Associate Professor of Cell Biology
Lung regeneration
Lung stem cells
Cell plasticity
Organoid models
Lung Fibrosis
Single Cell Biology
Appointments and Affiliations
- Associate Professor of Cell Biology
- Director of the Duke Regeneration Center
- Associate Professor in Medicine
- Affiliate of the Duke Regeneration Center
- Member of the Duke Cancer Institute
Contact Information
- Email Address: purushothamarao.tata@duke.edu
- Websites:
Education
- Ph.D. University of Ulm (Germany), 2011
Awards, Honors, and Distinctions
- Rising Star Award. International Society for Regenerative Biology. 2022
- Whitehead Scholar Award. Duke University School of Medicine. 2016
- NIH K99-Pathways to Independence Award. National Institutes of Health. 2015
- The Fund for Medical Discovery (FMD) Research Award. Massachusetts General Hospital. 2014
Courses Taught
- PHARM 730: Stem Cell Course
- MOLCAN 730: Stem Cell Course
- DSCB 720: Stem Cell Course
- CMB 720: Modern Techniques in Cell and Molecular Biology
- CMB 710F: Cell & Molecular Biology Module VI
- CMB 710E: Cell & Molecular Biology Module V
- CMB 710C: Cell & Molecular Biology Module III
- CELLBIO 730: Stem Cell Course
- CELLBIO 493: Research Independent Study
- BME 792: Continuation of Graduate Independent Study
In the News
- Study Provides Clues to Developing Better Treatments for Lung Damage (Nov 15, 2…
- Tata to Receive International Society for Regenerative Biology Rising Star Awar…
- NIH-Directors blog- Mini-Lungs in a Lab Dish Mimic Early COVID-19 Infection (No…
- Lab-Grown Mini-Lungs Mimic the Real Thing – Right Down to Covid Infection (Oct …
- SARS-CoV-2 Targets Many Cell Types, Analysis of Single-Cell Data Suggests (May …
- Scientists Find Stomach Cells In Lung Cancer (Mar 26, 2018)
- Purushothama Tata: So Many Ideas, So Little Time (Oct 2, 2016)
Representative Publications
- Cosgrove, Brian D., Lexi R. Bounds, Carson Key Taylor, Alan L. Su, Anthony J. Rizzo, Alejandro Barrera, Tongyu Sun, et al. “Mechanosensitive genomic enhancers potentiate the cellular response to matrix stiffness.” Science 390, no. 6778 (December 11, 2025): eadl1988. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adl1988.
- Wu, Shuang, Ian Driver, Meihui Luo, Hikaru Miyazaki, Smitha Shambhu, Dimitry Popov, Liyuan Yang, et al. “Ferret model of bleomycin-induced lung injury shares features of human idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.” NPJ Regen Med 10, no. 1 (November 21, 2025): 53. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41536-025-00440-z.
- Madhurakkat Perikamana, Sajeesh Kumar, Vardhman Kumar, Pankaj Mogha, Lavonia Duncan, Nikki Angel, Aleksandra Tata, Sairam V. Jabba, Sven Eric Jordt, Purushothama Rao Tata, and Shyni Varghese. “Modeling functional responses to pollutant exposure using modular hydrogel supported vascularized alveolosphere-on-a-chip.” Biomater Sci 13, no. 21 (October 21, 2025): 6046–57. https://doi.org/10.1039/d5bm00552c.
- Fernandes Matuck, Bruno, Khoa Huynh, Diana Pereira, Quinn T. Easter, XiuYu Zhang, Meik Kunz, Aditya Pratapa, et al. “The Immunoregulatory Architecture of the Adult Oral Cavity.,” September 18, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.12.01.626279.
- Vose, Aaron, Anastasiya Birukova, Michaela Albright, Adam Schlobohm, Stavros Garantziotis, Purushothama Rao Tata, Christina Barkauskas, and Robert Tighe. “Hyaluronan Directs Alveolar Type II Cell Response to Acute Ozone Exposure in Mice.” Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol 73, no. 1 (July 2025): 109–19. https://doi.org/10.1165/rcmb.2024-0385OC.