Physician Investigator (Cl) Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Mass General Research Institute

Reginald Jenney Associate Professor of Anaesthesia Harvard Medical School

Assistant Anesthetist Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital

MD University of Milan 1999

MD Universita Degli Studi Di Milano 1999

acute respiratory distress syndrome; airway inflammation; disinfectants; equipment contamination; gravitation; intubation intratracheal; nitric oxide donors; respiration artificial; ventilator-associated pneumonia; ventilators mechanical

Research Areas

• Alterations of the Nitric Oxide Physiology in the presence of circulation plasma cell-free hemoglobin.
• Emerging approaches in the prevention of Ventilator Acquired Pneumonia.
• Characteristics of the inflmmatory response of patients undergoing surgical procedures.
• Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS).

Description of Research

In my early research career I worked at the National Institutes of Health, under the supervision of my mentor Dr. Theodore Kolobow (2000-2005). We developed several new methods and medical devices to avoid aspiration and ventilator associated pneumonia: such as novel rotating beds, care of intubated patients, novel endotracheal tube designs, new methods of ventilation, and novel approach to prevent bacterial colonization of the respiratory tract. In animal models we experimented and successfully showed feasibility and efficacy of those methods.

In order to test these hypotheses and other novel approaches to prevent lung injury in mechanically ventilated patients, Dr. Robert Kacmarek and I established a Respiratory and Critical Care Research Team in the department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine at Mass General. Under the mentorship of Dr. Warren Zapol, I also expanded my studies on the role of transfusion and hemolysis on hemodynamics, inflammation, endothelial dysfunction and organ dysfunction.