Area of Research

• Dr. McElroy's long-term research goals are to understand the injury and repair mechanisms of the immature intestine. We are specifically focused on necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) which is a devastating disorder that predominantly impacts preterm infants. The laboratory has made seminal discoveries linking Paneth cells and goblet cells to the protection of the immature intestinal tract, has developed several complementary novel models of necrotizing enterocolitis that are shedding light on alternative pathways to develop NEC-like injury, and has begun to investigate the link between maternal chorioamnionitis and subsequent intestinal disease of offspring.