Unlocking the Resolution of Inflammation: Pioneering Insights with the Father of Resolution Physiology

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Episode Summary : In this enlightening episode, we are honored to welcome one of the most influential scientists in inflammation research and the world leader in resolution biology: Dr. Charles N. Serhan. Often called the “father of resolution physiology,”

Dr. Serhan joins us to discuss his groundbreaking work on specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs), the natural pathways that actively resolve inflammation, and the exciting potential of resolution pharmacology for treating chronic diseases, reperfusion injury, and beyond.

Dr. Serhan shares stories from his remarkable career, the discovery of novel lipid mediators like resolvins, protectins, and maresins, and how these molecules are transforming our understanding of inflammation—not as something to simply block, but to actively resolve and return tissues to homeostasis.

Guest Bio • Dr. Charles N. Serhan is the Simon Gelman Professor of Anaesthesia in Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology at Harvard Medical School and Professor of Oral Medicine, Infection, and Immunity at Harvard School of Dental Medicine.

He directs the Center for Experimental Therapeutics and Reperfusion Injury (CETRI) at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, where his team continues to push the boundaries of resolution pharmacology. •.

He completed postdoctoral training at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm under Nobel laureate Bengt Samuelsson. •

Dr. Serhan joined the Harvard faculty in 1987, and in 1995 he established the CETRI lab.

A prolific researcher with hundreds of publications, numerous patents, and international acclaim—including honorary degrees from Harvard, University College Dublin, and Queen Mary University of London •

Dr. Serhan is known not only for his scientific achievements but for his generous recognition of the many talented scientists who have trained and collaborated in his lab, many of whom now lead their own independent research programs.

Key Topics Covered : • The paradigm shift from anti-inflammation to pro-resolution biology.

Discovery and therapeutic potential of resolvins, protectins, maresins, and other SPMs.

Links between omega-3 fatty acids, diet, and resolution pathways

Applications in chronic inflammatory diseases, reperfusion injury, pain management, and perioperative care.

Future directions in resolution pharmacology

Follow the CETRI / Serhan Lab Twitter/X:@CNSerhanLab

Lab website: serhanlab.bwh.harvard.edu

Seminal Review: Serhan, C.N. Pro-resolving lipid mediators are leads for resolution physiology. Nature (2014). This highly influential review outlines the discovery and mechanisms of specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs), including resolvins, protectins, and maresins, and establishes their central role in actively resolving inflammation and restoring tissue homeostasis.

Recent Lecture: Watch Dr. Serhan’s presentation from the 2026 Oslo Inflammation Resolution Conference: “Pro-Resolving Chemical Mediators and Mechanisms in Resolution of Inflammation: Novel Resolvins for Resolution Medicine”

https://www.mn.uio.no/farmasi/english/research/news-and-events/events/conferences/inflammation-resolution-2026/Recordings%20of%20scientific%20presentations/ .