# Respiratory Viral Determinants of Chronic Lung Allograft Dysfunction

> **NIH NIH K23** · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · 2022 · $53,780

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
This K23 supplement proposal continues a five-year research training program that will foster Dr. Fisher’s
transition into an independent clinically-oriented academic researcher, focusing on viral infections in transplant
recipients. Her long-term objective is to improve outcomes following transplantation by performing translational
research to define the role of viral infections in chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD). The parent K23
award has provided her support to improve her knowledge in three major areas: 1) prospective cohort design
and enrollment, 2) pulmonary transplant, and 3) statistical analysis and modeling of complex data sets. She
has assembled an outstanding group of mentors who have expertise in virology, transplant, pulmonology,
immunology, epidemiology, and biostatistics. This proposal will provide additional support to complete her K23
research and to overall allow her to continue her transition into an independent academic researcher.
Dr. Fisher’s goal in this proposal mirrors her parent K23: to define how specific viral and host characteristics,
and early pulmonary functional changes, associate with CLAD development in LTR with respiratory virus
infection (RVI). In the first aim, Dr. Fisher has been prospectively enrolling LTR with symptomatic RVI and
collecting frequent longitudinal nasal swabs, using a patient self-collection method, and home spirometry. She
will: 1) characterize the detailed virologic course of symptomatic RVI in LTR, including virus type, peak viral
load, duration of shedding, rate of viral load change, and area under the curve, 2) define the course of early
lung function changes after RVI, as evidenced by the forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), and 3)
analyze the association between virologic characteristics and early decline in FEV1. In her second aim, she will
use the detailed virologic information from her first aim to identify specific viral and host determinants of CLAD
in LTR with symptomatic RVI. In her third aim, she will analyze the detailed spirometry data to assess how the
degree and magnitude of early decline in FEV1 after RVI is related to subsequent development of CLAD.
Through accomplishing the aims in this proposal, Dr. Fisher will identify virologic, host, and early FEV1
characteristics associated with RVI that can predict subsequent development of CLAD. She will also refine a
self-collection method that can be used for future longitudinal RVI studies and provide critical background data
on the virologic course of RVI that can be used for the rational design of future interventional trials of novel
antiviral agents. Ultimately, this proposal will allow Dr. Fisher to hone her skills as a clinical investigator and
transition into an independent researcher who will advance our understanding of viral infections in transplant
recipients to improve patient outcomes.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10629762
- **Project number:** 3K23HL143050-05S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
- **Principal Investigator:** Cynthia E Fisher
- **Activity code:** K23 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $53,780
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2018-08-01 → 2024-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10629762

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10629762, Respiratory Viral Determinants of Chronic Lung Allograft Dysfunction (3K23HL143050-05S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10629762. Licensed CC0.

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