Project Title: Factors Responsible for the Development of Pulmonary Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 Infection (PASC) in Hawaii
Project Lead: Gehan Devendra, MD
Status: Assistant Professor
Dept: Medicine, John A. Burns School of Medicine
Gehan Devendra MD Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Director of Medical Education- Critical Care University of Hawaii Internal Medicine Residency Program. Dr Devendra has spent his career as a clinical educator for internal medicine residents both at the University of Hawaii and previously at University of California Davis (Kaiser site). He has considerable expertise in the ICU care of COVID-19 patients. The profound disparities in the demographics of the population afflicted with severe COVID-19 inspired Dr Devendra to search for answers which led him to partner with Dr Juwon Park and collaborate on Ola HAWAII grant.
Name: Juwon Park, PhD
Status: Assistant Professor
Dept: Department of Tropical Medicine, Medical Microbiology and Pharmacology, John A. Burns School of Medicine
Dr. Park’s primary research interests center on exploring the cellular crosstalk that coordinates the development and progression of lung fibrosis.
In 2020, she joined at Hawaii Center for AIDS (HICFA) as a research team member, allowing her to pursue translational research focused on the impact of neutrophils in HIV-associated comorbidities. She and Dr. Devendra has initiated in Long COVID research, investigating long-term SARS-CoV-2 immune response after recovery and the association between decrements of pulmonary function and innate immune response.
Project Summary: This study will be to elucidate pathophysiologic role of monocytes in the development and persistence of pulmonary Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection and how macro-social and psychological determinants may influence these biological mechanisms.