Elizabeth S. Klings MD
Professor, Pulmonary, Allergy, Sleep & Critical Care Medicine
72 E. Concord Street | (617) 638-8679elizabeth.klings@bmc.org
klingon@bu.edu
Sections
Pulmonary, Allergy, Sleep & Critical Care Medicine
Centers
Center of Excellence in Sickle Cell Disease
Pulmonary Center
Evans Center for Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research
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.
Education
MD, New York University School of Medicine
Biology, BA, New York University
Publications
Aurora T, Hodges R, Wardell JR, Barton M, Lipford J, Takemoto CM, Betensky M, Desai P, Jacob SA, Rai P, Strouse J, Hsu LL, Azul M, Hulbert M, Wang W, Talati R, Liem R, Alan S, Klings E, Appiah-Kubi A, Minniti C, Sisler I, McGann P, Vissa M, Nelson M, Guarino S, Miller R, Azar S, Badawy S, Abrams C, Lanzkron S, Saah E, Alvarez Nunez F, El-Amin N, Bhakta N, Hankins JS. A novel US-based grading system for disease severity in sickle cell disease: the Sickle Cell Outcome Grading System (SCOGS). Lancet Haematol. 2026 Jun; 13(6):e418-e425. PMID: 42242263.
Published on 6/1/2026Belecanech R, Lanzkron S, Klings ES. Many uncertainties remain in the long-term care of sickle cell disease-pulmonary hypertension. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2026 Jun 01; 212(6):1400. PMID: 42085255.
Published on 5/11/2026Lui JK, Patel R, Luong HL, Au M, El-Adili F, Chamis B, Trojanowski MA, LaValley MP, Gopal DM, Klings ES, Bujor AM. Cytokine Profiling of Systemic Sclerosis-Related Pulmonary Hypertension. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2026 May 11. PMID: 42112843.
Published on 3/1/2026Gillmeyer KR, Rinne ST, Klings ES, Elwy AR, Wiener RS. Provider networks for pulmonary hypertension in Massachusetts: implications for improving referrals to expert care. Ann Am Thorac Soc. 2026 Mar 01; 23(3):369-378. PMID: 41842741.
Published on 2/4/2026Lui JK, Cozzolino M, Winburn M, Trojanowski MA, LaValley MP, Bujor AM, Gopal DM, Klings ES. Risk stratifying systemic sclerosis-related pulmonary hypertension by left atrial strain. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2026 Feb 04; 65(2). PMID: 41615697.
Published on 10/27/2025Shen BH, Shankar DA, Bosch NA, Walkey AJ, Piazza G, Klings ES, Law AC. Contemporary reperfusion therapies in patients with intermediate- and high-risk pulmonary embolism. Thromb Res. 2025 Dec; 256:109523. PMID: 41175547.
Published on 7/31/2025Lui JK, El-Adili F, Cozzolino M, Winburn M, Trojanowski MA, Gopal DM, LaValley MP, Klings ES, Bujor AM. A multi-biomarker approach to risk stratification and detection of early cardiac disease in systemic sclerosis. PLoS One. 2025; 20(7):e0328734. PMID: 40743121.
Published on 7/17/2025Burrowes SA, Jones KC, Williams CJ, Neri CM, Klings ES, Bellamy SL, Walkey AJ, Drainoni ML, Cohen RT. Supportive noninvasive ventilation for acute chest syndrome prevention in hospitalized children with sickle cell disease: Determinants of implementation. J Hosp Med. 2026 Feb; 21(2):152-163. PMID: 40677003.
Published on 6/11/2025Connelly D, Delahanty J, Patel S, Ackerbauer KA, Bosch NA, Klings ES, Lui JK. Inhaled epoprostenol for management of acute respiratory failure and pulmonary vascular disease. Pulm Pharmacol Ther. 2025 Sep; 90:102374. PMID: 40513981.
Published on 6/1/2025Gillmeyer 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 Jun; 22(6):838-845. PMID: 39932507.
Media Mentions
Published on 12/12/2023
BU Researchers Helped Develop the First FDA-Approved Gene Therapies to Treat Sickle Cell Disease
Published on 7/15/2022
Athletes gearing up for Boston Triathlon on July 24
Published on 4/20/2021
New Strategies Confront the Critical Need to Improve Sickle Cell Disease Care
Published on 3/3/2021
Doctors: Battling virus 'has definitely been challenging'
Published on 6/16/2020
Reducing Care Fragmentation in Sickle Cell Disease
View full list of 5 media mentions.