Genetically Predicted Body Mass Index and Mortality in COPD

Dr. Jingzhou Zhang, a senior pulmonary fellow, investigated the role of BMI in COPD mortality through a multi-cohort genetic epidemiology study. While both low and extremely high BMI are associated with increased mortality in COPD, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Using a polygenic score for BMI, Dr. Zhang and colleagues found that genetically determined BMI […]

Dr. DJ Wallman Granted Ignition Award

We are pleased to share that Dr. DJ Wallman was granted an Ignition Award, provided by BU Technology Development to better support upcoming science and technology. Personalized, precision gene editing therapy has the potential to revolutionize medicine and therapeutic development relies on access to disease models for pre-clinical studies. Limited access to an adequate number […]

Podcast episode featuring Fellow Dr. Lauren Kearney

Lauren Kearney, MD, fourth year pulmonary fellow, was in a recent podcast episode of The Other Page Radio on WBCA 102.9 FM, hosted by Haywood Fennell. Fennell founded The Tri-Ad Veterans’ League and is a community partner for Dr. Renda Wiener’s VA funded research project VET PEER CONNECTS. They were joined by Steven Abrams, the […]

Using In-Hospital Mortality as a Quality Metric Unfairly Penalizes Safety-net Hospitals

Assistant Professor Anica Law has led a team demonstrating that safety net hospitals have 30-day sepsis mortality rates that do not differ from 30-day sepsis mortality rates in other (non-safety net) hospitals. This may seem surprising, since safety net hospitals report higher in-hospital sepsis mortality compared to non-safety net hospitals, confirmed in this study. Patients […]

2024 Kayla Bell Citizen Award Winner

The Pulmonary Center is happy to announce Riley Pihl as the winner of the 2024 Kayla Bell Pulmonary Center Citizenship Award! Riley Pihl PhD Student The Kayla Bell Pulmonary Center Citizenship Award was established to celebrate and commemorate Kayla’s time at the Pulmonary Center, and to encourage others to follow in her footsteps. It is […]

New R01: Fibrin in the Infected Lung

We are pleased to share that Joseph P. Mizgerd, ScD, the Jerome S. Brody, MD, Professor of Pulmonary Medicine and Director of the Pulmonary Center, has been awarded a four-year, $2.9 million RO1 grant from the NIH’s National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute for his research “Fibrin in the Infected Lung.” Co-investigators on the grant […]

Dr. Klings Advances the Fight against Sickle Cell Disease

A recent article published by Boston Magazine highlights the transformative impact of Dr. Klings’ work, emphasizing the importance of collaboration between healthcare providers, researchers, and community organizations in tackling complex diseases like Sickle Cell Disease. As the largest center of its kind in New England, the Center of Excellence in Sickle Cell Disease has long […]

Kilachand Award for crystal ribcage studies of pneumonia

Drs. Hadi Nia and Jay Mizgerd have together received a 2023 Rajen Kilachand Fund for Integrated Life Sciences & Engineering award. This provides 3 years of funding, beginning in October 2023, for them and their teams to help illuminate (literally!) the immune response in the lungs against infectious microbes. By studying extracorporeal living lungs inside […]