Cardiothoracic Surgery - Research

Research is an important part of the daily activities of all academic surgeons. The continuing commitment to productive scholarship, exemplified by research, as much as a commitment to communicative scholarship, exemplified by teaching, distinguishes the academic surgeon from his/her colleague in nonacademic practice.

The obvious benefit of research to our patients and to the community is improved care. Less obvious, but equally important, benefits are the atmosphere of open and rigorous inquiry, the constant questioning and the intellectual stimulation which the research programs provide to their participants-faculty, residents and medical students.

Kalpaj R. Parekh, MD

Chronic rejection in lung transplantation

Clinical Projects

• Randomized placebo controlled trial of anti T-lymphocyte immune globulin in the prophylaxis of acute pulmonary allograft rejection in adult recipients of primary pulmonary allografts
• Utility of barium swallow in detecting clinically significant anastomotic leaks following esophagectomy

Basic Science Projects

• Development of an animal model for chronic rejection and cystic fibrosis in lung transplantation
• Role of epithelial stem cells in lung transplantation (K08 awarded by NIH)