Dr. Brian Kavanagh

Lab Description 

The laboratory is housed in the Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning at the Hospital for Sick Children, and consists of facilities for studying lung and cardiovascular physiology in large and small animals, in vivo and ex vivo lung perfusion, mechanical ventilation, and a full range of molecular studies and assays.
 

Research Focus

We investigate how mechanical ventilation (a life-saving intervention) can sometimes contribute to injuring the lungs of critically ill patients. Our work has identified specific genes that are activated by mechanical ventilation, confirmed that soluble mediators can initiate (and worsen) injury mechanical ventilation, and investigated how younger lungs may be less susceptible to injury than older ones. We have demonstrated that addition of carbon dioxide to inspired gas can be protective in some circumstances and have reported how application of negative-pressure ventilation may lessen injury and improve oxygenation.

Selected Publications

1. M Cereda, Y Xin, N Meeder, J Zeng, Y Jiang, H Hamedani, H Profka, S Kadlecek, J Clapp, CG Deshpande, J Wu, JC Gee, BP Kavanagh, R Rizi. Visualizing the propagation of acute lung injury. Anesthesiology 2015 In Press
2. A Tosoni, G LaRotta, C Breatnach, V Anand, C Foreman, L Davidson, AN Redington, BP Kavanagh. Oxygen delivery and consumption are independent:  Evidence from venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in resuscitated children. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 192:765-7, 2015
3. C Yildiz, N Palaniyar, G Otulakowski, MA Khan, M Post, W Kuebler, AK Tanswell, R Belcastro, A Masood, D Engelberts, BP Kavanagh. Mechanical ventilation induces neutrophil extracellular trap formation. Anesthesiology 122:864-75, 2015
4. G Otulakowski, D Engelberts, GA Gusarova, J Bhattacharya, M Post, BP Kavanagh. Hypercapnia attenuates ventilator induced lung injury via a disintegrin and metalloprotease-17. Journal of Physiology 592:4507-21, 2014
5. T Jaecklin, D Engelberts, G Otulakowski, H O’Brodovich, M Post, BP Kavanagh. Lung-derived soluble mediators are pathogenic in ventilator-induced lung injury. American Journal of Physiology-Lung Cell Mol Physiol  300:L648-658, 2011