Internal Medicine, Pulmonary and Critical Care section

• NAME/TRAINING:

Debra J. Romberger, M.D.

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ACADEMIC DEGREES:
Medical/Graduate School University of Kansas School of Medicine
Residency/Fellowship Training

• Internal Medicine Residency U. of Kansas Medical Center
• Pulmonary/ Critical Care clinical fellowship U. of Kansas Medical Center
• Pulmonary Research fellowship U. of Nebraska Medical Center

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• CONTACT INFORMATION:

Contact Name: Debra Romberger, M.D.
Phone Number: 346-8800, ext 3817
e-mail address: dromberg@unmc.edu

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• GRANT SUPPORT (last 3 years):

Grant Title:   Organic Dust Epithelial PKC Activation & Airway Disease
Funding Agency:  NIOSH 1R01OH008539-01
PI: Romberger
Dates: 9/1/06–9/30/10

Grant Title: Relationship of Environmental Exposure and Innate Immunity to COPD
Funding Agency:  Veterans Administration, Merit Review Grant
PI: Romberger
Dates:    July 2007–2011

Grant Title: Chronic innate immune adaptation to organic dust
Funding Agency:    Clinical Scientist Development Award – 1 K08 ES015522-01
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
PI: Jill Poole, MD
Role: Mentor
Dates:  5/07-5/12

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• PUBLICATIONS (last 3-5 years):

Levan TD, Von Essen S, Romberger DJ, Lambert GP, Martinez FD, Vasquez MM, and Merchant JA. Polymorphisms in the CD14 Gene Associated with Pulmonary Function in Farmers. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 171: 773-779, 2005.

Lambert GP, Spurzem JR, Romberger DJ, Wyatt TA, Lyden E, Stromquist AM, Merchant JA, and Von Essen S. Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha Hyper-Responsiveness to Endotoxin in Whole Blood is Associated with Chronic Bronchitis in Farmers. J Agromedicine 10: 39-44, 2005.

Sisson JH, Stoner JA, Romberger DJ, Spurzem JR, Wyatt TA, Owens-Ream J, and Mannino DM. Alcohol intake is associated with altered pulmonary function. Alcohol 36:19-30, 2005.

Poole JA, LeVan TD, Slager RE, Qiu F, Severa L, Yelinek J, Carlson ML, Bush J, Bolin N, Wyatt TA, Romberger D, and Von Essen SG. Bronchodilator responsiveness in swine veterinarians. J Agromedicine 12: 49-54, 2007

Poole JA, Wyatt TA, Von Essen SG, Hervert J, Parks C, Mathisen T, and Romberger DJ. Repeat organic dust exposure-induced monocyte inflammation is associated with protein kinase C activity. J Allergy Clin Immunol, 2007.

Grant KM, Kelley SS, Agrawal S, Meza JL, Meyer JR, and Romberger DJ. Methamphetamine use in rural Midwesterners. Am J Addict 16: 79-84, 2007.

Wyatt TA, Slager RE, Devasure J, Auvermann BW, Mulhern ML, Von Essen S, Mathisen T, Floreani AA, and Romberger DJ. Feedlot dust stimulation of interleukin-6 and -8 requires protein kinase Cepsilon in human bronchial epithelial cells. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 293: L1163-1170, 2007.

Slager RE, Allen-Gipson DS, Sammut A, Heires A, DeVasure J, Von Essen S, Romberger DJ, and Wyatt TA. Hog barn dust slows airway epithelial cell migration in vitro through a PKCalpha-dependent mechanism. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 293: L1469-1474, 2007.

Grant, KM, Kelley, SS, Smith, LM, Agrawal, S, Meyer, JR, and Romberger, DJ. Bupropion and nicotine patch as smoking cessation aids in alcoholics. Alcohol 41 (2007)  pp 381-391.

Bailey KL, Meza JL, Smith LM, Von Essen SG, Romberger DJ. Agricultural exposures in patients with COPD in health systems serving rural areas. Journal of Agromedicine 12:3 (in press).

Bailey KL Poole J, Mathisen T, Wyatt TA, Von Essen SG, Romberger DJ. Toll-like receptor 2 is upregulated by hog confinement dust in an IL-6 dependent manner in the airway epithelium. Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology (2008) Jun;294(6):L1049-54. Epub 2008 Mar 21.

Poole JA, Alexis NE, Parks C, MacInnes AK, Gentry-Nielsen MJ, Fey PD, Larsson L, Allen-Gipson D, Von Essen SG, Romberger DJ. Repetitive organic dust exposure in vitro impairs macrophage differentiation and function. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2008 Aug;122(2):375-82, 382.e1-4. Epub 2008 Jun 27.

Wyatt TA, Sisson JH, Von Essen SG, Poole JA, Romberger DJ. Exposure to hog barn dust alters airway epithelial ciliary beating. Eur Respir J. 2008 Jun;31(6):1249-55. Epub 2008 Jan 23.

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• PREVIOUS GRADUATE STUDENTS/POST-DOCTORAL FELLOWS (present location):

I have had several summer medical students and summer undergraduate students in my laboratory. I also have subspecialty (pulmonary/critical care/sleep) fellows in the laboratory. I am serving as KO8 mentor and have served as co-mentor on NIH NRSA fellowship.

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• CURRENT RESEARCH PROJECTS:

My laboratory is interested in mechanisms of airway injury and repair that underlie clinical airway diseases including chronic bronchitis, COPD, and bronchiolitis obliterans (progressive scarring that can occur due to a variety of conditions including environmental agents or post-transplant, especially lung transplant). A recent focus of interest is cellular mechanisms responsible for airway diseases in persons who work in agricultural environments such as animal confinement facilities.  We have focused on airway epithelial cell cytokine regulation in this process. We are now working on an animal model of these types of injury. In addition, we are also interested in environment-gene interactions that predispose persons to development airway disease. Our current focus is on the role of single nucleotide polymorphisms of CD14 and other endotoxin processing genes and airflow obstruction in persons with agricultural exposures. I also have interests in the combined injury of smoking and alcohol resulting in disease.

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• SPECIALIZED LABORATORY/CLINICAL RESEARCH RESOURCES:

Epithelial cell culture and related equipment, ELISA, Taqman.

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