Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Division Faculty Members are engaged in a wide variety of research projects. The list below highlights our main areas of focus. Please click on individual faculty members’ names to link with their detailed research summaries and publications. See also information in the Sleep Division. A number of Pulmonary Faculty hold joint appointments.

Asthma and Airway Biology

This is a large multi-disciplinary group with a focus on asthma, COPD, cystic fibrosis, lymphangioleiomyomatosis and other airways diseases. The group is led by Dr. Rey Panettieri. Other members include Drs. Yassine Amrani, Andrea Apter, Angela Haczku, Vera Krymskaya, David Lipson, and Michael Sims. Dr. Joel Cooper has recently joined the Department of Surgery at Penn and will be interacting closely with members of this Research Group in the conduct of his COPD and lung volume reduction studies. Research from this group is supported by an NIH Specialized Center of Research Grant (SCOR), RO1 funding, and support from industry (primarily GlaxoSmithKline.

Projects range from basic molecular signaling studies to clinical trials. Specific faculty interests include:

Rey Panettieri, M.D.

• Cellular and molecular mechanisms that regulate airway smooth muscle cell growth
• Immunobiology of airway smooth muscle
• Clinical investigations focused on the management of asthma and COPD
• Interactions of ozone with airway smooth muscle

Vera Krymskaya, Ph.D.

• Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms of Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM).
• Signal Transduction in Pulmonary Vascular Smooth Muscle.
• Signal Transduction in Airway Smooth Muscle

Angela Haczku, M.D.

• Murine models of ozone, cigarette smoke and allergen exposure
• T-cell-antigen presenting cell interactions in allergic asthma
• Cytokine regulation of surfactant protein gene expression
• Surfactant protein D and A effects on antigen presenting and T cells

Andrea Apter, M.D.

• Role of Drug Adherence in Asthma
• Asthma as a model for eliminating health disparities

Omar Tliba, Ph.D.

• Defining the molecular mechanisms inducing steroid responsiveness in COPD and asthma.

Michael Sims, M.D.

• Collection and characterization of bronchial samples from patients with asthma and COPD
• Genetic epidemiology of COPD progression

Yassine Amrani, Ph.D.

• TNFalpha and interferon-associated Signal Transduction in airway smooth muscle cells
• Molecular Mechanisms of airway hyper-responsiveness (calcium signals and tissue contractility)
• Transcriptional regulation of pro-asthmatic genes (NF-kB)
• Molecular basis for steroid resistance

Faculty in the Pulmonary Division, led by Dr. Steven Albelda, interact closely with faculty from Thoracic Surgery, Oncology, and Pathology to conduct cutting edge diagnostic and therapeutic investigations related to lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma. Other members of the group include Drs. Daniel Sterman and Anil Vachani. Research from this group is supported by an NCI-funded Program Project and a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

Specific Faculty interests include:

Steven Albelda, M.D.

• Preclinical studies of immuno-gene therapy for lung cancer and
  mesothelioma
• Immune Analysis of Clinical Trials using Gene Therapy or Immunotherapy
• Mesothelioma and Cancer Geonomics

Ali Musani, M.D.

• Development of interventional bronchoscopy for diagnosis and therapy of malignant and benign diseases (asthma and COPD)
• Endobronchial ultrasound for diagnosis of benign and malignant endobronchial diseases
• New technologies in the management of pleural effusions

Daniel Sterman, M.D.

• Clinical Trials using Gene Therapy or Immunotherapy to treat
  Malignant Mesothelioma and lung cancer
• Interventional Bronchoscopy- treatment of COPD

Anil Vachani, M.D.

• Determination of markers to predict survival after lung cancer surgery
• Discovery of Biomarkers for Early Detection of Lung Cancer

Acute Lung Injury and Pulmonary Endothelial Cell Biology

A multidisciplinary group of basic science and clinical investigators work together to study the pathogenesis and treatment of acute lung injury. Funded by a Program Project, a number of RO1 grants, and the ARDS Network, a focus of this group has been oxidant injury and ischemia/reperfusion injury. Key collaborations have been established with Drs. Aron Fisher and Vladimir Muzykantov from the Institute of Environmental Medicine. Within the Division, Drs. Albelda, Christodfidou-Solomidou, Christie, DeLisser, Fuchs, and Lanken are involved.

Specific faculty interests include:

Steven M. Albelda, M.D.

• Role of Cell Adhesion Molecules in Lung Injury
• Role of Oxidants in Development of ARDS

Melpo Christofidou-Solomidou, Ph.D.

• Development of Vascular Immunotargeting Approaches for treatment of oxidant-induced lung disease
• Mechanisms of Radiation-induced lung fibrosis
• Role of nutritional anti-oxidants in lung injury
• Animal modeling (murine) of acute and chronic lung injury

Jason Christie, M.D., MSCE

• Molecular Epidemiology of Acute Lung Injury
• Role of Oxidants in Development of ARDS
• Predictors of post-transplant lung injury
• Outcomes after ARDS

Horace DeLisser, M.D.

