Elizabeth S. Klings, MD
Professor, Medicine
Biography
Dr. Klings is a Professor in the Department of Medicine. She is the Director of the Center for Excellence in Sickle Cell Disease and the Director of the Pulmonary Hypertension at BUSM/Boston Medical Center. She has an outpatient clinical practice focused on patients with pulmonary hypertension and those with pulmonary complications of sickle cell disease. She attends in the Medical Intensive Care Unit and on the Pulmonary Hypertension Consultation Service at Boston Medical Center. As Director of the largest sickle cell center in New England, Dr. Klings has created numerous new clinical programs for our patients and has expanded the clinical trials program. She is a national clinical leader in the cardiopulmonary management of patients with sickle cell disease and receives consultations and patients referred for second opinions from throughout the US.
Dr. Klings’ research since fellowship has focused on pathogenesis of pulmonary vascular complications of sickle cell disease. She is an NIH-funded Principal Investigator .in the Pulmonary Center collaborating with numerous other investigators across the medical campus. She has phenotypically screened over 200 sickle cell patients at Boston Medical Center for the presence of pulmonary hypertension and currently investigating the roles of disease modulators including sleep-disordered breathing and venous thromboembolism in the endothelial and vascular dysfunction these patients experience. Known internationally as a leader in the care and treatment of patients with sickle cell disease, she was first author of the American Thoracic Society sponsored clinical guidelines for Diagnosis and Treatment of Pulmonary Hypertension in Sickle Cell Disease. In 2017, she chaired an ATS sponsored workshop to define clinical and research priorities in sickle cell lung disease and serves on the Medical and Research Advisory Committee of the Sickle Cell Disease Association. She is crafting the long-term follow-up cardiopulmonary plan for evaluating sickle cell disease patients who have undergone hematopoietic stem cell transplantation or gene therapy as part of a NIH sponsored committee. She is Co-Chair of the Research Committee within the New England Sickle Cell Consortium.
Other Positions
- Member, Pulmonary Center, Boston University
- Program Director, Center for Excellence in Sickle Cell Disease, Boston University
- Member, Evans Center for Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research, Boston University
Education
- New York University School of Medicine, MD
- New York University, BA
Publications
- Published on 3/11/2025
Walters MC, Eapen M, Liu Y, El Rassi F, Waller EK, Levine JE, Strouse JJ, Antin JH, Parikh SH, Bakshi N, Dampier C, Jaroscak JJ, Bergmann S, Wong T, Kota V, Pace B, Lekakis LJ, Lulla P, Nickel RS, Kasow KA, Popat U, Smith W, Yu L, DiFronzo N, Geller N, Kamani N, Klings ES, Hassell K, Mendizabal A, Sullivan K, Neuberg D, Krishnamurti L. Hematopoietic cell transplant compared with standard care in adolescents and young adults with sickle cell disease. Blood Adv. 2025 Mar 11; 9(5):955-965. PMID: 39471440.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 2/11/2025
Gillmeyer KR, Rinne ST, Rucci JM, Klings ES, Elwy AR, Wiener RS. Factors Associated with Referral to Expert Providers among Patients with Pulmonary Hypertension. Ann Am Thorac Soc. 2025 Feb 11. PMID: 39932507.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 12/9/2024
Lui JK, Cozzolino M, Winburn M, Trojanowski MA, Soylemez Wiener R, LaValley MP, Bujor AM, Gopal DM, Klings ES. Clustering regional patterns of left ventricular longitudinal strain in systemic sclerosis-related pulmonary hypertension. Int J Cardiol. 2025 Feb 15; 421:132891. PMID: 39662748.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 12/6/2024
Katbamna B, Wu L, Rodriguez M, King P, Schilling J, Mahar J, Nair AP, Jneid H, Klings ES, Weinhouse GL, Mazimba S, Simon MA, Strauss M, Krittanawong C. The uses of right heart catheterization in cardio-pulmonary disease: State-of-the-art. Am Heart J Plus. 2025 Jan; 49:100488. PMID: 39760109.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 11/1/2024
Alwang AK, Law AC, Klings ES, Cohen RT, Bosch NA. Lactated Ringer vs Normal Saline Solution During Sickle Cell Vaso-Occlusive Episodes. JAMA Intern Med. 2024 Nov 01; 184(11):1365-1372. PMID: 39250114.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 6/19/2024
Cohen RT, Burrowes SAB, Williams CJ, Neri CM, Klings ES, Jones KC, Walkey AJ, Drainoni ML. SNAP: Supportive non-invasive ventilation for acute chest syndrome prevention for hospitalized children with sickle cell disease: Perspectives of patients, parents, and the healthcare team. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2024 Sep; 71(9):e31142. PMID: 38896013.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 6/1/2024
Lui JK, Sangani RA, Gillmeyer KR, Vakhshoorzadeh J, Trojanowski MA, Bujor AM, Gopal DM, Wiener RS, LaValley MP, Klings ES. Correction to: Hemodynamic Response to Oral Vasodilator Therapy in Systemic Sclerosis-Related Pulmonary Hypertension. Cardiovasc Drugs Ther. 2024 Jun; 38(3):657. PMID: 36662449.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 5/20/2024
Johnson SW, Wang RS, Winter MR, Gillmeyer KR, Zeder K, Klings ES, Goldstein RH, Wiener RS, Maron BA. Cluster analysis identifies novel real-world lung disease-pulmonary hypertension subphenotypes: implications for treatment response. ERJ Open Res. 2024 May; 10(3). PMID: 38770008.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 5/1/2024
Siskind SM, Johnson TY, Klings ES, Modzelewski KL. Diabetes Screening Rates and Practices in Patients With Sickle Cell Disease. Diabetes Care. 2024 May 01; 47(5):e42-e43. PMID: 38489046.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 3/27/2024
Gladwin MT, Gordeuk VR, Desai PC, Minniti C, Novelli EM, Morris CR, Ataga KI, De Castro L, Curtis SA, El Rassi F, Ford HJ, Harrington T, Klings ES, Lanzkron S, Liles D, Little J, Nero A, Smith W, Taylor JG, Baptiste A, Hagar W, Kanter J, Kinzie A, Martin T, Rafique A, Telen MJ, Lalama CM, Kato GJ, Abebe KZ. Riociguat in patients with sickle cell disease and hypertension or proteinuria (STERIO-SCD): a randomised, double-blind, placebo controlled, phase 1-2 trial. Lancet Haematol. 2024 May; 11(5):e345-e357. PMID: 38554715.
Read at: PubMed
View 87 more publications: View full profile at BUMC