Research

Our team is focused on providing comprehensive care for patients with ILD by using a multi-disciplinary and multi-dimensional approach to care and research. Interstitial lung diseases are complex group of more than 100 rare disorders that are often associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Examples of conditions include idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, rheumatoid arthritis associated ILD and other forms of autoimmune related ILD, and chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis. Our team has framed our approach to this important patient population by addressing and integrating the 4 key areas of clinical care, education of trainees, community outreach, and research.

Our goal is to perform high quality, innovative clinical and translational research in ILD as this directly impacts care and management of this patient population. We have a research program that spans the spectrum from predictive biomarkers and genetics to risk prediction algorithms for prognosis to improving quality of life for patients and their caregivers. Key areas of research include the following:

• The relationship between idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and rheumatoid arthritis associated interstitial lung disease
• Identification of early forms of rheumatoid arthritis associated interstitial lung disease
• Understanding the epidemiology and natural history of fibrotic interstitial lung diseases
• Risk factor identification and modification in fibrotic interstitial lung diseases
• Patient-reported outcomes, including quality of life, in fibrotic interstitial lung diseases
• Caregiver burden and other caregiver-specific outcomes in fibrotic interstitial lung disease
• Investigational clinical trials in fibrotic interstitial lung disease
• Longitudinal Database and Biorepository for all patients seen in our ILD clinic – subjects phenotyped in ILD multidisciplinary conference with pulmonary, radiology and pathology input, and collection of clinical data, physiology, imaging and banked samples.

We have well established local, national and international collaborations with basic scientists, rheumatologists, radiologists, pathologists, statisticians, palliative care specialists, and methodologists, among others, to help expand the breadth and impact of our work. Our work is funded by a myriad of sources including the NIH, industry partners, the school and hospital.

This active and productive research environment helps foster the mentorship of trainees who are interested in ILD research, either as part of their pulmonary fellowship or as part of our Advanced Pulmonary Fellowship in ILD (contact: KELLY.RICO@CUANSCHUTZ.EDU).