Division of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine and Physiology Faculty

David Hsia, MD

David Hsia, MD

Division Chief – Dr. Hsia is Professor of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Director of Bronchoscopy and Interventional Pulmonary Services, and current Division Chief of the Division of Respiratory & Critical Care Medicine and Physiology at Harbor-UCLA. He attended the Keck School of Medicine at USC for Medical School, St. Mary Medical Center for residency, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center for Pulmonary/Critical Care fellowship, and then National Jewish Health for Interventional Pulmonology fellowship training. He is currently site PI for several multi-center trials investigating bronchoscopy interventions for patients with chronic respiratory disease through the Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA. He is involved with education efforts for IP and general PCCM procedure training through the AABIP, ACCP, and ATS.

 

 

Charles Lanks, MD

Fellowship Program Director – Dr. Lanks is Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Director of the Director of the Medical-Respiratory ICU, and Program Director for the Pulmonary & Critical Care fellowship program at Harbor-UCLA. He completed his undergraduate training at Columbia University’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences studying applied physics. He went on to receive his medical degree from the State University of New York in Brooklyn and completed his Internal Medicine residency, chief residency and Pulmonary and Critical Care fellowship training at Harbor-UCLA. He completed a fellowship in Medical Education at UCLA and his academic interests include mechanical ventilation, respiratory physiology, point-of-care ultrasound and the use of novel monitoring devices in critically ill patients.

 

 

Asghar Abbasi, PhD

Dr. Abbasi is an Investigator at the Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center and an Assistant Professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. He received a PhD in Exercise Immunology and completed postdoctoral trainings in Neuroimmunology (The Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research at University Hospital Tübingen, Germany), Neurobiology of Aging (MIND institute at UC Irvine), and Respiratory Medicine and Physiology (The Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA medical center). His research centers on the immunological mechanisms by which exercise improves chronic lung disease such as COPD.

 

 

 

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Richard Casaburi, PhD, MD

Dr. Casaburi is Professor of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and the Alvin Grancell/Mary Burns Chair in the Rehabilitative Sciences at the Lundquist Institute. In 1999, Dr. Casaburi established the Rehabilitation Clinical Trials Center, a clinical research facility dedicated to improving the lives of COPD patients. Since then, over 80 clinical research studies have been completed, including participation in three major NIH multicenter projects. Dr. Casaburi pursued a doctorate in biomedical engineering from Rennselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), before completing a post-doctoral fellowship in biomedical engineering at USC. Five years after joining the Department of Medicine faculty at Harbor-UCLA, Dr. Casaburi left to pursue his MD at the University of Miami School of Medicine. He returned to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, where he completed internship, residency and pulmonary fellowship and rejoined the faculty. He was Chief of the Division from 1998-2004. He lists over 350 publications and has received national and international recognition for his contributions to the scientific basis for pulmonary rehabilitation, exercise science and COPD therapeutics.

 

 

Christiana Hayward, MD

Dr. Hayward is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, and a recent addition to the faculty. A Louisiana native and a graduate of Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Shreveport, she attended Baylor College of Medicine for her Internal Medicine residency, completing a year as Chief Medical Resident. She then completed her fellowship in Pulmonary Critical Care Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, serving as Chief Fellow her final two years of training. While a senior fellow, she completed the prestigious David Geffen Medical Education Fellowship, focusing on the creation of a novel simulated mechanical ventilation curriculum for residents rotating in the West Los Angeles VA Medical ICU. Her academic interests include airways disease and medical education, with a focus on curriculum development. Outside of her career, she enjoys camping, baking, reading, and spending time with her husband and dogs.

 

 

 

Tom DeCato, MD

Dr. DeCato is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and Director of the Pulmonary Function Lab. He obtained his undergraduate degree in Neuroscience and then his medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. DeCato then completed internal medicine residency at the University of Washington and pulmonary and critical care fellowship at the University of Utah. His academic interests include pulmonary and exercise physiology, gas-exchange, and the application of pulmonary function testing and exercise testing to better patient care.

 

 

 

Carrie Ferguson, PhD

Dr. Ferguson is an Investigator at the Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, and co-director of the cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) core laboratory. Dr. Ferguson obtained her PhD in Exercise Physiology from the University of Leeds in the UK. Her research focuses on understanding the mechanisms of exercise intolerance and strategies to ameliorate exercise limitations in those with chronic disease. This includes application of novel CPET techniques.

