As a clinician, Dr. McCulley cares for infants born prematurely or who have developmental anomalies that impair lung or pulmonary vascular development and function. As a developmental biologist, his research is focused on understanding the primary developmental defects of the lung and pulmonary vasculature associated with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH). CDH is a common birth defect associated with a 20-40% mortality rate. Despite its severity, little is known about the genetic and developmental mechanisms of the disease and as a result therapeutic options remain limited.