CHEST Foundation awards grants to young investigators and community service volunteers

Each year, the CHEST Foundation offers grants to worthy research candidates, generous community service volunteers, and distinguished scholars. More than 1,000 recipients worldwide have received more than $10 million in support and recognition of outstanding contributions to chest medicine.

This year, the Foundation awarded $675,000 in clinical research and community service grants to 27 individuals. Grant recipients are recognized for their scientifically meritorious achievements, with rigorous metrics to track their project’s progress and have innovative, novel approaches to addressing their research topic.

The Foundation’s grants have made a difference in patients’ lives by aiding young investigators. Many of the supported projects have led to breakthroughs in the treatment and/or management of chest diseases and patient care. To learn more, please visit chestnet.org/grants.

On behalf of CHEST Foundation President, Ian Nathanson, MD, FCCP, the CHEST Foundation Awards Committee, and the entire CHEST Foundation, congratulations to all our 2021 grant award winners.

2021 RESEARCH GRANTEES

CHEST Foundation Research Grant in Lung Cancer
This grant is supported by the CHEST Foundation.
Daniel Ryan, MD, Royal College of Surgeons Ireland, Dublin, Ireland
Microbial Signatures Associated With Malignant Pleural Effusions in Lung Cancer

CHEST Foundation Research Grant in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
This grant is jointly supported by the CHEST Foundation and RHA.
Miguel Divo, MD, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA
Biomarker Profiles in Smokers Who Are at Risk of Developing Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

CHEST Foundation Research Grant in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
This grant is supported by AstraZeneca LP.
Stephen Milne, MBBS, Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, Vancouver, BC, Canada
The Oral Metagenome in COPD: Towards a Biomarker of Exacerbation Risk

CHEST Foundation Research Grant in Critical Care
This grant is supported by the CHEST Foundation.
Jacqueline Stocking, PhD, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA
University of California Critical Care Research Collaborative: Predictive Model and Risk Calculator for Early and Late Postoperative Respiratory Failure

CHEST Foundation and the Alpha-1 Foundation Research Grant in Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency
This grant is jointly supported by the CHEST Foundation and the Alpha-1 Foundation.
John Charles Rotondo, PhD, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Protein as a Possible Marker of Disease Progression in COVID-19 Patients

CHEST Foundation Research Grant in Nontuberculous Mycobacteria Diseases
This grant is supported by Insmed Incorporated.
Edward Chan, MD, Rocky Mountain Regional Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Denver, CO
Visualization and Quantitation of Azithromycin, Clofazimine, and Amikacin Distribution in Surgically Removed Lung Tissues From Patients With Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Lung Disease

CHEST Foundation Research Grant in Cystic Fibrosis
This grant is supported by Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated.
Shahid Sheikh, MD, FCCP, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH
Impact of CFTR Modulator Therapy Elexacaftor-Tezacaftor-Ivacaftor on CF- Related Chronic Sinus Disease

John R. Addrizzo, MD, FCCP Research Grant in Sarcoidosis
This grant is in honor of John R. Addrizzo, MD, FCCP and is jointly supported by the Addrizzo family and the CHEST Foundation.
Maneesh Bhargava, MD, PhD, FCCP, Minneapolis VA Health Care System, Minneapolis, MN
Inflammatory Protein Panel for Sarcoidosis Diagnosis and Prognosis

CHEST Foundation Research Grant in Severe Asthma
This grant is supported by the CHEST Foundation.
Felix Reyes, MD, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY
Design and Implementation of an Asthma Action Plan Generator: A Pilot Study Assessing User Satisfaction and Clinical Impact

CHEST Foundation Research Grant in Pulmonary Fibrosis
These grants are supported by an independent grant from Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Genentech, Inc.
Marco Mura, MD, PhD, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
Validation of the Risk Stratification Score in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis
Janelle Pugashetti, MD, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA
Determining Biomarkers of Immunosuppressant Responsiveness in Patients With CTD-ILD

CHEST Foundation Research Grant in Pulmonary Hypertension
These grants are supported by the CHEST Foundation.
Michael Lee, MD, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
Transpulmonary Metabolomic Gradients During Exercise in Systemic Sclerosis-Associated Pulmonary Hypertension
Navneet Singh, MD, Warren Alpert School of Medicine at Brown University, Providence, RI
Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Oxidative Stress in Pulmonary Hypertension

