Dr. Tipple is the CHF Reba McEntire Endowed Chair in Neonatology and Chief of the Section of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine. His research uses animal models and cellular approaches to define the molecular mechanisms by which redox-mediated events influence lung injury and repair. An avid mentor and educator, his program actively supports the development of clinician and non-clinician trainees.
MyNCBI Publications Link
Fun Fact: "I was the runner-up fastest grocery bagger at the county fair as a member of the Clarks Finer Foods “super bagger” team."
Academic Section(s):
Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine
Education:
MD:
Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN
Pediatric Residency:
Nationwide Children’s Hospital and The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
Neonatalology Fellowship:
Nationwide Children’s Hospital and The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
Board Certification(s):
2003: American Board of Pediatrics
2012: Sub-board, Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine
Clinical/Research Interests:
As a neonatologist and physician-scientist, my long-term research goal is to develop novel approaches to predict or prevent the development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in premature infants. I have studied the role of the thioredoxin (Trx) system in lung injury for nearly 20 years and have expertise in redox signaling and in murine models of oxidant lung injury. Our primary focus has been the investigation of the mechanisms by which disruption of the selenoprotein thioredoxin reductase-1 (TXNRD1) elicits pulmonary protection. We identified that the TXNRD1 disruption attenuates hyperoxia-induced deficits in lung development in neonatal and adult mice via activation of Nrf2-regulated endogenous antioxidant responses. Nrf2-mediated responses are differentially modified by sufficiency of the trace mineral selenium (Se). Given the presence of Se deficiency in preterm infants and in critically ill patients, the impact of Se and selenoprotein synthesis on lung development and responses to TXNRD1 inhibitors are currently the primary focus of our group.
Select Honors and Accomplishments:
2013: Cassady Presidential Young Investigator Award, Perinatal Research Society
2013: Outstanding Early Career Investigator Award, American Thoracic Society Foundation
2016: Excellence in Teaching Award, University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Pediatrics
2018: Educational Excellence Award, University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Pediatrics
Select Publications:
- Dunigan-Russell K, Lin V, Silverberg M, Wall SB, Gotham J, Nicola T, Sridaran A, Snowball, J, Delaney C, Li Q, Tipple TE. Aurothioglucose Enhances Proangiogenic Pathway Activation in Lungs from Room Air and Hyperoxia-exposed Mice. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 2020 Jun 1;318(5)L1165-L1171. PubMed PMID: 32292070
- Tipple TE, Ambalavanan NA. Oxygen Toxicity in the Neonate: Thinking Beyond the Balance. Clinics in Perinatology. (Special Edition: Oxygen Therapy; Maximo Vento, Wally Carlo, and Lucky Jain, ed.). 2019 Sep;46(3):435-447. PubMed PMID: 31345539
- Dunigan K, Li Q, Li R, Locy ML, Wall SB, Tipple TE. The Thioredoxin Reductase Inhibitor Auranofin Induces Heme Oxygenase-1 in Lung Epithelial Cells Via Nrf2-dependent Mechanisms. American Journal of Physiology: Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology. 2018 Oct 1;315(4):L545-L552. PubMed PMID: 30024305
- Tindell R, Wall SB, Li Q, Li R, Dunigan K, Wood R, Tipple TE. Selenium Supplementation of Lung Epithelial Cells Enhances Auranofin-mediated Nuclear Factor E2-related Factor 2 (Nrf2) Activation Following Thioredoxin Reductase Inhibition. Redox Biology. 2018 Sep 5;19:331-338. PubMed PMID: 30212802