Amy Ahasic, MD, MPH, FCCP
About
Biography
Amy M. Ahasic, MD, MPH, has been a member of the Pulmonary and Critical Care faculty since 2010. In outpatient practice, Dr. Ahasic has specialized in occupational lung disease, bronchiectasis, and general pulmonary disease. She currently precepts our PCCSM fellows in their continuity clinic. In the inpatient setting, she specializes in adult critical care including acute lung injury and sepsis. Dr. Ahasic is board-certified in occupational and environmental medicine, pulmonary medicine, and critical care medicine.
Dr. Ahasic earned her undergraduate degree from Yale University with a major in the History of Science and Medicine. She received her MD from the Yale School of Medicine. Dr. Ahasic completed both an internship and residency in internal medicine at Yale-New Haven Hospital where she was also a chief resident. She went on to complete training in occupational and environmental medicine at the Harvard School of Public Health where she also received her Masters in Public Health. Dr. Ahasic completed fellowship training in pulmonary and critical care medicine in the Harvard Combined Fellowship Program, training at Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Beth-Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
Dr. Ahasic’s clinical research focuses on obesity in critically ill patients. She has received research awards from the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, the Massachusetts Thoracic Society, and the Respiratory Disease Young Investigators’ Forum. Dr. Ahasic is currently funded by the American Heart Association to study metabolic and obesity-related pathways in acute lung injury, and by the Yale Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center to study the relationship between obesity and adipose dysfunction, and the development of delirium in the ICU.
Appointments
Pulmonary, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine
Assistant Clinical ProfessorPrimary
Other Departments & Organizations
- ICU Research Working Group
- Internal Medicine
- Occupational & Environmental Lung Diseases Program
- Pulmonary, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine
- Yale Ventures
Education & Training
- Fellow
- Harvard Combined Program (MGH, BWH, and BIDMC) (2010)
- Fellow
- Harvard School of Public Health (2006)
- MPH
- Harvard School of Public Health (2005)
- Chief Residency
- Yale-New Haven Hospital (2004)
- Internship and Residency
- Yale-New Haven Hospital (2003)
- MD
- Yale University School of Medicine (2000)
- BA
- Yale University (1996)
Research
Overview
My research interest centers around obesity and metabolic pathways in critical illness. Because of their impact on cardiac and pulmonary function, such pathways may affect risk and prognosis in critical illness. I focus on acute lung injury (ALI)/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and sepsis as common critical illness with systemic physiologic derangements and high morbidity and mortality. The relationship between obesity and ARDS is of particular interest. My current American Heart Association grant focuses on patient-oriented research of both phenotypic and genotypic markers relevant to metabolic pathways, including insulin-like growth factor (IGF) and adipokines, in acute lung injury.
I am also interested in the aging ICU population, and their functional and cognitive outcomes after critical illness. This extends to the cognitive-metabolic connection linking various metabolic phenomena such as obesity and insulin resistance to cognitive impairment and delirium, particularly in older adults. Delirium in the ICU is a common phenomenon for which age is a major risk factor, and its occurrence has significant impacts on morbidity and mortality.
Yale MICU Biorepository project: Principal Investigator on this initiative to collect clinical data and biologic specimens from a broad range of critically ill patients. We have enrolled approximately 700 patients to date.
Medical Research Interests
Public Health Interests
- View Lab Website
ICU Research Working Group
Research at a Glance
Yale Co-Authors
Publications Timeline
Research Interests
Margaret Pisani, MD, MPH, FCCP
Respiratory Distress Syndrome
Sepsis
Acute Lung Injury
Critical Care
Publications
2024
A CASE OF CAPNOCYTOPHAGA CANIMORSUS INFECTION LED TO SPLENIC INFRACT IN AN IMMUNOCOMPETENT PATIENT
DURAND P, CAZAC V, RANAT R, AHASIC A. A CASE OF CAPNOCYTOPHAGA CANIMORSUS INFECTION LED TO SPLENIC INFRACT IN AN IMMUNOCOMPETENT PATIENT. CHEST Journal 2024, 166: a2686-a2687. DOI: 10.1016/j.chest.2024.06.1632.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2021
State of Women in Medicine: History, Challenges, and the Benefits of a Diverse Workforce.
