Associate Professor of Medicine

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 893

Academic Office location:

 MCLM 878

Office Phone:

 (205) 934-2622

Office Fax (Academic):

 (205) 934-1446

Email Address:

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Brief Bio

Dr. Patricia Jackson completed her undergraduate education in chemistry, graduating Summa Cum Laude at Cumberland College.  Later, she continued her graduate training at Purdue University working on high field NMR and structural biology in the laboratories of Dr. David Gorenstein.  In 1993, she came to UAB as a postdoctoral fellow in the Comprehensive Cancer Center NMR Core Facility, then moved to the UAB Department of Chemistry where she taught organic chemistry and did biophysical-based research until 2000.  She then joined the laboratory of Dr. Ed Blalock in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics.  In 2009 she moved with Dr. Blalock to the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy & Critical Care Medicine and was promoted to the rank of Assistant Professor of Medicine.

Academic & Research Interests

Our lab is interested the study of proteins and peptides present in biological/clinical samples  from diseases involving a  heavy neutrophilic inflammation component such as COPD, CF and influenza.  To this end we are pursuing new techniques for the detection and quantitation of peptides  in these samples specifically  using ESI-MS-MS.   Further we are seeking to understand the structure, binding and mechanism of action of these peptides and proteins using NMR techniques such as trNOESY .  This knowledge of structure activity relationship is then applied in the design of novel agonists and antagonists.  We are currently focused on the collagen breakdown products such as the chemoattractant peptide PGP, the enzymes involved in its production and degradation as well as its binding to the chemokine receptors CXCR1/CXCR2.

Key Publications:

N-alpha-PGP and PGP, potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for COPD.  O'Reilly P, Jackson PL, Noerager B, Parker S, Dransfield M, Gaggar A, Blalock JE. Respir Res. 2009 May 18;10:38.PMID: 19450278

Potential role of high-mobility group box 1 in cystic fibrosis airway disease. Rowe SM, Jackson PL, Liu G, Hardison M, Livraghi A, Solomon GM, McQuaid DB, Noerager BD, Gaggar A, Clancy JP, O'Neal W, Sorscher EJ, Abraham E, Blalock JE. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2008 Oct 15;178(8):822-31. Epub 2008 Jul 24.PMID: 18658107

Matrix metalloproteinase-8 facilitates neutrophil migration through the corneal stromal matrix by collagen degradation and production of the chemotactic peptide Pro-Gly-Pro.  Lin M, Jackson P, Tester AM, Diaconu E, Overall CM, Blalock JE, Pearlman E. Am J Pathol. 2008 Jul;173(1):144-53. Epub 2008 Jun 13.PMID: 18556780

Conformation of 3'CMP bound to RNase A using TrNOESY. Lee YC, Jackson PL, Jablonsky MJ, Muccio DD. Arch Biochem Biophys. 2007 Jul 1;463(1):37-46. Epub 2007 Mar 19.PMID: 17416340

A novel peptide CXCR ligand derived from extracellular matrix degradation during airway inflammation. Weathington NM, van Houwelingen AH, Noerager BD, Jackson PL, Kraneveld AD, Galin FS, Folkerts G, Nijkamp FP, Blalock JE.  Nat Med. 2006 Mar;12(3):317-23. Epub 2006 Feb 12.  PMID: 16474398

NMR conformational analysis of cis and trans proline isomers in the neutrophil chemoattractant, N-acetyl-proline-glycine-proline. Lee YC, Jackson PL, Jablonsky MJ, Muccio DD, Pfister RR, Haddox JL, Sommers CI, Anantharamaiah GM, Chaddha M.. Biopolymers. (2001): 548-61.