Description of Other Expertise

SERVICE:

Program Leadership

In 2013, I assumed the role of Medical Director of the Lung Transplant Program at University of Florida. My immediate tasks included restructuring of core practice protocols, expansion of outreach activities and faculty recruitment. All tasks were successfully accomplished with highly rewarding results including program growth by volume, with an increase by 75% of referrals within the region resulting in a doubling in less than 18 months of the transplant volume with a concomitant 1 year survival improvement from 73.7% to 93.2%as reported in the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients database and successful recruitment of two fellowship trained lung transplant physicians. Such solid platform is reflected in the ongoing growth of this program to where it is now in the top 10 busiest programs in the country with 70 lung transplants being completed in 2018.

Contributions to Diversity

I actively recruited and mentored Drs. Abas Shahmohammadi and Salim Dauok, minority candidates into our Division of Pulmonary Medicine at University of Florida and fellows with a clinical interest into Lung Transplantation. As their direct supervisor, I guided them clinically and academically as well as introduced them to leaders in the field. They have both been recruited at academic institutions as Assistant Professors.

Community Activities

7/2004-6/2008 - Weekly Free Summer Outreach Clinic for migrant, uninsured workers, organized by the Department of Medicine, Geisinger Medical Center

Contributor

2011 - Self-Assessment in Adult Multiprofessional Critical Care, Seventh Edition, Solid Organ Transplantation Review Questions

Description of Research Expertise

SPONSORED RESEARCH

Principal Investigator:
• A Phase 2, Randomized study to assess the safety and anti-cytomegalovirus (CMV) activity of different doses of Maribavir for the treatment of CMV that are resistant or refractory to treatment with Ganciclovir/Valganciclovir or Foscarnet in Transplant Recipients – WIRB # 2013-0984. Involved until June 2016

Co-Investigator:
• Exploring the Role of Ang-2 in Rejection after Lung Transplantation. Investigator Initiated. Started in November 2011, IRB #588-2011 – Closed June 2016
• UF Lung Transplant Tissue/Databank Investigator Initiated. Involved until June 2016
• Is there a role of T-17-helper-cell 17 (Th17 cells) in the induction of Bronchiolitis Obliterans Syndrome (BOS) in human allografts? Investigator Initiated. Involved until June 2016
• Cytokine and Neutrophil Expression Differences in Patients after Lung Transplantation”. Investigator Initiated; IRB #635-2010. Involved until June 2016
• Normothermic EX VIVO Lung Perfusion (EVLP) as an assessment of Extended / Marginal Donor Lungs for Transplant (Novel Trial) – IU IRB# 1302010599
• XVIVO ® Perfusion System (XPS) with Steen Solution Perfusate; HUD# 08-0194 – IU IRB# 1612590153
• A Non-Interventional Registry Study of Systemic Antifungal Therapy in Adult Subjects with Invasive Mucormycosis or Invasive Aspergillosis Caused by a Non-fumigatus Species – WIRB #20161895
• Observational Disease Registry of Patients Treated with Systemic Mold-Active Triazoles - WIRB

OTHER RESEARCH RELATED ACTIVITIES:

2008 – Served as a reviewer for abstracts submitted to the Geisinger Research Day for poster and podium presentation selection
#20161781
• Extracorporeal Photopheresis for the Management of Progressive Bronchiolitis Obliterans Syndrome in Medicare-Eligible Recipients of Lung Allografts - IU IRB # 1412113692
• LTOG: Donor Smoke Exposure and the relationship to Primary Graft Dysfunction – IU IRB # 1410508609
• IU Lung Transplant Tissue/Databank Investigator Initiated – Cystic Fibrosis explanted Lungs - IU IRB# 1010002276
• IU Lung Transplant Tissue/Databank Investigator Initiated – Evaluation of reactivity of mononuclear cells to Collagen V in Lung Transplant patients - IU IRB# 1105005473

Sub-Investigator:
• Effects of combination of bosentan and sildenafil versus sildenafil monotherapy on morbidity and mortality in symptomatic patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension - A multicenter, double - blind, randomized, placebo - controlled, parallel group, prospective, event driven Phase IV study. Sponsored by Actelion Pharmaceuticals. Invlved until June 2015.
• A Multi-Center, Randomized, Controlled Study to Demonstrate the Efficacy and Safety of Cyclosporine Inhalation Solution (CIS) in Improving Bronchiolitis Obliterans Syndrome-Free Survival Following Lung Transplantation. Sponsored by APT Pharmaceuticals. Involved until 2015

• An Open-Label, Multi-Center, Extension Study of Cyclosporine Inhalation Solution in Subjects Previously Enrolled in the APT Study CIS001. Sponsored by APT Pharmaceuticals. July 2011-Dec 2011.
• An Open-label Treatment Use Protocol of Cyclosporine Inhalation Solution (CIS) in Lung Transplantation Recipients. Sponsored by APT Pharmaceuticals. Sub-Investigator, July 2011-Dec 2011.