There is a need for an observational registry of new-onset post-operative atrial fibrillation (AF) patients to better understand the mechanisms of post-operative AF and allow clinicians to define patient-specific AF phenotypes and treatments. The registry’s information and infrastructure could be used to develop and conduct clinical trials that provide strong evidence for guidelines in treating this common problem.

Can modification of either autologous or allogeneic immune cells allow effective treatment of blood diseases and infection with acceptable rates of toxicity?

Are there biomarkers or phenotypic characteristics that will allow us to identify the patients with asthma who will experience a more rapid decline in lung function?

For patients with obesity and medical comorbidities, what is the optimal approach utilizing multiple therapies (low calorie structured diet, intensive lifestyle, weight loss medications) in combination to optimize weight loss?

Can mechanical devices be developed that improved chest compression and augment blood flow during CPR compared to manual CPR?

How to develop effective medical therapies to reduce aneurysm progression - currently only surgical intervention is effective.

There is a need for a randomized primary prevention trial comparing the effectiveness of cholesterol treatment strategies based on a high CAC score versus the AHA/ACC 10-year cardiovascular disease risk tool. Include cost-effectiveness as well as clinical effectiveness as endpoints.

Asthma-COPD overlap syndrome is common and associated with increased morbidity and greater healthcare costs. However, ACOS patients are usually excluded from studies of either disease. There is a compelling need for research in order to define objective diagnostic criteria for ACOS.

There is a lack of coordination and collaboration between investigators working to combat nontuberculous mycobacteria infections. NHLBI could provide incentives for research leadership on NTM issues.

There is developing evidence that sleep disorders, in particular obstructive sleep apnea and inadequate sleep, can influence the course of other chronic diseases. Observational studies show that CPAP treatment of patients with pre-diabetes who have OSA reduces the incidence of future diabetes. Moreover, animal and human data indicate that insufficient sleep and sleep apnea can affect the rate of progression of neurodegenerative... more »

Although the majority of lung recipients experience significant health improvement, they also frequently face serious symptom distress, impaired physical functioning and poor quality of life due to post-transplant morbidity, such as chronic rejection, infection and multiple side-effects of immunosuppression.

a) Conduct clinical trials of interventions designed to maximize clinicians' support of patients' self-management... more »

Better understand the consequences of drug interactions leading to QTc prolongation. About 1/3 of cardiac ICU patients develop QT prolongation and about 45% receive drugs that are possibly contributing to this problem. The full spectrum of contributors and causes, as well as the patient-centered and health-system-centered clinical outcomes, are not known.

Does interrupted or aberrant pulmonary vascular development contribute to pulmonary hypertension?

Can Measuring CD31+EMPs predict loss of lung function, provide potential bio marker for accelerated lung function loss, and predict increased risk for atherosclerosis leading to increased risk for cardiovascular events?

There are several possible physiological causes of Circadian Rhythm Sleep-Wake Disorders (CRSWDs), including lack of sensitivity to light, over-sensitivity to light, deficiencies in the ipRGC cells of the retina, lack of melatonin production, long elimination time of melatonin, long intrinsic circadian period, differences in timing of sleep relative to internal circadian rhythms, differences in tolerance to phase mismatch,... more »