Professor
Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences
Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine; Sleep Medicine
I hold clinical appointment at the VA WNY Healthcare System. Aside of my administrative duties, I attend and supervise the sleep clinic at the VA
My research focuses on the association between sleep apnea and cardiovascular diseases. My laboratory examines the burden of oxidative stress on endothelial function and the link to endothelial apoptosis. As part of a VA merit review grant, we are engaged in determining the impact of obstructive sleep apnea on the manifestations of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in veterans and whether treatment of sleep apnea alleviates the debilitating symptoms of PTSD. Toward that goal, we have adopted a patented screening tool to identify patients with sleep apnea.
My research in the critical care arena involves the epidemiology and risk factors of Pseudomonas infections with the type III secretory system. The goal is to develop a rapid diagnostic tool to identify these organisms early in the course of infection. My other projects include studying the role of adjuvant treatment with corticosteroids in the management of severe community acquired pneumonia, such as nursing home acquired pneumonia, the management of morbidly obese critically ill patients and the long-term outcomes of elderly patients after treatment from a critical care ailment.