PF Clinical Researcher Receives NIH Award for Career Development

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded a researcher at the University of Pennsylvania the K08 Award for his research in pulmonary fibrosis (PF), the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF) announced.

PFF scholar Jeremy Katzen, MD, is the recipient of the NIH career development award for clinical investigators.

Katzen’s research focuses on understanding the activity of alveolar type 2 (AT2) cells — cells that can replace damaged or old lung cells, maintaining normal lung function — and how their dysfunction may contribute to defective regeneration and lung fibrosis (scarring).

“We are proud to congratulate Dr. Katzen on his K08 award and look forward to his ongoing work in pulmonary fibrosis research,” Gregory Cosgrove, MD, chief medical officer of the PFF, said in a press release.

The purpose of the NIH K08 program is to prepare clinically trained individuals for careers that have a significant impact on health-related research. The program provides support and dedicated time for an intensive, supervised research career development experience in the fields of biomedical, behavioral, or clinical research.

Katzen is a 2019 PFF Scholar.

“His award is a testament to the PFF Scholars Program and its power to fuel research that will lead to successful therapies to improve care and quality of life for people with PF,” Cosgrove said.

The PFF Scholars program focuses on engaging early-career investigators in the field of PF. With the objective of advancing research that could translate into successful therapies for the disease, the PFF Scholars program is designed to support and enable promising researchers to obtain independent funding and continue their cutting-edge research.

“The PFF Scholars program has provided me with the financial support and research mentorship to successfully compete for an NIH career development award focusing on the fundamental mechanisms of lung fibrosis,” Katzen said. “I am incredibly grateful to the PFF, and my hope is that this research will both further our field and lead to novel therapies for patients living with pulmonary fibrosis.”

The PFF grant program is available to medical doctors, doctors of osteopathic medicine, registered nurses, or those who have a doctorate or other professional degree.

Program winners receive up to $50,000 over two years for PF research that ultimately may lead to independent funding from federal agencies, private foundations, or other sources. Grant awards also cover a percentage of costs for additional scholarly activities throughout the year, including supplementary mentorship by a PFF Scholar Advisor.

The 2021 funding cycle is ongoing. Full proposals must be submitted by March 15. Grant winners will be notified in May.