Clement L. Ren, M.D.

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Description of Research

My research activities are focused in three areas: (1) the application of novel methods of pulmonary function tests (PFTs) in infants and young children to clinical and translational studies of pediatric respiratory disease, (2) Cystic fibrosis (CF) epidemiology, and (3) multicenter clinical trials.

We have two main areas of disease focus for our PFT research, CF and viral bronchiolitis.

Our CF projects include:

1. Lung Function Measures in Young Children with CF (OM0004). This is a CF Foundation sponsored observational study that compares three different PFT techniques in young children with CF: modified spirometry, respiratory inductive plethysmography (RIP), and forced oscillometry (FO).

2. Effect of Dornase alfa on Lung Function in Young Children with CF. This study is funded by Genentech and administered by the Therapeutics Development Network of the CFF. The goal of this pilot study is to determine if Dornase alfa (Pulmozyme) therapy can improve lung function assessed by FO in young children with CF.

3. Lung Function in Infants with CF Diagnosed by Newborn Screening (NBS). In collaboration with the CF Center in Buffalo, we are reviewing our infant PFT data in infants with CF NBS to test the hypothesis that abnormal lung function is present early in life in asymptomatic CF infants.

Our bronchiolitis projects include:

1. Lung Function and Cytokine Production in RSV Bronchiolitis. The goal of this study is to determine the relationship between IL-13 production as measured by intracellular flow cytometry and lung function as measured by the raised volume/rapid thoracoabdominal compression technique.

2. Normal Respiratory Inductive Plethysmography (RIP) Values in Infants. The goal of this study is to create a comprehensive set of RIP values in normal infants.

3. The Effect of Albuterol on Respiratory Function in Infants with Viral Bronchiolitis. This is a randomized placebo controlled trial of albuterol therapy in infants hospitalized with viral bronchiolitis. Respiratory function will be measured using RIP.

Our CF epidemiology research primarily utilizes data from the Epidemiologic Study of Cystic Fibrosis (ESCF), a prospective observational study of CF patients in North America. Using ESCF data, we have studied the effect of inhaled corticosteroid therapy on lung function, the impact of methicillin resistant S. aureus infection on lung function, and the relationship between infant care patterns and outcome. We are also beginning to conduct some analyses using the CF Foundation Patient Registry.

We are involved in a number of clinical trials, primarily in CF. Further information regarding clinical trials can be found at the Division of Pediatric Pulmonology website: http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/pediatrics/research/subspecialty/pulmonology_allergy/Pulmonology_Research.pdf

Specialty

Pulmonology / Allergy

Current Appointments

• George Washington Goler Chair in Pediatrics - Department of Pediatrics (SMD)
• Associate Professor - Department of Pediatrics (SMD)

Education
MD Medicine	University of Chicago, Pritzker Medical School	1987
AB Biophysics	University of California - Berkeley	1983

Post-Doctoral Training & Residency
Pediatric Pulmonology Fellowship, St. Christopher's Hospital for Children, Philadelphia, PA	1994 - 1996
Pediatric Immunology Fellowship, Children's Hospital, Boston, MA	1990 - 1993
Residency in Pediatrics, Children's Hospital, Boston, MA	1987 - 1990

Board Certifications
American Board of Pediatrics, Pediatric Pulmonology	1996 - 2010
American Board of Allergy and Immunology	1993 - 2003
American Board of Pediatrics	1990 - 1997

Recent Journal Articles
Showing the 5 most recent journal articles. (16 available)
R Giusti and the New York State Cystic Fibrosis Newborn Screening Consortium (CL Ren, member). "Elevated IRT levels in african-american infants: implications for newborn screening in an ethnically diverse population." Pediatr Pulmonol 43 (2008): 638–641.
VanDevanter DR; Rasouliyan L; Murphy TM; Morgan WJ; Ren CL; Konstan MW; Wagener JS; . "Trends in the clinical characteristics of the U.S. cystic fibrosis patient population from 1995 to 2005." Pediatric pulmonology. 2008; 43(8):739-44.
Ren CL; Pasta DJ; Rasouliyan L; Wagener JS; Konstan MW; Morgan WJ; . "Relationship between inhaled corticosteroid therapy and rate of lung function decline in children with cystic fibrosis." The Journal of pediatrics. 2008; 153(6):746-51. Epub 2008 Aug 30.
Sawicki GS; Rasouliyan L; Pasta DJ; Regelmann WE; Wagener JS; Waltz DA; Ren CL; . "The impact of incident methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus detection on pulmonary function in cystic fibrosis." Pediatric pulmonology. 2008; 43(11):1117-23.
Padman R; McColley SA; Miller DP; Konstan MW; Morgan WJ; Schechter MS; Ren CL; Wagener JS; . "Infant care patterns at epidemiologic study of cystic fibrosis sites that achieve superior childhood lung function." Pediatrics. 2007; 119(3):e531-7.