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Craig Palmer Hersh, M.D.

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Biography
Harvard College, Cambridge, MAAB06/1993Biochemical Sciences
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PAMD06/1997Medicine
Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MAMPH06/2004Quantitative Methods
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA06/2000Internal Medicine Residency
Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA06/2004Pulmonary and Critical Care Fellowship
Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA06/2005Respiratory Epidemiology Fellowship

Overview
I am a physician-scientist trained in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine and Genetic Epidemiology. I am an Associate Physician in the Channing Division of Network Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) and an Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School. My research uses the tools of clinical epidemiology, genetics, and genomics to understand chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) phenotypes and treatment responses, moving towards personalized medicine for this heterogeneous disease. I am the Principal Investigator of several ancillary studies to the COPDGene Study, funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), and I am the co-director of the COPDGene Clinical Center at BWH. My clinical practice focuses on COPD and emphysema, including the overlap between COPD and asthma, as well as Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency, a genetic form of COPD.

Mentoring
Available: 04/05/22, Expires: 06/01/23

My research uses the tools of clinical epidemiology and genetics to understand chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) phenotypes and treatment responses, moving towards personalized medicine for this heterogeneous disease. We are particularly interested in clinically-relevant COPD subtypes, such as patients with frequent exacerbations, airway disease, and the overlapping diagnoses of asthma and COPD. Most of the research is centered within the COPDGene Study, a multi-center longitudinal study of smokers with and without COPD. We are able to leverage the wealth of clinical information, chest CT scans, genetic and biomarker data within COPDGene to examine multiple research questions.

Available: 12/01/22, Expires: 12/01/24

My lab studies the genetic epidemiology of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Most of my research is within the COPDGene Study, a longitudinal study of over 10,000 current and former smokers followed for more than 10 years. In addition, we utilize other large studies, such as the Lung Tissue Research Consortium. My group's approach to COPD genetic epidemiology is to start with a clinical question, then try to understand the epidemiology, such as disease phenotypes and subtypes. Then we incorporate genomics and biomarkers. There are multiple potential projects analyzing these datasets, which can last a few months to a year or longer. Previous short-term projects included associating vitamin D deficiency with COPD symptoms and chest CT scan findings. A previous medical student completed a cluster analysis of COPD subjects using blood protein biomarkers. There are opportunities for other epidemiology projects, studying COPD exacerbations for example, and analysis of RNA-sequencing and biomarker datasets. The student would be responsible for data analysis, with supervision from the PI and other lab members. Prior experience with statistical programming, particularly using R, is beneficial. The work can be done remotely.


Research
The research activities and funding listed below are automatically derived from NIH ExPORTER and other sources, which might result in incorrect or missing items. Faculty can login to make corrections and additions.
  1. R01HL168663 (RUCZINSKI, INGO) Jul 16, 2024 - Apr 30, 2028
    NIH
    Defining the Role of Viral Infections and Autoantibodies in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Progression
    Role: Co-Principal Investigator
  2. R01HL166231 (HERSH, CRAIG P) Jun 1, 2023 - May 31, 2027
    NIH
    Defining a gene expression signature of airway disease, COPD exacerbations, and response to treatment
    Role: Principal Investigator
  3. R01HL157879 (BENOS, PANAGIOTIS V) Jul 1, 2021 - Jun 30, 2025
    NIH
    COPD SUBTYPES AND EARLY PREDICTION USING INTEGRATIVE PROBABILISTIC GRAPHICAL MODELS R01HL157879
    Role: Co-Principal Investigator
  4. R01HL130512 (HERSH, CRAIG P) Mar 1, 2016 - Feb 28, 2021
    NIH
    SYSTEMS GENOMICS OF THE ASTHMA-COPD OVERLAP SYNDROME
    Role: Principal Investigator
  5. R01HL125583 (HERSH, CRAIG P) Sep 1, 2015 - Dec 31, 2020
    NIH
    INTEGRATIVE GENOMICS OF CLINICAL SUBTYPES IN COPDGENE
    Role: Principal Investigator

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Funded by the NIH National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences through its Clinical and Translational Science Awards Program, grant number UL1TR002541.