Dr. Sundd earned a bachelor’s degree in biochemical engineering (2001) from Harcourt Butler Technical University in India and a PhD in chemical engineering/bioengineering (2008) from Ohio University, Athens, OH. His predoctoral research was aimed at understanding the interplay of P-selectin and ICAM-1 mediated adhesion to endothelium and cell deformation in regulating leukocyte sequestration in pulmonary capillaries.

After completing his PhD, Dr. Sundd pursued postdoctoral training in inflammation biology at the La Jolla Institute of Immunology, La Jolla, CA, under the mentorship of Klaus Ley, MD, where his work led to the identification of molecular and biophysical mechanisms of neutrophil-endothelium adhesion during inflammation. During his postdoctoral training, he invented quantitative dynamic footprinting microscopy (qDF) to elucidate the molecular and biophysical mechanisms of neutrophil-platelet-endothelium adhesion during inflammation (Nature Methods 2010; PMID: 20871617). qDF revolutionized the field of vascular inflammation by allowing Dr. Sundd and other investigators to study the role of cell deformation, membrane microvilli, tethers and adhesion molecule distribution in immune response using live cells for the first time. The mechanism that enabled neutrophils to roll along the endothelium in blood vessels with high shear rate was still elusive.

In 2012, Dr. Sundd solved this riddle by making the seminal discovery of neutrophil membrane extensions “slings” (Nature 2012; PMID: 22763437) that served like double-sided tape to enable neutrophil rolling-adhesion during inflammation. During this time, he also revolutionized the field of leukocyte adhesion by introducing silicone-based microfluidic platforms, auto-perfused with blood through a catheter connected to the carotid artery of live fluorescent-reporter mice. This approach allowed leukocyte adhesion studies to be performed without the need for blood collection or cell isolation.

During his postdoctoral training, Dr. Sundd was awarded a postdoctoral fellowship (2010), Career Development Grant by the American Heart Association (2011), Junior Faculty Presidential Award from the Society for Leukocyte Biology (2012), Young Investigator Award by the American Association of Immunologists (2012), and his work was selected as a “Novel & Newsworthy Top Pick” by the American Society for Cell Biology (2012).

In 2013, Dr. Sundd joined the University of Pittsburgh as an assistant professor of medicine (tenure stream) in the Division of Pulmonary Allergy and Critical Care Medicine (primary appointment), assistant professor of bioengineering (secondary appointment) and principal investigator at the Vascular Medicine Institute and was later promoted to associate professor of medicine with tenure in 2021. After spending more than 10 years at the University of Pittsburgh, Dr. Sundd joined Versiti Blood Research Institute in September 2023 as a senior investigator and the Medical College of Wisconsin as a professor of biomedical engineering and medicine (hematology and oncology).

Over the last decade, Dr. Sundd has established an NIH-funded research program to study the role of thrombo-inflammation in hematological diseases. He runs one of the few research programs in the country that study the role of thrombo-inflammation in vaso-occlusion and lung injury pathophysiology in sickle cell disease (SCD). His findings have contributed to the development of the revolutionary paradigm that sterile inflammation is a major pathophysiology in SCD, and highlighted the potential of anti-inflammatory therapy in SCD. His lab developed the first model of lung vaso-occlusion in transgenic humanized SCD mice, the first-ever methodology to conduct in vivo (intravital) imaging of intact lung in live SCD mice, and in vitro microfluidics model to study vaso-occlusion in SCD patient blood.

Recently, Dr Sundd expanded his research interests by applying the lessons learned from studying SCD, to understand the role of thrombo-inflammation in the pathogenesis of joint damage in hemophilia and severity of influenza. His lab is continuously supported by NIH, AHA and sponsored research agreements with major biotech/pharma. His lab strongly believes in investing toward mentoring of postdocs and graduate students, and several of his mentees have received grants/fellowships from the NIH, AHA, ASH and National Hemophilia Foundation, and transitioned to independent faculty positions at major research universities in the U.S. Interested postdoctoral candidates are encouraged to contact Dr. Sundd.