Research

Faculty and fellows of the Division of Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine are engaged in a wide range of clinical, translational and basic investigation related to pediatric pulmonary diseases.

Mai ElMallah, MBBCh, Chief
Areas of interest: Cystic fibrosis clinical research.

Tariq Muzamil Ali-Dinar, MBBS
Areas of interest: Pediatric pulmonology, sleep medicine.

Jason Lang, MD
Areas of interest: Clinical and translational research to better understand and improve lung conditions to improve the quality of life for children, including projects focused on nutritional supplements in asthma, obesity and asthma, optimal treatment for exacerbations, impact of exercise on asthma characteristics.

Shatha Wajih Yousef, MBBS
Areas of interest: Cystic fibrosis clinical research.

• Leukotriene receptor blockade for the treatment of airway hyperresponsiveness in bronchiolitis
• Inhaled tobracmycin in a dry powder formulation for cystic fibrosis
• Newer formulations of pancreatic enzyme therapy for cystic fibrosis

Participation in national clinical trials sponsored by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation have led to the establishment of the following therapies:

• Human recombinant DNase by inhalation
• Amiloride
• Inhaled tobramycin

Basic research in the Division is currently supported by two National Institutes of Health (NIH) research grants held by faculty in the Adult Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine:

• Modulation of asthma by GSNO-based therapies in human airway epithelial air-liquid interface organotypic cell culture and mouse models.
• Surfactant protein regulation of innate immunity in asthma: Compare the responses of mouse airway epithelial cells from wild-type and surfactant protein A knock-out mice, grown in air-liquid interface cell cultures, to mycoplasma membrane fractions.

Current and recent fellows have worked on the following projects:

• Antibiotic regulation of airway smooth muscle responsiveness
• Lung injury mediated by reactive oxygen and reactive nitrogen species
• Pulmonary outcomes of sickle cell disease therapy
• Pulmonary function standards in African-American children
• Maturation of pulmonary anti-oxidant defenses
• Genetic regulation of genotype/phenotype expression in cystic fibrosis
• Role of platelet-activating factor in human asthmatic airway remodeling
• Contractile function of CHASM, a novel smooth muscle contractile protein
• Role of chloride channels in airway smooth muscle relaxation

For further information about clinical trials currently being conducted in the Division of Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine, please visit dukechildrens.org.