Faculty, fellows and students present at American Thoracic Society International Conference

Natalie Bauer, Ph.D., presents a symposium

lecture on pulmonary hypertension.

The Whiddon College of Medicine was well represented at the American Thoracic Society (ATS) International Conference in San Francisco, which drew nearly 14,000 physicians and scientists from around the world. 

Natalie Bauer, Ph.D., an associate professor of pharmacology and a member of the USA Center for Lung Biology, was invited to give a symposium lecture. The symposium, “Pulmonary Hypertension: Unraveling cellular phenotype shifts across the timeline of disease progression,” was organized by a group of internationally recognized investigators in pulmonary hypertension.

Bauer’s talk, titled “Signaling Symphony: Extracellular Vesicles and the Molecular Ballet of Pulmonary Hypertension,” focused on her work using extracellular vesicles to repair lung blood vessels in the disease pulmonary arterial hypertension. 

“Our innovative approach, using extracellular vesicles derived from pulmonary endothelial cells, to target potentially healing signaling to the pulmonary circulation is an emerging field,” she said. “Extracellular vesicles were identified in blood in the ’60s but only with the advent of modern technologies have we been able to isolate, identify and harness the power of these tiny circulating vesicles.” 

Bauer has had a longstanding interest in the endothelial function in both health and disease. “This is coupled with the unique aspects of the pulmonary circulation and its responses to stimuli such as hypoxia that set it apart physiologically from every other circulation,” she said. “This driving biological interest ultimately led me to the study of pulmonary arterial hypertension.” 

This deadly disease currently has no cure and minimal treatment. “Fundamentally, what drives our lab is the desire to improve the lives and outcomes for pulmonary hypertension patients,” she added. 

Reece Stevens, Ph.D.

Jamie Meegan, Ph.D., an assistant professor of physiology and cell biology and a member of the USA Center for Lung Biology, presented a poster at the conference. The poster detailed her lab’s recent work measuring circulating levels of oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) and its scavenger receptor soluble lectin-like oxidized LDL receptor 1 (sLOX-1) in patients with sepsis. 

“We evaluated the levels of these markers and their associations with vascular injury and inflammatory markers as well as diagnoses of vascular disease,” Meegan said. “While we didn't find any significant associations with vascular injury markers, higher levels of sLOX-1 were associated with diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia, and levels of oxLDL and sLOX-1 were associated with changes in inflammatory markers.”

Tyese Pritchett

Meegan also participated in a panel discussion, “‘'I Got Lost on the Way to Orientation’ and Other Tales of Starting a Lab.” The panel answered questions from the audience about transitioning to a faculty position in academic medicine. 

Ji Young Lee, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of physiology and cell biology, associate professor of internal medicine, and a member of the USA Center for Lung Biology; Reece Stevens, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow; and Sagar Kumar, M.D., a pulmonary/critical care fellow, presented posters on the mechanisms of pH regulation and metabolism of the pulmonary circulation. 

Tyese Pritchett, a Ph.D. student in the Basic Medical Sciences Graduate Program, presented a poster about the effects of repeated airway exposure to monoethanolamine, a CO2 scrubbing agent. 

Founded in 1905, the American Thoracic Society is the world's leading medical society dedicated to accelerating the advancement of global respiratory health through multidisciplinary collaboration, education, and advocacy. The ATS and its more than 16,000 members are committed to improving global health by advancing research, patient care, and public health in pulmonary disease, critical illness, and sleep disorders. 

Primary Care Pathway student hosts statewide podcast about shortage of maternity care providers

Kaitlyn Riggins, a second-year medical student in the Primary Care Pathway, hosted an insightful episode of Amplify Family Medicine, the official podcast of the Alabama Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). Riggins is a student member of the AAFP. 

In the episode, Riggins interviews Cathy Lavender, M.D., director of the Family Medicine Obstetrics Division at the University of Alabama College of Community Health Sciences, and John Waits, M.D., CEO of Cahaba Medical Care, to discuss the vital role of family medicine obstetricians. Together, they explore topics like combating the maternity care crisis in rural Alabama, balancing malpractice insurance costs, advice for medical students, and the future of family medicine. 

Listen to the inspiring conversation about advancing healthcare in underserved communities. 

Wagner honored with ATS Pulmonary Circulation Assembly’s Lifetime Leadership Award

Wiltz W. Wagner Jr., Ph.D.

Wiltz W. Wagner Jr., Ph.D., professor emeritus in the Whiddon College of Medicine Department of Pharmacology and the Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, was recently recognized by the American Thoracic Society (ATS) Pulmonary Circulation Assembly. He received the Lifetime Leadership Award – a prestigious, unique honor – during the ATS International Conference in San Francisco.

Wagner began his career in the early 1960s studying the pulmonary circulation under Robert F. Grover, M.D., Ph.D., in Denver, Colorado. He earned his Ph.D. in physiology and biophysics from Colorado State University in 1974, and went on to complete a postdoctoral research fellowship at the University of Colorado. 

Much of Wagner’s work has focused on the lung’s microscopic gas exchange vessels and how blood flow is regulated in the capillaries. He developed a pioneering method to study capillary blood flow directly in the living lung. His lab’s innovations in fluorescence microscopy, laser lighting, and computer image enhancement produced unique data still being analyzed with state-of-the-art mathematical techniques.

After decades of studying the healthy lung, Wagner’s research expanded to conditions such as sickle cell disease, liver cirrhosis, low-oxygen environments, and white blood cell abnormalities — each of which affects pulmonary gas exchange. In a related breakthrough, he developed the only existing theory that explains why some species develop pulmonary hypertension at high altitudes. His interest in exercise physiology also led to early research on athletic amenorrhea. A prolific scholar, Wagner has published more than 130 scientific papers and 160 abstracts.

Wagner joined the University of South Alabama in 2005 as a faculty member in the USA Center for Lung Biology and the Basic Medical Sciences Graduate Program. He also holds the titles of V.K. Stoelting Chair in Anesthesiology Emeritus and professor emeritus of physiology and biophysics at Indiana University School of Medicine.

Mark Gillespie, Ph.D., professor of pharmacology at the Whiddon College of Medicine, introduced Wagner before the award presentation. Gillespie completed his postdoctoral fellowship in the Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Research Laboratory at the University of Colorado under Wagner’s mentorship. In his remarks, Gillespie highlighted key moments from Wagner’s long career as a researcher, educator, mentor and historian. 

Among his many leadership roles within the ATS, Wagner served two terms as chair of the Pulmonary Circulation Assembly (1999–2003). Since 1990, he has also served on the steering committee of The Grover Conference, the only international meeting in North America repeatedly focusing on subjects relevant to lung vascular biology and medicine.

Learn more about the ATS Pulmonary Circulation Assembly.