.E.'s Office of Science. As the single biggest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, the Office of Science is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information on PNNL, visit the PNNL News Center, or follow PNNL on Facebook, Google+, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.