CHEST Foundation Research Grant in Sleep Medicine
These grants are funded by Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Shahid Karim, MBChB, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
Effects of OSA on Atrial and Ventricular Arrhythmia in HCM: An Incidence Study
Thomas Tolbert, MD, Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, NY
Performance Characteristics of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Physiologic Traits Measured by Phenotyping Using Polysomnography

CHEST Foundation and American Academy of Sleep Medicine Foundation Research Grant in Sleep Medicine
This grant is jointly supported by the CHEST Foundation and AASM Foundation.
Marta Kaminska, MD, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
Long-term Noninvasive Ventilation in COPD: Impact on Health Care Utilization

CHEST Foundation and APCCMPD Research Grant in Medical Education
This grant is jointly supported by the CHEST Foundation and APCCMPD.
Mark Adelman, MD, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY
Virtual Reality Simulation Training for the Management of Tracheostomy Emergencies

CHEST Foundation Research Grant in COVID-19
These grants are supported by the CHEST Foundation.
Marlene Cano, MD, PhD, Washington University, St. Louis, MO
Circulating Mitochondrial DNA Is a Potential Biomarker for Severe Illness in COVID-19
Brandon Walsh, MD, New York University, New York, NY
How Would Existing Ventilator Allocation Guidelines Perform During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Retrospective Observational Simulated Cohort Study

CHEST Foundation and ATS Research Grant in COVID-19 and Diversity
These grants are jointly supported by the CHEST Foundation and ATS.
Navitha Ramesh, MD, FCCP, UPMC Harrisburg, Harrisburg, PA
Improving Lung Health in the Nepali- Bhutanese Refugee Community in Harrisburg, PA
Inderjit Singh, MBBCh, Yale University, New Haven, CT
Dynamic Invasive Hemodynamic, Echocardiographic, and Plasma Biomarker Phenotyping in Post-COVID-19 Long Hauler Syndrome

2021 COMMUNITY SERVICE GRANTEES

CHEST Foundation Community Service Grant Honoring D. Robert McCaffree, MD, Master FCCP
These grants are supported by the CHEST Foundation.

Valerie Andrews, BS, The JUDAHH Project, Sacramento, CA
Asthma Mitigation Project

Chanda Holsey, DrPh, National Medical Association, Silver Spring, MD
Providing Lung Health Education to At Risk Communities

Arzu Ari, PhD, FCCP, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX
Training Future Respiratory Care Practitioners in Turkey: A Path to Successful Disease Management in Pulmonary Medicine

Panagis Galiatsatos, MD, MPH, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
The Lung Health Ambassador Program: A Health Equity Initiative for Cystic Fibrosis

Patricia George, MD, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO
Development of Breathe Strong PH: An Informational Website About Pulmonary Hypertension and Related Diseases

Nishant Gupta, MD, MS, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH
Global Dissemination of the Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) Clinical Practice Guidelines

Syed Naqvi, MD, MBBS, Hoag Hospital Newport Beach, Newport Beach, CA
Asthma Management in Rural Pakistan

CHEST FOUNDATION AWARDS DIVERSITY REGISTRATION GRANTS

The CHEST Foundation is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2021 Diversity Grant. Diversity Grants are awarded to those who represent the following: underrepresented minorities, outstanding trainees, and early-stage clinicians (completed training within previous 5 years).

These individuals were nominated by a member of leadership and will receive complimentary registration to the CHEST 2021 Annual Meeting.

Aparna Balasubramanian, MD, MHS
Dhishna Chaudhary, MD
Jeremy Courtney, MD
Aunie Danyalian, MD
Akash Dodia, MBBS, DTCD
Ahmed El Maghraby, MD, MBBCh
Sangeetha Isaac, MD
Lisa Jarnagin, MD, BCh
Saminder Kalra, MD
Amos Lal, MBBS
Meghana Dasyam, MBBS
Aravind Menon, MD
Thais Ribeiro Peclat Monteiro, MD, PhD
LaShanda Penn, RN, MSN
Ariella Pratzer, MD
Rizwana Rana, MBBS
Ann Rusk, MD
Ashley Scott, MD
Pahnwat Tonya Taweesedt, MD
Polina Trachuk, MD
Ranuka Sinniah, MD
Navneet Singh, MD
Musaib Ahmed Syed, MD, MBBS
Muhammad Khyzar Hayat Syed, MBBS
Jaleesa Watkins
Catherine Wegner Wippel, MD
Nadia Yimer, MD

To support future grant recipients and become a part of the CHEST Foundation’s Champion’s Circle, donate today at chestfoundation.org/donate.