Associate Professor of Medicine, Physiology and Biophysics

Director, Integrative Biomedical Science (IBS) Admissions

Director, Endocrine Module, UASOM, MS-2 Pre-Clerkship Curriculum

Division of Pulmonary, Allergy & Critical Care Medicine
1530 3rd Avenue So, THT-422
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Birmingham, AL 35294

Contact Information

Campus Address:

 MCLM 880

Academic Office location:

 MCLM 880

Office Phone:

 (205) 934-6687

Office Fax (Academic):

 (205) 934-1446

Lab Phone:

 (205) 934-3032

Email Address:

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Brief Bio

Dr. F. Shawn Galin completed his undergraduate studies in Natural Sciences and Mathematics at the University of Alabama at Birmingham earning a BS in 1988. He then entered the MS graduate program in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and completed his MS degree in 1990. He continued his graduate studies in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics and was awarded his PhD in 1994. He remained to continue his Post-Doctoral training and became a faculty member in 1996. Dr. Galin became a faculty member in the Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care in October, 2009.

Academic & Research Interests

Dr. Galin's research interest focuses on the role of neutrophils in chronic lung transplantation rejection. Our group has recently described a novel chemotactic product of collagen breakdown, PGP (Pro-Gly-Pro), which has been shown to reside in CF airways and hypothesized to be associated with neurophil influx in CF patients. Since chronic allograft rejection has a strong neutrophil component, this may provide a biomarker for a potent collagen-derived chemoattractant, resulting in damage and rejection. We are also very interested in the enzymes associated with the breakdown of collagen that result in PGP production. These include, but are not limited, to MMP-9 and prolyl endopeptidase. 

Key Publications

O'Reilly, PJ, Hardison MT, Jackson PL, Xu X, Snelgrove RJ, Gaggar A, Galin FS, Blalock JE. Neutrophils contain prolyl endopeptidase and generate the chemotactic peptide, PGP, from collagen. J Neuroimmunol. 2009 (In Press)

Hardison M, Galin FS (co-1^st Author), Calderon C, Djekic UV, Parker S, Jackson PL, Blalock JE, Gaggar A.. The presence of a matrix-derived neutrophil chemoattractant in bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome after lung transplantation. J Immunol 2009; 182(7):4423-4431

Galin FS, Chrisman CL, Cook JR, Jr, Xu L, Jackson PL, Noerager BD, Weathington NM, Blalock JE. Possible therapeutic vaccines for canine myasthenia gravis: Implications for the human disease and associated fatigue.Brain Behav Immun 2007; 21:323-331

Weathington NM, van Houwelingen AH, Noerager BD, Jackson PL, Kraneveld AD, Galin FS, Folkerts G, Nijkamp FP, Blalock JE.A novel peptide CXCR ligand derived from extracellular matrix degradation during airway inflammation. Nature Medicine 2006; 12:317-323.

Xu L, Villain M, Galin FS, Araga S, Blalock JE. Prevention and reversal of experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis by a monoclonal antibody against acetylcholine receptor-specific T cells. Cell Immunol 2001; 208:107-114.