In this episode, Dr. Shanda Blackmon, Executive Director of the Baylor College of Medicine Lung Institute, and Dr. Sunjay Devarajan explore bronchiectasis, a chronic and heterogeneous lung condition that often represents a common endpoint for many underlying diseases. They discuss how the disease develops, its varied clinical presentations, and the importance of identifying and treating underlying causes such as rheumatoid arthritis.

The conversation highlights treatment strategies including airway clearance therapy, considerations for surgical intervention, and emerging approaches that target inflammation. The episode also examines promising research into pure anti–neutrophil elastase treatments and their potential role in the future of bronchiectasis care.

Baylor College of Medicine Lung Institute (713)798-LUNG

Dr. Shanda Blackman, Executive Director of the Lung Institute, introduces Dr. Taylor Ripley, a leading expert in thoracic surgery and lung cancer research. Dr. Ripley specializes in complex conditions such as mesothelioma, esophageal cancer, and mediastinal masses. In their discussion, they focus on mesothelioma, a rare cancer often caused by asbestos exposure, highlighting its causes, latency period, and diagnostic challenges. Dr. Ripley explains how mesothelioma typically affects the chest lining and shares insights into patient evaluation, including the importance of fluid analysis and surgical biopsy for accurate diagnosis. The conversation also touches on environmental risks and historical exposure, emphasizing the ongoing relevance of mesothelioma in clinical practice and research.

Baylor College of Medicine Lung Institute (713)798-LUNG

Dr. Shanda Blackmon, Executive Director of the Baylor College of Medicine Lung Institute, interviews Dr. Philip Alapat. Dr. Alapat is an expert and leader within the Sleep Section of the Pulmonary Division at Baylor College of Medicine. Together, they explore how sleep affects daily life, memory, and health. They discuss how to optimize lung health and sleep. Dr. Alapat gives tips from his years of experience coaching patients to enhance their sleep. He discusses specific disorders of sleep and ways to medically treat diseases that affect sleep. Stay with us as we explore with a deep dive into sleep from the Baylor College of Medicine Lung Institute "On Air" Podcast.

Baylor College of Medicine Lung Institute (713)798-LUNG

Dr. Shanda Blackmon, Executive Director of the Baylor College of Medicine Lung Institute, interviews Dr. Julina Ongkasuwan about her work with restoring function to the vocal folds. Patients who suffer from loss of voice due to injury to the recurrent laryngeal nerve. Dr. Ongkasuwan is one of only a few surgeons in the world who has extensive experience transferring nerves to the recurrent laryngeal nerve to restore voice, prevent aspiration and protect the lungs.

Baylor College of Medicine Lung Institute (713)798-LUNG

The Baylor College of Medicine Lung Institute Podcast Series "On Air" podcast episode 2, includes our executive director, Dr. Shanda Blackmon, interviewing Dr. Gabriel Loor about Lung Transplantation.

Baylor College of Medicine Lung Institute (713)798-LUNG

The Baylor College of Medicine Lung Institute Podcast Series "On Air" first podcast episode includes our executive director, Dr. Shanda Blackmon, interviewing Dr. Cyrus Vahdatpour about the Pulmonary Hypertension Center.

Baylor College of Medicine Lung Institute (713)798-LUNG