Fibroblasts are present throughout every organ in the body, but they are so much more than mere passengers along for the ride.  They serve as critical signaling nexus within organs, coordinating the tissue response to changes in the external environment.  The Peng Lab studies the role of the fibroblast as a "conductor" of the tissue niche to affect diverse physiologic processes such as stem cell regeneration/metaplasia, tissue inflammation, aging/senescence, and tumor progression.