Dr. Welsh's clinical interests include the diagnosis and therapy of lung disease, especially airway diseases.  His research focuses in three main areas. First, is a focus on cystic fibrosis with a major emphasis on how the gene product functions, how mutations cause disruptions of function, how the loss of the gene product causes chronic airway infections, and how this knowledge can be used to develop new treatments. Second, his laboratory is working to develop gene therapy for cystic fibrosis and other genetic diseases. Third, he is studying a new family of cation channels involved in sensing mechanical stimuli, noxious stimuli such as ischemia and acidosis, and salt taste.

Honors, Awards, and Organizations

• Alpha Omega Alpha
• Cecile Lehman Mayer Research Award, American College of Chest Physicians
• National Pulmonary Faculty Training Award
• Established Investigator Award, American Heart Association
• Doris F. Tulcin Cystic Fibrosis Research Award
• Paul di Sant'Agnese Distinguished Scientific Achievement Award
• J. Burns Amberson Award, American Thoracic Society
• Treasurer, Association of American Physicians
• Merit Award from NHLBI
• President, American Society for Clinical Investigation
• Institute of Medicine
• American Academy of Arts and Sciences
• American Society for Clinical Investigation Award, Finalist Prize
• Regents Award for Faculty Excellence
• Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Roy J. Carver Biomedical Research Chair in Internal Medicine and Molecular Physiology and Biophysics
• National Academy of Sciences
• Vice-President, Association of American Physicians
• President, Association of American Physicians
• Francis Blake Award of the Association of American Physicians
• Second Annual Distinguished Mentoring Award, Roy J and Lucille A Carver College of Medicine

Medical School:
The University of Iowa

Residency:
The University of Iowa

Fellowship:
University of California,
San Francisco
University of Texas