Research Summary
Dr. Stephens was trained as a basic scientist studying acute lung injury and the role of protein kinase G and c-Abl kinase-mediated signaling in lung endothelial antioxidant regulation.
He has recently shifted his focus to clinical and translational research in acute respiratory failure, and has two primary areas of interest. The first lies in the management of severe ARDS, with particular focus on the role of advanced modalities such as ECMO. His second research focus is in acute respiratory failure after bone marrow transplant, particularly non-myeloablative haploidentical bone marrow transplantation.
He is an active participant in the Society of Critical Care Medicine Discovery Research Network (formerly the United States Critical Illness and Injury Trials Group), and is a member of the steering committee of the Discovery-Program in Emergency Preparedness (PREP). In addition, he is a member of the North American ECMO Research Network and is on the executive committee of the Oncology Critical Care Research Network (ONCCC-R-NET).
Selected Publications
Stephens RS. "Invited commentary." Ann Thorac Surg. 2015 Feb;99(2):595-6. doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2014.09.031.
Stephens RS, Servinsky LE, Rentsendorj O, Kolb TM, Pfeifer A, Pearse DB. "Protein kinase G increases antioxidant function in lung microvascular endothelial cells by inhibiting the c-Abl tyrosine kinase." Am J Physiol Cell Physiol. 2014 Mar 15;306(6):C559-69. doi: 10.1152/ajpcell.00375.2012. Epub 2014 Jan 8.
Stephens R, Fan E. "Choosing wisely - when to mend a broken heart with ECMO?" Crit Care. 2014 Feb 20;18(1):112. doi: 10.1186/cc13736.
Kim, BS, Serebreni, L, Hamdan, O, Wang, L, Parniani, A, Sussan, T, Stephens, RS, Boyer, L, Damarla, M, Hassoun, PM, and Damico, R. "Xanthine oxidoreductase is a critical mediator of cigarette smoke-induced endothelial cell DNA damage and apoptosis." Free Radical Biology and Medicine. 2013 Jul;60:336-46. doi: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2013.01.023. Epub 2013 Feb 4.
Stephens RS, Shah AS, Whitman GJ. "Lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome after cardiac surgery." Ann Thorac Surg. 2013 Mar;95(3):1122-9. doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2012.10.024. Epub 2013 Jan 23.
Rahimi RA, Skrzat J, Reddy DR, Zanni JM, Fan E, Stephens RS, Needham DM. "Physical rehabilitation of patients in the intensive care unit requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation: a small case series." Phys Ther. 2013 Feb;93(2):248-55. doi: 10.2522/ptj.20120336. Epub 2012 Oct 25.
Anidi IU, Servinsky LE, Rentsendorj O, Stephens RS, Scott AL, Pearse DB. "CD36 and Fyn kinase mediate malaria-induced lung endothelial barrier dysfunction in mice infected with Plasmodium berghei." PLoS One. 2013 Aug 15;8(8):e71010. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0071010. eCollection 2013.
Stephens, RS, Rentsendorj, O, Servinsky, LE, Moldobaeva, A, Damico, R, Pearse DB. "cGMP increases anti-oxidant function and attenuates oxidant cell death in mouse lung microvascular endothelial cells by a protein kinase G-dependent mechanism." Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol. 2010 Sep;299(3):L323-33. doi: 10.1152/ajplung.00442.2009. Epub 2010 May 7.
Petrache, I, Diab, K, Knox, KS, Twigg, HL, Stephens, RS, Flores, S, Tuder, RM. "HIV-associated pulmonary emphysemia: a review of the literature and an inquiry into its mechanism." Thorax. 2008 May;63(5):463-9. doi: 10.1136/thx.2007.079111.
Moldobaeva A, Welsh-Servinsky LE, Shimoda LA, Stephens RS, Verin AD, Tuder RM, Pearse DB. "Role of protein kinase G in barrier-protective effects of cGMP in human pulmonary artery endothelial cells." Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol. 2006 May;290(5):L919-30. Epub 2005 Dec 9.
Stephens, R.S., Shah, A.S., and Whitman, G.J.R. Should we prone cardiac surgical patients with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (reply)? Annals of Thoracic Surgery 2014. 97(3): 1122-3.
Kim, BS, Serebreni, L, Hamdan, O, Wang, L, Parniani, A, Sussan, T, Stephens, RS, Boyer, L, Damarla, M, Hassoun, PM, and Damico, R. Xanthine Oxidoreductase is a Critical Mediator of Cigarette Smoke-Induced Endothelial Cell DNA Damage and Apoptosis. Free Radical Biology and Medicine 2013. 60: 336-46.
Stephens RS, Shah AS, Whitman GJ. Lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome after cardiac surgery. Ann Thorac Surg. 2013 Mar;95(3):1122-9. doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2012.10.024. Epub 2013 Jan 23. Review. PMID: 23352419
Kinnery, P., Pick, J., Stephens, S., Jain, D., Solomides C.S., Niven, R., Segal, R., Christofidou-Solomidou, M. (2006). KL4-Surfactant prevents Hyperoxic and LPS-Induced Lung Injury in Mice. Pediatric Pulmonology. 41(10):916-28.
Stephens, S., Beyer, B., Balthazar-Stablein, U., Duncan, R., Kostacos, M., Lukoma, M, Green, G.R., and Poccia, D. (2002). Two Kinase Activities are Sufficient for Sea Urchin Sperm Chromatin Decondensation in Vitro. Molecular Reproduction and Development.62: 496-503.
Stephens, R.S. and Whitman, G.J.R. (2015). Post-Operative Critical Care of the Adult Cardiac Surgical Patient. Part 1: Routine Post-Operative Care. Critical Care Medicine. 43(7): 1477-97.
Stephens, R.S. and Whitman, G.J.R. Post-Operative Critical Care of the Adult Cardiac Surgical Patient. Part 2: Procedure-Specific Considerations, Management of Complications, and Quality Improvement. Critical Care Medicine. 43(9):1995-2014
Wachtel, L. Commins, E., Park, M., Rolider, N., Stephens, R., and Reti, I. (2015). Neuroleptic malignant syndrome and delirious mania as malignant catatonia in autism: prompt relief with electroconvulsive therap. Acta Psychiatr Scand. May 28 2015. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 26018851
Crawford, T.C., Grimm, J., Magruder, J.T., Stephens, R.S., Sciortino, C., Vaught, J., Althaus, J., Shah, A., Kim, B. (2015). A Curious Case of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome. Journal of Surgical Case Reports. 11; 1-3.
Stephens, R.S., Johnston, L., Servinsky, L., Kim, B., and Damarla, M. (2015). The Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Imatinib Prevents Lung Injury and Death after Intravenous LPS in Mice. Physiological Reports. In Press.
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