 

 

 

 

Nicholas Jendzjowsky, PhD

Dr. Jendzjowsky’s laboratory focuses on the interplay between the autonomic nervous system and immune function in the lung. His goal is to develop a detailed mechanistic understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms of how nerves sense and interact with lung immune responses to allergens and bacteria. His hope is to gain new insight into this interaction with the goal of generating new therapeutics for asthma and bacterial lung infection by targeting the neural response. To this end, his laboratory utilizes, clinically relevant mouse and rat models of asthma and bacterial lung infection incorporating a variety of physiological, electrophysiological, microbiological, immunological and imaging approaches.

 

 

 

Janos Porszasz, MD, PhD

Janos Porszasz, MD, PhD

Dr. Porszasz is a Professor of Medicine (Retired) at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Co-Director of the Pulmonary and Exercise Physiology and CPET Core-Laboratory at the Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA. His interests include exercise testing methodology and mechanisms of exercise limitation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In his role as Co-Director of the Central CPET Core Laboratory, Dr. Porszasz serves multicenter clinical trials utilizing Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing and Quality Control.

 

 

 

Harry Rossiter, PhD

Dr. Rossiter is an Investigator at the Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center and Professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. He received a PhD in physiology from the University of London and completed postdoctoral training in respiratory physiology and medicine at UCSD. He has authored over 130 peer-reviewed papers and 6 book chapters. He conducts clinical and translational research in respiratory medicine and exercise physiology, with the goal of improving the lives of those with exercise intolerance.

 

 

 

 

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Kathy E. Sietsema, MD

Dr. Sietsema is Professor of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and former Division Chief. She attended Northwestern University School of Medicine, had post-graduate training at the University of California, Davis and the University of Washington, and fellowship training in pulmonary medicine at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. Her academic interests are in the area of exercise physiology and the use of exercise testing in clinical and research applications related to patients with chronic disease. She is the current organizer for the Practicum in Exercise Testing and Interpretation, a post-graduate conference established by Drs. Wasserman and Whipp conducted twice yearly at Harbor-UCLA continuously since 1982.

 

 

 

William Stringer, MD

William Stringer, MD

Dr. Stringer is Professor of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. He attended the University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, and did internal medicine residency and fellowship training in pulmonary medicine at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. Dr. Stringer is former Chair, Department of Medicine, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center and former Division Chief of the Division of Respiratory Critical Care Medicine and Physiology. His interests include exercise physiology and gas exchange, and quality improvement.

 

 

 

 

Darryl Y. Sue, MD

Darryl Y. Sue, MD

Dr. Sue is Emeritus Professor of Clinical Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. He attended the University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, and had post-graduate training in internal medicine and pulmonary medicine at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. For 23 years, Dr. Sue was Program Director for the internal medicine residency at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.  With other members of the Division, he is a co-author for all six editions of “Principles of Exercise Testing and Interpretation,” and three editions of “Current Critical Care Diagnosis and Treatment.” He served on the editorial boards of CHEST and the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. Interests include the clinical application of CPET and teaching the physiology of mechanical ventilation and respiratory failure.

 

 

Janine R.E. Vintch, MD

Janine R.E. Vintch, MD

Dr. Vintch is Professor of Clinical Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. She completed her undergraduate training at UCLA. She went on to receive her medical degree at USC and completed her Internal Medicine residency, chief residency, and Pulmonary and Critical Care fellowship at Harbor-UCLA.  After completing her fellowship, she pursued additional training in Sleep Medicine and is the Medical Director of our Sleep Center Services. She developed the Pulmonary Embolism Response Team (PERT) and participates in the University of California Alliance for Pulmonary Embolism (UCAPE).  She is a member of a team of experts who published the 2016 updated antithrombotic therapy guidelines in 2016 as well as the upcoming revision of this document in a “living guideline” format.  She has been involved in the Professional Staff Association leadership for over 18 years and is currently serving as the President. Her areas of academic interest include anticoagulation and venous thromboembolic disease. Outside of medicine, she enjoys traveling, reading non-medical related books, and spending time with her boys and dogs.

 

Nathan Yee, MD

Nathan Yee, MD

Dr. Yee is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Director of Ambulatory Pulmonary Services, and Associate Program Director for the Pulmonary & Critical Care fellowship at Harbor-UCLA. He attended the University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine and completed his internal medicine residency and chief residency at the University of Washington. He went on to train at the University of California, Los Angeles for his Pulmonary & Critical Care fellowship. His academic interests include obstructive airways diseases and care of chronic respiratory conditions in under-resourced systems. Additionally, he enjoys teaching trainees and maintains clinical interests in interstitial lung disease and end of life care in critically ill patients.