Research

Overview

The Pediatric Pulmonary Division at the University of Florida is very active in basic, clinical, and translational research.

The division has an outstanding track record in asthma research through its collaboration with the College of Pharmacy. Our faculty members have successfully published numerous works studying new asthma therapies, treatment regimens, and investigator-initiated proofs of concept in asthma management. With the newly established Pediatric Asthma Center of Excellence (PACE), new asthma projects are underway to study protocol-driven asthma care and to explore the new field of personalized asthma care.

The division has been recently approved to be a Therapeutic Development Network (TDN) Cystic Fibrosis Center. TDN is a nationwide network of research centers designated by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation as testing sites for the purpose of facilitating safe, rapid and coordinated evaluation of new treatments for cystic fibrosis.

Our faculty members actively collaborate with other UF departments on several innovative fields of cystic fibrosis (CF) research that include studying airway microbiome, new diagnostic methods for detecting airway microbiology and novel therapies targeting calcium chloride channels.

Finally, our division is also involved in gene therapy research, mainly related to the effect of retrograde gene therapy on airway patency in mouse model of Pompe’s disease.


Research Projects

Understanding the Lives of Youth with Chronic Illness Using Video Intervention/Prevention Assessment

“Understanding the Lives of Youth with Cystic Fibrosis (CF),” is a qualitative research study that also has value for teaching, spreading awareness of CF and empowering teens in their own care. Teens with CF are loaned camcorders and asked to “show us what life is like outside the hospital.” They also talk to the camcorder as though it were a diary. Videotapes are transcribed and coded into themes. We are currently identifying themes related to adherence and views of CF and CF treatments.

View a list of the research assistants who made the program possible


Contact Us

Dawn Baker, APRN
Research Coordinator

Pediatric Pulmonary Division
University of Florida
Email: bakerdj@peds.ufl.edu
Phone: (352) 273-8380