Pulmonary, Critical Care, Sleep & Allergy Medicine

Pulmonary, Critical Care, Sleep & Allergy Medicine Research Opportunities

Potential PCCSA Research Projects:

Tricia LeVan, PhD 402.559.7313

  • Gene and Environment Interactions in Respiratory Disease.
  • Population-based studies
    • Polymorphisms in lipopolysaccharide pathway genes and COPD.
    • Effect of agricultural exposure on COPD prevalence.
  • Molecular-based studies
    • Role of lipopolysaccharide pathway genes in bacterial exacerbations of COPD.
    • Functional genomics of lipopolysaccharide pathway genes.

Jill Poole, MD 402.559.4087

  • Evaluating the effects of inhaled environmental dusts and bacterial agents on innate and adaptive immune functions.
  • Evaluating the effects of inhaled environmental dusts and bacterial agents on lung immune responses.
  • Clinical studies include: studies of chronic urticaria and angioedema.
  • Clinical studies include: the role of vitamin D in allergic and environmentally-induced diseases.

Steve Rennard, MD 402.559.7313

  • Long term studies of the natural history of COPD.
  • Symptomatic benefits of harm reduction approaches to smoking.
  • Evaluation of eicosanoids in exhaled gas condensate as a marker of inflammation in the lungs.
  • Assessment of retinoids as aids for new alveolar wall formation in emphysema.
  • Evaluation of novel approaches to smoking cessation.
  • Evaluation of novel treatments for COPD.
  • Laboratory studies include:
    • evaluation of the role of circulating stem cells in lung repair.
    • evaluation of the role of stem cell deficiency as a risk factor for emphysema.
    • evaluation of the control mechanisms directing mesenchymal cell mediated tissue repair.
    • evaluation of mesenchymal cells differentiation.

Debra Romberger, MD 402.943.5515

  • Developing an approach to screening for osteoporosis in patients with lung disease at the VA.
  • Risks (including genetic risk) for agriculture-related lung disease.
  • Smoking cessation in special populations.
  • Protocols for treatment of latent TB infection at the One World Health Center.

Joe Sisson, MD 402.559.8834

  • The value of a fertility history in the diagnosis of primary ciliary dyskinesia in patients with lifelong cough and sinusitis.
  • Measuring the cilia-stimulatory (or inhibitory) capacity of human secretions from intubated ICU patients.

Austin Thompson, MD 402.559.9101

  • Any interested resident, please contact Dr. Thompson to discuss possible projects.

Susanna Von Essen, MD, MPH 402.559.7397

  • Lung disease related to work in production agriculture, including gene-environment interaction.