Richard Ahrens, M.D. (Full Member)
Professor, Pediatrics, University of Iowa
Director, Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia Unit, University of Iowa

http://www.uihealthcare.com/depts/med/pediatrics/pedsmds/ahrens.html

Research Interest    

Dr. Ahrens has significant experience in the clinical pharmacology of asthma and cystic fibrosis (CF), as well as in the clinical care of patients with lung disease. His primary interests are: 1) the development of novel study designs to meet challenges in the pharmacologic management of pulmonary disease, and 2) the in vivo and in vitro assessment of aerosol drug delivery approaches, including gene therapy. Dr. Ahrens has been very active in clinical trials for asthma and CF, including bioassay quantification of pulmonary deposition and activity of inhaled beta-adrenergic and corticosteroid agents, as well as in vivo nasal potential difference measurements in CF. He has training in Pediatrics, Pediatric Pulmonary Disease, Allergy, and Clinical Pharmacology, and is Co-Director of the CF Clinical Center. Dr. Ahrens' clinical research pertains to the development of methods for identifying and quantitating early lung injury in CF using Computerized Tomography (CT). Such efforts are an important resource for this Center with respect to the development of surrogate endpoints for gene therapy trials. Early pathology in the CF lung follows a characteristic progression: inflammation of the peripheral small airway is followed by thickening of the central airway wall, and this is followed by the development of bronchiectasis. These early phenotypes can be identified and measured using high-resolution CT, and by testing infant pulmonary function and the lung clearance index prior to the time at which standardly tested abnormalities in pulmonary function become established. Dr. Ahrens' group is working to develop objective, user-independent methods for quantifying early CF airway pathology, and for assessing how the pathology is affected by treatment. This research will be critical as gene therapy trials progress to the point of evaluating the abrogation or reversal of early CF lung disease.

Selected Publications:

Dolovich, M.B., Ahrens, R.C., Hess, D.R., Anderson, P., Dhand, R., Rau, J.L., Smaldone, G.C., and Guyatt, G. 2005. Device selection and outcomes of aerosol therapy: Evidence-based guidelines: American College of Chest Physicians/American College of Asthma, Allergy, and Immunology. Chest 127:335-371.

Gibson, R.L., Retsch-Bogart, G.Z., Oermann, C., Milla, C., Pilewski, J., Daines, C., Ahrens, R., Leon, K., Cohen, M., McNamara, S., Callahan, T.L., Markus, R., Burns, J.L. 2006. Microbiology, safety, and pharmacokinetics of aztreonam lysinate for inhalation in patients with cystic fibrosis. Pediatr Pulmonol 41:656-665.

Wise, R.A., Teeter, J.G., Jensen, R.L., England, R.D., Schwartz, P.F., Giles, D.R., Ahrens, R.C., MacIntyre, N.R., Riese, R.J., Crapo, R.O. 2007. Standardization of the single-breath diffusing capacity in a multicenter clinical trial. Chest 132:1191-1197.

Publications from Gene Therapy Center

Publications from PubMed