Gary Hoyle, PhD, Professor in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, has been awarded funding through a subcontract with Tulane University for the project "Role of EBV gene products in lung fibrogenesis" starting on May 1, 2008. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a disease characterized by scarring of lung tissue for which there is no known treatment.  Studies have identified an association between Epstein-Barr virus infection and IPF.  Dr. Hoyle is collaborating with researchers at Tulane University who received funding to investigate mechanisms by which gene products from this virus may contribute to the development of IPF.