Date: December 13, 2005 11:10:59 AM EST

To: "'ybrun@indiana.edu'"

Subject: Recommendation letter, Dr. Hernan Espinoza

December 12, 2005

Re: Recommendation letter, Dr. Hernan Espinoza

Dear Dr. Brun,

I am delighted to write this letter in support of Dr. Hernan Espinoza's application for a faculty position in your institution. As a scientist working in the field of lung developmental biology, I was asked by Hernan to write about the significance of his work to the lung community. Although we have had little contact, I am familiar with his research from conversations with Mark Krasnow, his mentor at Stanford. A few weeks ago, I acted as Chair of an NHLBI-sponsored workshop where Hernan's unpublished work was presented. This was unquestionably most impressive, and it made a huge impact for its implications. In addition, with his request for this letter, Hernan sent to me a recent outline of his accomplishments, progress and plans, which I found quite exciting.

Currently, one of the major limitations of the field is the relatively restricted knowledge of the markers and regulators of the various components of the embryonic lung. A systematic large scale analysis of the spatial distribution of these genes in the developing of the lung is missing and would be invaluable. Hernan's work is the most comprehensive study of developmental anatomy and gene expression pattern that has been done in the murine embryonic lung. This truly represents a major contribution to the field, and will also help to understand the pathogenesis of developmental abnormalities of the respiratory tract.

Hernan has had a solid training in developmental biology and has generated tools, materials and ideas that make him a highly competitive candidate for a junior faculty position. For the reasons above, I strongly support his application. Please let me know if any additional information is required.

Yours sincerely,

Wellington V. Cardoso, MD, PhD

Associate Professor of Medicine and Pathology & Laboratory Medicine

Pulmonary Center - Boston University School of Medicine

80 East Concord Street R-304

Boston, MA 02118

phone (617) 638-6198

FAX (617) 536-8093

e-mail: wcardoso@lung.bumc.bu.edu