Kentucky Research Alliance for Lung Disease (K-RALD)

Principal Investigator

How to Join

If you are interested in joining, learning more about the biobank, or attending our monthly research meetings, please contact Brittany Little at brittany.dong@uky.edu. Membership is open to anyone interested in research on lung disease. Current membership includes over 100 people representing 8 different colleges.

Summary

Lung disease is the third leading cause of death in the U.S. and a significant health problem in Kentucky. The incidence of asthma in the state is among the highest in the nation, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major cause of death for Kentuckians. In addition, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), a severe form of acute lung injury (ALI), is one of the most frequent causes of admission into the intensive care unit. While there are many outstanding scientists and clinicians at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine who address specific aspects of lung disease, there has not been a unified program to bring lung disease researchers together.

With support from the UK College of Medicine’s Alliance Research Initiative and the Vice President for Research Emerging Research Themes program, the Kentucky Research Alliance for Lung Disease (K-RALD) draws together basic scientists, clinician scientists, and public health researchers from a wide range of specialties to promote translational lung research from the bench to the bedside and into the community.

K-RALD is led by Chris Waters, PhD, Donald T. Frazier Professor of Physiology. Dr. Waters and the K-RALD executive committee are committed to developing a transdisciplinary, translational platform of lung disease investigation. Dr. Waters has a long-standing interest in understanding the pathophysiological mechanisms that contribute to ARDS/ALI and inflammation, as well as the mechanisms of pulmonary fibrosis and lung repair following injury.

The members of K-RALD have created a lung biobank for use in research, led by Jamie Sturgill, PhD, assistant professor in the department of microbiology, immunology, and molecular Genetics. Until now, there was no biobank on campus that collected lung tissue, blood, and/or alveolar fluid in the context of any lung diseases other than lung cancer. The newly formed Lung Biobank includes biosamples from a wide range of lung diseases, supporting research on additional forms of pulmonary dysfunction. Basic and clinical scientists are able to collaborate with the Lung Biobank in small pilot studies made possible by K-RALD funds, leading to new research, the development of more effective treatments, and improved care of all lung patients in Kentucky and beyond.
 

