Sepsis, a systemic inflammatory response to infection, is the most common cause of death in non-cardiac intensive care units. The incidence and severity of sepsis have increased over the last two decades. With advances in supportive care, sepsis carries a mortality that averages 17%, however, this figure increases to 50 - 80% in Multiple Organ Dysfunction Syndrome (MODS), defined as failure of 3 or more organ systems.... more »

What markers in sickle cell disease can predict hypoxia after acute chest syndrome or pneumonia?

Does the aggressive treatment of asthma prevent the developement of acute chest syndrome (ACS) and vaso-occlusive syndrome (VOS) in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD)?

Can standardized screening, pharmacological/behavioral prevention, and optimized treatment of metabolic complications after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation improve outcomes and decrease transplant-related morbidity and mortality?

Critical Challenge

Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome is characterized by a bleeding disorder as well as pulmonary fibrosis. Invasive procedures such as a lung biopsy are contraindicated due to bleeding and bronchoscopy is not without risk. Finding a biomarker would reduce the necessity for more invasive data collection while improving outcomes.

What are effective prevention and treatment strategies for populations with special needs, such as those with congenital heart disease, Down syndrome and preterm-born, to maintain a healthy weight?

Are there successful strategies derived from "normal" populations that could be effectively applied to these populations?

Coronary artery disease (CAD), of which atherosclerosis is a major contributor, costs the United States $108.9 billion each year. While a number of conventional risk factors such as smoking, diabetes and hypertension have been associated with CAD, their predictive performance is poor in the prevention of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Despite the prevalence of ACS in our society, there are currently no molecular biomarkers... more »

How can we use implementation science to increase the adoption of low-tidal volume ventilation in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)?

Examine the mechanisms of POTS and develop effective treatments.

How does Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome affect the functioning of the heart and circulatory system?

Baby boys and girls can respond quite differently to replacement lung surfactants given in response to neonatal respiratory distress syndrome. There are also variations in efficacy between babies of different races, in addition to the generally increased risk of NRDS in minority populations overall to lack of prenatal care or access to neonatal intensive care units. Increasing the availability of surfactant treatment... more »

Is anyone in your family at risk for a potentially lethal genetic arrhythmia? 4000 young people die each year because they bear a genetic mutation that makes them susceptible to a sudden fatal arrhythmia. The symptoms are easy to identify and awareness of these symptoms would help unsuspecting families.

 

It is estimated that one of these syndromes (LQTS) is 3 times more common in the US than childhood leukemia.