Dr. Alexander White, the candidate for this award, plans to develop a patient-oriented research program to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with pulmonary complications of bone marrow transplantation (BMT). As an academic pulmonary and critical care physician working in a tertiary referral center he brings to this goal not only a strong basic science background in mechanisms of lung injury but also extensive clinical experience. His immediate career objectives are to obtain high quality training in clinical research methods and to develop the research that he has initiated in the BMT population. The methodological training includes courses on research design, biostatistics, ethics of human research and outcomes measurements at the Sackler Graduate School of Tufts University and will enable the candidate to obtain an MS in Clinical Research. The long-term goal of the candidate is to make a meaningful contribution to BMT research as it relates to pulmonary disease. Dr. White has secured the collaboration of both clinical and basic research experts who will provide him with the resources he will need to carry out the proposed project and to enhance his skills.
The Specific Aims of the research project are to 1) determine if oxidative stress is increased in the lungs of patients undergoing BMT, 2) better define the antioxidant capacity of the epithelial lining fluid in the lungs of patients undergoing BMT, 3) define the impact of BMT on respiratory and skeletal muscle function, and to determine if muscle strength predicts functional status post BMT, and 4) a) develop and test a new measure of BMT specific quality of life emphasizing pulmonary dysfunction and its management, and b) document the utility of this measure as a screening tool for potential pulmonary impairment and as a means to evaluate the impact of clinical interventions. It is anticipated that the five-year program will provide Dr. White the tools and biography he needs to effectively compete for extended research support and to become a leader in the field.
| White, Alexander C; Terrin, Norma; Miller, Kenneth B et al. (2005) Impaired respiratory and skeletal muscle strength in patients prior to hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation. Chest 128:145-52 |
