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Silent Zones of Lung Disease in COPD

Award Number: K01HL163249
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL HEART, LUNG, & BLOOD INSTITUTE
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: TRAINING/TRAINEESHIP
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 01/01/2023
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 12/31/2027

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Silent Zones of Lung Disease in COPD - Project Summary: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States and is associated with substantial respiratory morbidity. COPD is characterized by spirometric airflow obstruction due to structural changes in lung parenchyma (emphysema) and airways. However, there exists a marked discordance between spirometry diagnosis and presence of emphysema on CT. Emphysema on inspiratory CT is defined by low-density areas <-950 Hounsfield Units (HU). By anatomically matching inspiratory and expiratory CT scans through image registration, we derived a CT measure of lung elasticity termed the Jacobian determinant of lung deformation (J) which is a point-by-point measure of lung expansion and contraction during respiration. We hypothesize that the CT-based lung mechanics will enable identification of regions that appear normal per traditional CT density criteria but are mechanically compromised during respiration. We will test the “Silent Zones” hypothesis by evaluating 10,300 current and former smokers enrolled in the Genetic Epidemiology of COPD (COPDGene) cohort with the following specific aims. In Aim 1, we will quantify Silent Zones by matching inspiratory and expiratory CT scans and to determine their associations with lung function, respiratory quality of life and functional capacity. In Aim 2, we will use 6,284 subjects who completed a second COPDGene visit after 5-years to quantify the percentage of Silent Zones progressed into emphysematous areas and also to determine the prognostic utility of Silent Zones by testing their association with FEV1 decline and mortality. In Aim 3, we will develop a deep convolutional neural network to identify Silent Zones directly from inspiratory CT scans, thus avoiding the computationally intensive image matching process. I will utilize this proposal to acquire advanced training in biostatistics, lung physiology, deep learning, parallel computing for large medical cohorts. The opportunities created by this Career Development Award will provide me with a clearly delineated path to acquire expertise and develop a research niche in the field of COPD. The aims of this research proposal and career development plan are possible through the active mentorship of Dr. Surya Bhatt, a leading expert in lung imaging research and the Director of UAB Lung Imaging Lab and Dr. Arie Nakhmani, an expert in computer vision, image registration, and machine learning methodologies. The proposed study will provide me with the skill set to achieve my long-term goal of an independent career in translational research focusing on medical imaging and machine learning applications for COPD.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2026 ( Subtotal = $169,357 )
2026	2026	UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM	701 S 20TH STREET	BIRMINGHAM	AL	35294	JEFFERSON	USA	Lung Diseases Research	000	4	1/30/2026	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$169,357
														Subtotal = $169,357

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = $167,737 )
2025	2025	UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM	701 S 20TH STREET	BIRMINGHAM	AL	35294	JEFFERSON	USA	Lung Diseases Research	000	3	12/13/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$167,737
														Subtotal = $167,737

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $168,237 )
2024	2024	UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM	701 S 20TH STREET	BIRMINGHAM	AL	35294	JEFFERSON	USA	Lung Diseases Research	000	2	12/14/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$168,237
														Subtotal = $168,237

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $168,437 )
2023	2023	UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM	701 S 20TH ST	BIRMINGHAM	AL	35294	JEFFERSON	USA	Lung Diseases Research	000	1	12/30/2022	NEW	$168,437
														Subtotal = $168,437

Grand Total All Awards = $673,768

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Silent Zones of Lung Disease in COPD

Award Number: K01HL163249

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL HEART, LUNG, & BLOOD INSTITUTE

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: TRAINING/TRAINEESHIP

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 01/01/2023

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 12/31/2027

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