We are fascinated by the interactions of lung growth and development with lung aging and disease. The lungs are central to homeostasis and to life; without optimal lung structure and function, all other physiological systems in humans are compromised and eventually fail. Paradoxically, lung abnormalities are expressed "silently" until disease mechanisms are well-established or irreversible because fundamentally, the respiratory system is over-engineered for day to day tasks. This makes detection and a deep understanding of lung disease and its mechanisms extremely challenging.