“You Never Know When the Next Breakthrough Will Arrive, or Where It Will Come From”

Dr. Seeholzer, you identified a group of neuroendocrine cells in the larynx and trachea that protect our airways. What are the consequences of this significant discovery?

Laura Seeholzer: One result first off is a new understanding of chronic, which is to say, persistent and uncontrollable coughing. We’ve found out that rare epithelial cells activate a particular class of sensory neurons, which, in turn, recognize adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and thus trigger coughing.

Interestingly, current treatments are aimed at blocking exactly those ATP-sensitive neurons without even knowing why they’re being overstimulated in the first place. We suspect that the neuroendocrine cells release excessive amounts of ATP during chronic coughing.

I’m excited to study this theory further and to possibly develop new therapies for this extremely debilitating condition.

Has there ever been an encounter, an experiment or a coincidence in your career that made a lasting impression on you?

It’s hard to name one single moment. Of course, I can remember days when experiments suddenly succeeded and led to new insights. What did have a big influence on my career, though, was the support from my postdoc advisor David Julius, my PhD supervisor Vanessa Ruta, and many other mentors at Rockefeller University and the University of California San Francisco, who all believed in my work. Because there are always setbacks in science, and that’s when it really comes down to your team and mentors.

If you were to give your work a motto, what would it be?

If you want to make a new discovery, look where the light isn’t shining. But I do have to add: you never really know when the next breakthrough will arrive or where it will come from. That’s why it’s so important for researchers to be supported, so that they can tackle as many diverse questions as possible.

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