Clinical Research

Led by Division Chief Fernando J. Martinez, clinical research within the division has been rapidly expanding. Our research programs range from leading a multi-center, NHLBI sponsored consortium to identify undiagnosed COPD, to the early identification and defining outcomes in COPD. Similarly, we lead multicenter investigative studies in a broad range of interstitial lung diseases and participate in numerous federal and industry sponsored therapeutic trials. In the intensive care unit, Augustine M.K. Choi is the primary investigator on a phase three randomized trial of inhaled carbon monoxide in patient with acute respiratory distress syndrome. Our outcomes research programs include multiple ICU based studies utilizing our ICU REDCap database to study critically ill patients as well as use of the ARDSnet database to identify sub-phenotypes and endotypes of acute respiratory distress syndrome. Our division maintains a biobank of critical illness, a biobank of patients with concern for sepsis, a biobank of interstitial lung disease patients, as well as a database of endobronchial ultrasound procedures including patient outcomes.

Examples of clinical investigators associated with the division and their work

Fernando J. Martinez (Early identification of COPD, therapeutic trials in COPD, therapeutic trials in IPF)

Kaner (Therapeutic trials in IPF, rheumatoid arthritis - interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD), COPD, and emphysema)

Niederman (New therapies for nosocomial pneumonia, Management of pneumonia)

Wu (Endotypes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis associate interstitial lung disease)

Choi (Inhaled CO for the treatment of acute respiratory distress syndrome)

Siempos (Clinical phenotypes in acute respiratory distress syndrome)

Lief (Dignity and identifying suffering in end of life care)

Harvey (Outcomes in patients undergoing endobronchial ultrasound assisted biopsy, lung cancer)

Schenck (Association between biomarkers of cell death and outcomes in critically ill patients)

O’Beirne (Small airway epithelium transcriptome and air pollution)

Glesby (Pathogenesis and optimization in the management of complications of chronic viral infections)

Fitzgerald (Pathogenesis and treatment of HIV and TB in resource poor settings)

Pathak (Informatics methods for data mining and phenotype extraction from electronic medical records)

Ballman (Analysis of high-dimensional data, design of clinical trials, generation of predictive biomarkers, and analysis of observational data)

Safford (Preventive healthcare, treatment of acute and chronic illness and the coordination of care for those with complex diseases)