Dr. Erlinger completed residency training in Internal Medicine at the University of Chicago (1993-1996), an Internal Medicine fellowship at the Johns Hopkins Hospital (1997-2000), and a Master of Public Health degree at the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health (1998). He is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine at Johns Hopkins. Dr. Erlinger was also asked to join the Welch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology and Clinical Research at Johns Hopkins, one of the premier sites for mentored clinical research in the country. Dr. Erlinger is seeking this Mentored-Patient Oriented Research Career Development Award (K23) to study the impact of lifestyle modification on inflammatory and hemostatic markers and thereby facilitate his transition to an independent career in clinical research. During the award period, Dr. Lawrence Appel, an expert in the design and conduct of prevention-oriented clinical trials, will be Dr. Erlinger?s mentor. Markers of inflammation (e.g. C-reactive protein) and hemostasis (e.g. coagulation and fibrinolytic factors) have emerged as independent predictors of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Efforts to prevent ASCVD have largely focused on lifestyle modifications that affect traditional risk factors, such as blood pressure and cholesterol. Little is known about the impact of lifestyle modification on inflammatory and hemostatic factors that increase the risk of ASCVD. The NHLBI-sponsored PREMIER study is a randomized controlled trial that will test the combined impact of weight loss, diet and physical activity on blood pressure. The PREMIER study provides the infrastructure for this project. In this setting, Dr. Erlinger has designed a three-phase career development plan. Specifically, he will: 1) conduct an ancillary study at the Hopkins center of the PREMIER trial, 2) conduct an extended follow-up of PREMIER participants to assess the impact of long-term weight loss on markers of inflammation and hemostasis, and 3) design a clinical trial to test the effect of hypocaloric feeding and hypocaloric feeding plus exercise on markers of inflammation and hemostasis. Together, the supportive environment of the Welch Center, the research infrastructure of the PREMIER study, and the mentorship of Dr. Appel will give Dr. Erlinger the experience and tools he needs to develop into an independent clinical scientist.
