Positions

Overview

  • S. Vamsee Raju, B.Pharm, PhD. is an Assistant Professor in the School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham. He received his Pharmacy degree from Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences in 2005. In 2011, he graduated with a PhD in Genetics from Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans.

    His graduate research identified two entirely new mechanisms by which alcohol affects innate airway defenses to cause lung infections. Dr. Raju then went on to complete a 2-year postdoctoral training in the laboratory of Steven Rowe investigating acquired CFTR dysfunction in COPD pathogenesis, followed by an Instructor faculty position in the Department of Medicine in 2013. His work is published in several prestigious journals and has received recognition through awards from the European Respiratory Society, the American Thoracic Society and the American Federation of Medical Research.
  • Selected Publications

    Academic Article

    Year Title Altmetric
    2023 HIV Increases the Risk of Cigarette Smoke-Induced Emphysema Through MMP-9 2023
    2022 Comparative transcriptomics in human COPD reveals dysregulated genes uniquely expressed in ferretsRespiratory Research.  23. 2022
    2022 Evaluation of a novel CFTR potentiator in COPD ferrets with acquired CFTR dysfunctionEuropean Respiratory Journal.  60. 2022
    2022 PDE4 Inhibitor Reverses Alcohol Impairment of CFTR Function and Protects Against Bacterial Pneumonia 2022
    2021 Phosphodiesterase 4 mediates interleukin-8-induced heterologous desensitization of the β2-adrenergic receptor 2021
    2021 Validation of gene editing efficiency with CRISPR-Cas9 system directly in rat zygotes using electroporation mediated delivery and embryo cultureMethodsX.  8. 2021
    2020 Airway remodeling in ferrets with cigarette smoke-induced COPD using μCT imaging 2020
    2020 Haemophilus influenzae persists in biofilm communities in a smoke-exposed ferret model of copdERJ Open Research.  6:1-12. 2020
    2020 Evaluation of secondhand smoke effects on CFTR function in vivoRespiratory Research.  21. 2020
    2020 Excess mucus viscosity and airway dehydration impact COPD airway clearanceEuropean Respiratory Journal.  55. 2020
    2019 Vaporized e-cigarette liquids induce ion transport dysfunction in airway epitheliaAmerican Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology.  61:162-173. 2019
    2019 Summary of the 2018 Alcohol and Immunology Research Interest Group (AIRIG) meetingAlcohol.  77:11-18. 2019
    2019 Lessons Learned From Web- and Social Media-Based Educational Initiatives by Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep SocietiesChest.  155:671-679. 2019
    2019 A Neutralizing Aptamer to TGFBR2 and miR-145 Antagonism Rescue Cigarette Smoke- and TGF-β-Mediated CFTR ExpressionMolecular Therapy.  27:442-455. 2019
    2019 Acquired cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator dysfunction and radiographic bronchiectasis in current and former smokers: A cross-sectional studyAnnals of the American Thoracic Society.  16:150-153. 2019
    2019 What doesn't kill you makes you weaker 2019
    2018 Heme scavenging reduces pulmonary endoplasmic reticulum stress, fibrosis, and emphysemaJCI Insight.  3. 2018
    2018 Maternal smoking induces acquired CFTR dysfunction in neonatal ratsAmerican Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.  198:672-674. 2018
    2018 Not simply the lesser of two evils 2018
    2017 Use of ferrets for electrophysiologic monitoring of ion transportPLoS One.  12. 2017
    2017 Roflumilast reverses CFTR-mediated ion transport dysfunction in cigarette smoke-exposed miceRespiratory Research.  18. 2017
    2017 The cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator potentiator ivacaftor augments mucociliary clearance abrogating cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator inhibition by cigarette smokeAmerican Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology.  56:99-108. 2017
    2016 A ferret model of COPD-related chronic bronchitisJCI Insight.  1. 2016
    2016 Pilot evaluation of ivacaftor for chronic bronchitis 2016
    2016 Therapeutic approaches to acquired cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator dysfunction in Chronic bronchitisAnnals of the American Thoracic Society.  13:S169-S176. 2016
    2016 Acquired Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator Dysfunction in Chronic Bronchitis and Other Diseases of Mucus ClearanceClinics in Chest Medicine.  37:147-158. 2016
    2015 Recovery of acquired cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator dysfunction after smoking cessationAmerican Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.  192:1521-1524. 2015
    2014 Impact of heterozygote CFTR Mutations in COPD patients with Chronic BronchitisRespiratory Research.  15. 2014
    2014 Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator activation by roflumilast contributes to therapeutic benefit in chronic bronchitisAmerican Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology.  50:549-558. 2014
    2013 Cigarette smoke induces systemic defects in cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator functionAmerican Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.  188:1321-1330. 2013
    2013 Cigarette smoke and CFTR: Implications in the pathogenesis of COPD 2013
    2013 Acquired cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator dysfunction in the lower airways in COPDChest.  144:498-506. 2013
    2012 A pharmacologic approach to acquired cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator dysfunction in smoking related lung diseasePLoS One.  7. 2012
    2012 Suppression of adenosine-activated chloride transport by ethanol in airway epitheliaPLoS One.  7. 2012
    2012 CFTR potentiator treatment of cystic fibrosisDrugs of the Future.  37:167-174. 2012
    2010 Ethanol upregulates glucocorticoid-induced leucine zipper expression and modulates cellular inflammatory responses in lung epithelial cellsJournal of Immunology.  184:5715-5722. 2010

    Research Overview

  • Ongoing research in the laboratory is focused on pathophysiologic mechanisms of altered epithelial ion transport and its implications on mucociliary clearance and mucosal immunity in COPD and alcoholic pneumonia. Current research is supported by institutional funds and extramural grants from American Lung Association, Flight Attendants Medical Research Institute, National Institutes of Health and the pharmaceutical industry.
  • Education And Training

  • Doctor of Philosophy in Health Services / Allied Health / Health Sciences, Louisiana State University System : University of New Orleans 2011
  • Full Name

  • S.Vamsee Raju