Pulmonary Physiology, Function, and Rehabilitation NetWork News
Note from the NetWork Chair
The past 18-months have been a challenging period with all of us overworked and on what seems like an endless road. The emotional exhaustion of this period cannot be overstated. There is no hyperbole to this when dealing with this pandemic. We, in this NetWork, have been at the forefront of the understanding how this virus attacks the physiology of all that have been infected and suffered with COVID-19. I am proud of our membership in being able to sort through and explain the physiology of this disease. We did not stop in the acute setting and have remained at the forefront of ongoing treatment. Rehabilitation remains at the forefront of getting people back to their lives.
Check out our NetWork’s latest article, “Lung Function Testing During the COVID-19 Pandemic,” by steering committee members, Aaron Holley, MD, FCCP, and Tom DeCato, MD, FCCP, in the latest CHEST Physician®issue.
CHEST 2021
Missed the NetWork Featured Lecture? Registrants can view “Post-COVID Dyspnea on CPET” soon on the CHEST 2021 platform until October 1, 2022, plus explore NetWork Bites and other relevant content. If you haven’t registered for CHEST 2021 yet, you still can for a very limited time to gain access to more than 200 educational sessions. Register now.
COVID-19 resources
Explore the COVID-19 Resource Center to find curated content to help you during the pandemic. Browse through clinical resources, access key research related to the management of patients with COVID-19, view recorded webinars, and more.
Sharpen your COVID-19 knowledge with the new CHEST Player Hub game, Defeat COVID-19, developed by the CHEST COVID-19 Task Force. Answer questions about COVID-19 symptoms, diagnosis, and management to score power-ups on the gameboard and advance your score.
Where do you work? I am a faculty member at the Greater Los Angeles Veterans Affairs (GLA VA) Medical Center and at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. My primary duties are the VA medical center with clinical and research responsibilities.
How long have you worked at the VA? I have worked there for over 12 years.
What are your research interests? I have been interested in cancer research since I was a young child because of my dad’s cancer diagnosis. When I became a pulmonary and critical care fellow, I was fortunate to work with a great mentor, Dr. Steven Dubinett, at UCLA who excels at translational research in lung cancer and helped me to become a principal investigator for clinical research studies at the VA.
How did you become interested and involved in the Pulmonary Physiology, Function, and Rehabilitation NetWork? I’ve taken care of many veterans in the pulmonary clinic who have complaints of dyspnea and recognized that their various lung conditions or exposures have variable impacts on their physiology and lifestyles. Finding the relationship between a patient’s symptoms and their physiologic data can be complex and it’s fascinating to me. I attended a cardiopulmonary exercise course at Harbor UCLA and learned so much about evaluating exercise test data and trying to identify reasons for patient’s symptoms of dyspnea, or exercise limitation, or risk stratify patients prior to surgery based on their exercise test results.
What’s your favorite vacation destination? Summer—Greece for their beaches and culture. Winter—mountains for skiing.
What are your hobbies? Beach volleyball, tennis, and cooking.
What is something you cannot live without (after family and friends)? Chocolate and coke zero.
Also of interest
Review for your ABIM certification exams today with Board Review 2021 On Demand. Study at your own pace, with access to all the sessions from this year’s Board Review for 1 year, and earn CME while doing it. Trust CHEST with your board review prep. Start reviewing today.
In-person simulation courses are back, and seats are filling fast. The course format ensures your safety while offering you valuable hands-on, interactive training with experts. Explore the full course schedule to find more courses like these:
Find access to top tools in pulmonary vascular disease, including original research from the journal CHEST®, information to share with your patients, education products to advance your knowledge, and more at CHEST's pulmonary vascular disease hub.
Purchase the new, on demand Thoracic Radiology: Imaging for Clinicians course to learn the basics of thoracic imaging and airway diseases by reviewing unique cases with expert faculty. This course is designed to help you take your thoracic imaging skills to the next level, so you excel in complex ICU situations.