• Role of PECAM-1 in angiogenesis and tumor cell metastasis
• Role of hyaluronan receptors (RHAMM and CD44) in angiogenesis
• Role of cell adhesion molecules in post-natal lung development

• Improving ICU outcomes

Paul Lanken, M.D.

• ARDS clinical trials
• Bioethics in the ICU

HIV Biology

Dr. Ron Collman from Pulmonary runs a program investigating how basic mechanisms in HIV-1 biology determine AIDS pathogenesis. He interacts closely with colleagues in Infectious Disease, Hematology, and Microbiology to study the biology and treatment of HIV. Support for this research includes NIH RO1 grants and the Penn Center for AIDS Research. Dr. Collman’s interests are:

• Role of alveolar macrophages in AIDS pathogenesis
• Mechanisms of HIV-1 entry into target cells
• Virus-induced cell signal transduction
• Molecular virology

For further information click here

Surfactant Biology

Dr. Michael Beers heads a program aimed at studying the role of surfactant in the lung that includes both biochemical functions of surfactant proteins and the role of surfactant in immunity. Other members of the research group include Dr. Mulugeta in the Pulmonary Division and investigators from the Institute from Environmental Medicine (Dr. Aron Fisher) and the Department of Neonatology (Drs. Phillip Ballard and Susan Guttentag). This program is funded by two NIH Program Project Grants and numerous RO1 grants.

Specific Projects include:

• Biosynthesis of Surfactant Protein C
• SP-C mutations and conformational lung disease (Adult IPF population and transgenic mouse models)
• Surfactant/Lamellar Body development
• Lung Collectins and Host Defense (P. Carinii)
• Lung Collectins and Inflammation (Bleomycin and fibrosis, SNO/ONOO, hyperoxia)

Transplant Biology

More than 35 lung transplants are performed at Penn every year. Dr. Vivek Ahya is the Medical Director of the Lung Transplantation program. Several clinical and translational projects are currently active. These are funded by NIH and Industry grants. Specific faculty research interests include:

Jason Christie, M.D., MSCE

• Predictors of post-transplant lung injury using biochemical and genetic markers specifically focusing on anti-oxidant and inflammatory gene experession
• a multi-centered cohort study to investigate the etiology and pathogenesis of acute lung injury following lung transplantation

Vivek Ahya, M.D.

Clinical trials of novel immunosuppressive agents for the prevention and treatment of acute and chronic lung rejection

• A Double-blind, Placebo-Controlled, Multicenter, Dose-Ranging Study of an Anti-T-lymphocyte Immune Globulin (EZ-2053) in the Prophylaxis of Acute Pulmonary Rejection in Adult Recipients of Primary Pulmonary Allografts.
• Pilot Study of Rituximab in the Treatment of Chronic Lung Transplant Rejection (Bronchiolitis Obliterans Syndrome)
• Comparison of a tacrolimus/sirolimus/prednisone regimen versus tacrolimus/ azathioprine/prednisone immunosuppressive regimen in lung transplantation
• Laboratory Analysis of Organ Transplant Patient’s at Risk for PostTransplant Lymphoproliferative Disorder (PTLD)

Dennis Hadjiliadis, M.D.

Jeffrey Sager, M.D., MSCE

• Health-related quality of life and functional assessment in advanced Lung disease and lung transplantation
• Clinical trials of immunosuppressive agents

Interstitial Lung Disease

Investigators in the Pulmonary Division are involved in both basic and clinical research relating to interstitial lung diseases. Dr. Milt Rossman heads the interstitial lung disease clinical program which runs a variety of translational trials that explore pathogenesis and treatment for ILD and sarcoidosis. Specific faculty projects include:

Milt Rossman, M.D. and Maryl Kreider, M.D., MSCE

• Epidemiolgy and Identification of risk factors for the development of Interstitial Lung Diseases and for poor outcome.
• Drug trials with novel agents for the treatment of ILD and sarcoidois
• Development of a clinical and biological sample repository

Jason Christie, M.D. and Michael Beers, M.D.

• Detection of surfactant mutations and the development of ILD

Gregory Tino, M.D.

• Evaluation of new therapeutic agents for the treatment of ILD

Pulmonary Hypertension

The pulmonary vascular disease program, led by Drs. Harold Palevsky and Darren Taichman, is centered at Penn-Presbyterian Medical Center and has a primary clinical-research focus. Current research projects include:

• Studies of neurocognitive function and deficits, determinants of quality of life, and studies of survival in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension
• Establishment of a database and genetic repository for the study of risk factors influencing the development of pulmonary hypertension and response to therapy
• Multi-center trials of novel therapeutic agents for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension

Enivronmental/Occupational Lung Disease

Immunobiology

Dr. Arnold Levinson studies cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of autoimmune, allergic, and immunodeficiency disorders. The research is supported by NIH R01 and VA Merit Review funding. Current studies are focused on:

• Mechanisms causing abrogation of tolerance to self antigens
• Modulation of human B cell immunoglobulin production by toll-like receptors
• Elucidation of novel mechanisms by which microbial proteins elicit inflammatory reactions
• Development of novel approaches to suppressing IgE-mediated allergic inflammation

Dr. Andrea Apter is leading a team of collaborators in the Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics in a study of the molecular epidemiology of drug allergy.