Executive Committee

Christopher Waters, PhD - Director

Lu-Yuan Lee, PhD – Basic Science Director

Mehdi Khosravi, MD – Clinical Director

Joseph Zwischenberger, MD – Translational Science Director

Jamie Sturgill, PhD – Biobank Director

Christine Trinkle, PhD
 

Alliance Members

  • Paul M. Adams, MD, Assistant Professor – Department of Internal Medicine
  • Warren J. Alilain, PhD, Associate Professor – Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center
  • Michael Anstead, MD, Professor – Department of Pediatrics
  • Shanna L. Babalonis, PhD, Assistant Professor – Department of Behavioral Science
  • Cherry Ballard Croft, PhD, Associate Professor – Department of Surgery
  • Hubert O. Ballard, MD, Associate Professor – Department of Pediatrics
  • Jason R. Ballengee, DO, PGY-6 – Department of Internal Medicine
  • John A. Bauer, PhD, Professor – Department of Pediatrics
  • Christine Brainson, PhD, Assistant Professor – Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology
  • Steven Browning, PhD, Associate Professor – College of Public Health
  • David Burgess, PharmD, Chair and Professor – College of Pharmacy
  • Karen M. Butler, Professor – Department of Nursing
  • Leigh Ann Callahan, MD, Professor – Department of Internal Medicine
  • Erin R. Camac, DO, Associate Professor – Department of Internal Medicine
  • Nai-Ju Chan
  • Flora Chen
  • Radmila Choate, PhD, Assistant Professor – College of Public Health
  • Warren Christian, PhD, Associate Professor – College of Public Health 
  • Martha E. Cook, DNP, APRN – College of Medicine
  • Audrey Darville, PhD, Associate Professor – College of Nursing
  • Zach DeVries, PhD, Assistant Professor – College of Agriculture
  • Sanjay Dhar, MD, Associate Professor – Department of Internal Medicine 
  • Esther Dupont-Versteegden, PhD, Professor – College of Health Sciences
  • Becky Dutch, PhD, Vice Dean for Research – College of Medicine
  • Teresa Fan, PhD, Professor – Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology
  • David Feola, PhD, PharmD, Professor – College of Pharmacy
  • Alexander Flannery, PharmD, Assistant Professor – College of Pharmacy
  • Mark A. Fritz, MD, Assistant Professor – Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery
  • Beth A. Garvy, PhD, Associate Dean for Biomedical Education and Professor – Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics
  • Anil Gopinath, MD, Associate Professor – Department of Internal Medicine
  • Elizabeth Gordon, PhD, Scientist – Department of Physiology
  • Timothy Hadden, Education Staffing Specialist – Respiratory Therapy
  • Ellen Hahn, PhD, Professor – College of Nursing
  • Jimmi Hatton Kolpek, PharmD, Professor – College of Pharmacy
  • Kevin W. Hatton, MD, Professor – College of Medicine
  • Luke H. Heil, MD, PGY-2 – College of Medicine
  • JT Henderson, MD, PGY-1 – College of Medicine
  • Richard Higashi, PhD, Professor – Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology
  • Gerhard Hildebrandt, MD, Division Chief – Department of Internal Medicine
  • Edward A. Hirschowitz, MD, Associate Professor – Department of Medicine
  • Melissa Hollifield, Scientist – Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics
  • Hong Huang, Research Protocol Manager – Department of Medicine
  • Emily Huffman, Student – Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center
  • Benjamin Hughes, Nursing Operations Administrator – UK HealthCare
  • Melinda J. Ickes, PhD, Director of Graduate Studies – Department of Kinesiology and Health Promotion
  • Lindsey E. Jubina, Graduate Research Asssistant – Department of Physical Therapy
  • Gabriella H. Kalantar (Pugh), Graduate Research Assistant – Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics
  • Anna Kalema, MD, Assistant Professor – Department of Internal Medicine
  • Jamshed Kanga, MD, Division Chief – Department of Pediatrics
  • Suresh Keshavamurthy, MD, Assistant Professor – College of Medicine
  • Mehdi Khosravi, MD, Associate Professor – Department of Internal Medicine
  • Seth Knight, MD – College of Medicine
  • Andrew Lane, PhD, Professor – Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology
  • Lu-Yuan Lee, PhD, Professor – Department of Physiology
  • Young-Sam Lee, PhD, Associate Professor – Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry
  • Feng Li, DVM, PhD, Professor - College of Agriculture 
  • Jing Li, MD, Director (Tracking & Evaluation) – Center for Clinical and Translational Science
  • Joshua Lile, PhD, Professor – College of Medicine
  • An-Hsuan Lin, PhD, Post-Doc – Department of Physiology
  • Brittany Dong Little, Scientist – Department of Physiology
  • Charles Lutz, MD, PhD, Vice Chair for Research – College of Medicine
  • DD Maes, MD, PGY-6 – College of Medicine
  • Ashish Maskey, MD, Assistant Professor – Department of Internal Medicine
  • Beverly May, DrPH – College of Public Health
  • Kirby Mayer, DPT, PhD, Assistant Professor – College of Health Sciences
  • James McCormick, MD, Professor – Department of Internal Medicine
  • Luke McKinney – Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics
  • Ilhem Messaoudi Powers, PhD, Professor and Chair – Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics
  • Ashley Montgomery-Yates, MD, Associate Professor – Department of Internal Medicine
  • Sravanthi Nandavaram, MD, Medical Director (Lung Transplant Program) – College of Medicine
  • Jessica Newton, Graduate Research Assistant – Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center
  • Barbara Nikolajczyk, PhD, Professor – Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences
  • Sara Pasha, MD, Assistant Professor – Department of Internal Medicine
  • Parijat Sen, MD, Assistant Professor – Department of Internal Medicine
  • Preetha Shridas, PhD, Research Associate Professor – Department of Internal Medicine
  • Stacy R. Stanifer, PhD, APRN, Assistant Professor – College of Nursing
  • Elizabeth Stumpf, PhD, Assistant Professor – Department of Internal Medicine
  • Jaime Sturgill, PhD, Assistant Professor – Department of Internal Medicine
  • Patrick G. Sullivan, PhD, Professor – Department of Neuroscience
  • Melissa Thompson Bastin, PharmD – Pharmacy Services – UK HealthCare
  • Christine Trinkle, PhD, Associate Professor – College of Engineering
  • Terren Trott, MD, Assistant Professor – College of Medicine
  • Heather E. True, Graduate Student – Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics
  • Steven Van Lanen, PhD, Professor – College of Pharmacy
  • Dongfang Wang, MD, Professor – Department of Surgery
  • Qingjun Wang, PhD, Assistant Professor – Department of Ophthalmology
  • Christopher Waters, PhD, Professor – Department of Physiology
  • Alexander D. Williams – Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics
  • Lisa I. Wright, Enterprise Director of Respiratory Services – UK Healthcare
  • Congqing Wu, PhD, Assistant Professor – College of Medicine
  • Mark A. Wurth, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor – Department of Pediatrics 
  • John R. Yannelli, PhD, Associate Professor – Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics
  • Scott W. Yee, MD, Resident – Department of Internal Medicine
  • Guigen Zhang, PhD, Professor – College of Engineering
  • Shulin Zhang, MD, PhD, Professor – Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
  • Xiaohua D. Zhang, PhD, EMBA, Professor – College of Public Health
  • Haris Zia, MD, Assistant Professor – College of Medicine
  • Joseph Zwischenberger, MD, Professor – Department of Surgery