Dr. Blake joined the College in 2009. Before joining Fort Lewis, Dr. Blake was a postdoctoral fellow at Johns Hopkins University, researching the role of Nrf2 in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). His laboratory focuses on the cellular events within pulmonary macrophages and epithelial cells that alter the antioxidant/oxidative balance in cells and the immunological changes induced by inhaled environmental toxins and particulates. His laboratory also focuses on identifying new compounds that inhibit the growth of specific human pathogens such as Leishmaniasis donovani (eukaryotic parasite) or viral pathogens.
Over the past ten years, Dr. Blake has advised over 70 undergraduate and five high school/middle school students. Some of his Fort Lewis student researchers have worked under the National Institute of General Medical Sciences-Maximizing Access to Research Careers (MARC) U-STAR program. Many past graduates have gone on to graduate or medical school after FLC. Dr. Blake is also interested in environmental toxicology and has taught an environmental health and disease course in Costa Rica through the University Studies Abroad Consortium. Dr. Blake received the FLC Skyhawk Award (2012 and 2016) and the Health and Environmental Sciences Institute Immunotoxicology Young Investigator Travel Award (2012).