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Research and Clinical Interests

My major clinical interests include autopsy pathology, forensic medicine and pulmonary pathology. My basic research interest focuses on the pathology and pathophysiology of the chronic obstructive lung diseases, particularly cystic fibrosis, chronic bronchitis and asthma. Using in vitro models of airway surface epithelial and gland cells along with human tissue samples, our laboratory studies differentiation of the airway epithelium, regulation of airway secretion, and composition of respiratory mucus, and mechanisms underlying airway gland hyperplasia.

Selected Publications

• Finkbeiner WE, Ursell PC, Davis RL: Autopsy Pathology: A Manual and Atlas, 2nd edition. Saunders, 2009.
• Avdalovic M, Putney L, Tyler N, Finkbeiner W, Pinkerton K, Hyde D: In utero and postnatal exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) alters alveolar and respiratory bronchiole (RB) growth and development. Toxicol Pathol 37:256-263, 2009.
• Namkung W, Song Y, Mills AD, Padmawar P, Finkbeiner WE, Verkman AS: In situ measurement of airway surface liquid [K⁺] using a ratioable K+-sensitive fluorescent dye. J Biol Chem 284:15916-15926, 2009.
• Lopez-Souza N Favoreto S, Wong H, Ward T, Yagi S, Schnurr D, Finkbeiner WE, Dolganov GM, Widdicombe JH, Boushey HA, Avila PC: Greater in vitro susceptibility to rhinovirus infection of bronchial than nasal airway epithelial cells from human subjects. J Allergy Clin Immunol 123:1384-1390, 2009.
• Song Y, Namkung W, Nielson DE, Lee J-W, Finkbeiner WE, Verkman AS: Airway surface liquid depth measured in ex vivo fragments of pig and human trachea: dependence on Na⁺ and Cl^- channel function. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 297:L1131-L1140, 2009.
• Roux J, Carles M, Koh H, Ganter MT, Goolaerts A, Chesebro BB, Howard M, Houseman BT, Finkbeiner W, Shokat KM, Paquet AC, Matthay MA, Pittet J-F: TGF-b1 inhibits cAMP-stimulated alveolar epithelial fluid transport via a PI3K-dependent mechanism. J Biol Chem 285:4278-4290, 2009.
• Finkbeiner WE, Zlock LT, Mehdi I, Widdicombe JH: Cultures of human tracheobronchial gland cells of mucous or serous phenotype. In Vitro Cell Mol Dev 46:450-456, 2010.
• Chen Y-T, Gallup M, Zlock L, Finkbeiner W, McNamara N: MUC1 cytoplasmic tail bridges tobacco smoke-activated EGFR and Wnt/b-catenin signaling in human airway Am J Pathol 177:1255-1264, 2010.
• Namkung W, Finkbeiner W, Verkman A: CFTR-adenylyl cyclase I association responsible for UTP activation of CFTR in well-differentiated primary human bronchial cell cultures. Mol Biol Cell 21:2639-2648, 2010.
• Fischer H, Illek B, Sachs L, Finkbeiner WE, Widdicombe JH: CFTR and calcium-activated chloride channels in primary cultures of human airway gland cells of serous or mucous phenotype. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 299:L585-94, 2010.
• Lachowicz-Scroggins ME, Boushey HA, Finkbeiner WE, Widdicombe JH: Interleukin-13 induced mucous metaplasia increases susceptibility of human airway epithelium to rhinovirus infection. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol (in press).

Additional Information

• Detailed CV

• Professor, Vice Chair and
• Chief of Pathology at SFGH Endowed Chair
• Pathology

Specialty Area

Autopsy pathology; Experimental Pathology

Contact Information

• walter.finkbeiner@ucsf.edu
• Phone: (415) 206-8230
• Fax: (415) 206-5988

• SFGH, Building 3, Room 205B
• 1001 Potrero Ave.
• San Francisco, CA 94110

Hospital Affiliation(s)

• San Francisco General Hospital & Trauma Center