Office:	3550 Terrace Street
	A1217 Scaife Hall
	Pittsburgh, PA 15261
Phone:	412-383-7368
Fax:	412-383-7197
E-mail:	lbirder@pitt.edu

Education
	B.S. Chemistry, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA., 1982
	Ph.D. in Neuropharmacology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA., 1992
	NRSA Postdoctoral Fellow, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill

Dr. Birder’s laboratory is interested in understanding the complexities of urinary bladder epithelial (urothelial) cell function and urothelial cell-neuronal interactions. Dr. Birder’s investigations have revealed that the urothelium, a stratified epithelial layer that lines the bladder lumen, has the capacity to send signals to neighboring cells via the release of chemical mediators. This arrangement represents a departure from the conventional view of the urothelium as a simple barrier. She is addressing how pathology impacts mechanisms of urothelial communication, which may provide important insight into targets for new therapies for the clinical management of lower urinary tract disorders.

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