August 16, 2004

Contact: Heather Henning
American Lung Association
(217) 787-5864

American Lung Association Funds Research at SIU School of Medicine

SPRINGFIELD, Ill.-- The American Lung Association of Illinois-Iowa presented checks totaling $123,000 earmarked for pulmonary research to four researchers at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Monday afternoon.

The presentation marks the 17th year the American Lung Association has funded research at SIU School of Medicine. Research funded by the American Lung Association has led to important discoveries, including Mary Ellen Avery, M.D., who helped uncover the importance of surfactant in the lungs, leading to a rise in the survival of premature babies.

"Effectiveness of a Reactive Telephone Helpline for Smokers" is the focus on the project conducted by Dr. Akshay Sood, assistant profession of pulmonary medicine. Sood, who has been a member of the SIU faculty since 2001, completed fellowships in pulmonary and critical care medicine and occupational and environmental medicine at the Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Conn. (1994-97). He completed his residency in internal medicine at the St. Luke's Hospital and Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York (1994). Sood earned his medical degree at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi (1990). He earned his master's at Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Conn. (1997).

Dr. Janak Koirala, assistant professor of infectious diseases, will conduct "Interferon-gamma to improve maropahge functions against Mycobacterium avium complex infection in HIV-infected patients" seeking ways to improve the immune response. The goal is to contribute to the development of new treatments whilch will allow HIV-infected patients to more effectively fight infections. Koirala joined SIU's faculty in 1999, after having completed a joint three-year fellowship in infectious diseases at the University of Illinois and the University of Chicago. Koirala completed his residency in internal medicine at the University of Illinois Hospitals/Westside V.A. Medical Center in Chicago (1996). He earned his medical degree and undergraduate degree from Tribhuvan University in Kathmandu, Nepal (1991, 1983) and a master's in public health from the University of Illinois at Chicago (1999).

Kounosuke Watabe, Ph.D., professor of medical microbiology and immunology, joined the SIU faculty in 1985. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Arizona in Tucson (1985). Watabe earned his doctorate, master's and bachelor's degrees at Kyoto University in Japan (1981, 1978, 1976). His research interest is the pathology of tumor progression in lung cancer and will be conducting the project: "Anti-Tumor Peptide for the Treatment of Lung Cancer." This research will contribute to the understanding of peptides acting as anti-cancer drugs The long-term goal is to develop an innovative treatment that will slow or stop the spread of lung cancer into other parts of the body.

Dr. Mohammad Shamma, pulmonary medicine fellow, which will evaluate PET scans for mediastinal staging of non-small cell lung cancer in a histoplasmosis endemic region. The focus of this study is to determine the accuracy cost-effectiveness of PET scans in areas that have high degrees of histoplasmosis, a fungal infection, compared to regions that do not. Shamma completed his residency at Mercy Hospital and the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Chicago (2002) and earned his medical degree from the University of Mosul College of Medicine in Mosol, Iraq (1995).

About the American Lung Association
Celebrating its 100th anniversary, the American Lung Association works to prevent lung disease and promote lung health. Lung diseases and breathing problems are the leading causes of infant deaths in the United States today, and asthma is the leading serious chronic childhood illness. Smoking remains the nation's leading preventable cause of death. Lung disease death rates continue to increase while other leading causes of death have declined.

The American Lung Association has long funded vital research on the causes and treatments for lung disease. It is the foremost defender of the Clean Air Act and laws that protect citizens from secondhand smoke. The Lung Association teaches children the dangers of tobacco use and helps teenage and adult smokers overcome addiction. It educates children and adults living with lung diseases on managing their condition. With the generous support of the public, the American Lung Association is "Improving life, one breath at a time."