Joseph M, Ahasic A, Clark J, Templeton K. State of Women in Medicine: History, Challenges, and the Benefits of a Diverse Workforce. Pediatrics 2021, 148 PMID: 34873625, DOI: 10.1542/peds.2021-051440c.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsWomen physiciansHealth care systemLeadership positionsMedical school applicantsPreventive carePsychosocial counselingCare systemRates of attritionProfessional isolationClinical guidelinesPromote workforce diversityBudgetary powersMedical degreePhysiciansElizabeth BlackwellAcademic medicineSexual harassmentSalary inequitiesMale peersGender biasWomenWorkforce diversitySchool applicantsLate careerDiverse workforce
2015
Predictors of Circulating Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 and Insulin-Like Growth Factor–Binding Protein-3 in Critical Illness*
Ahasic AM, Tejera P, Wei Y, Su L, Mantzoros CS, Bajwa EK, Thompson BT, Christiani DC. Predictors of Circulating Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 and Insulin-Like Growth Factor–Binding Protein-3 in Critical Illness*. Critical Care Medicine 2015, 43: 2651-2659. PMID: 26427594, PMCID: PMC4651824, DOI: 10.1097/ccm.0000000000001314.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsMeSH KeywordsAcademic Medical CentersAcute DiseaseAge FactorsAgedAged, 80 and overAPACHEBody Mass IndexChronic DiseaseCritical IllnessFemaleGenotypeHumansInsulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3Insulin-Like Growth Factor IIntensive Care UnitsLinear ModelsMaleMiddle AgedPhenotypePolymorphism, GeneticProspective StudiesRisk FactorsSex FactorsConceptsInsulin-like growth factor-binding protein-3Insulin-like growth factor-1Acute respiratory distress syndromeGrowth factor-1Respiratory distress syndromeInsulin-like growth factor-binding protein-3 levelsProtein-3 levelsCritical illnessBody mass indexDistress syndromeProtein 3Acute PhysiologyMass indexFactor 1Chronic Health Evaluation III scoreInsulin-like growth factor-1 levelsChronic Health Evaluation IIISepsis/septic shockGrowth factor-1 levelsTotal insulin-like growth factor-1Insulin-like growth factorAcute critical illnessAcute hepatic dysfunctionReceipt of corticosteroidsLarge prospective studiesPersonalized Critical Care Medicine: How Far Away Are We?
Ahasic AM, Christiani DC. Personalized Critical Care Medicine: How Far Away Are We? Seminars In Respiratory And Critical Care Medicine 2015, 36: 809-822. PMID: 26595041, DOI: 10.1055/s-0035-1564852.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsCritical illnessClinical trialsAcute respiratory distress syndromeRespiratory distress syndromeIntensive care unitCritical care arenaDirect patient careUnique risk factorsMulti-biomarker panelAccurate diagnostic classificationMajor clinical applicationsPrecise medical careDistress syndromeCare unitPoor outcomeRisk factorsTreatment decisionsIndividual patientsClinical careClinical utilitySuch biomarkersMedical carePatient careClinical useIllness
2014
Functional status after critical illness: agreement between patient and proxy assessments
Ahasic AM, Van Ness PH, Murphy TE, Araujo KL, Pisani MA. Functional status after critical illness: agreement between patient and proxy assessments. Age And Ageing 2014, 44: 506-510. PMID: 25324334, PMCID: PMC4411220, DOI: 10.1093/ageing/afu163.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsMonths post-ICU dischargePost-ICU dischargeFunctional statusCritical illnessInter-observer agreementICU admissionOlder patientsExact testIntensive care unit admissionProxy assessmentsPremorbid functional statusCare unit admissionBaseline functional statusCurrent functional statusMcNemar's exact testUnit admissionICU dischargeMedical ICUNeuropsychological morbidityInstrumental ADLCognitive dysfunctionDaily livingPatientsCognitive impairmentParent cohortAdiponectin Gene Polymorphisms and Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Susceptibility and Mortality
Ahasic AM, Zhao Y, Su L, Sheu CC, Thompson BT, Christiani DC. Adiponectin Gene Polymorphisms and Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Susceptibility and Mortality. PLOS ONE 2014, 9: e89170. PMID: 24586568, PMCID: PMC3929660, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0089170.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsARDS casesInsulin resistanceSingle nucleotide polymorphismsCase statusAcute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) riskFunctional polymorphismsAnti-inflammatory adipokineAcute respiratory failureDevelopment of ARDSAdiponectin gene polymorphismsMultiple comparisonsAdipokine levelsCause mortalityRespiratory failureAdiponectin levelsCritical illnessConsecutive patientsMultivariable analysisRisk factorsSyndrome riskCardiovascular diseaseAdipose tissueGene polymorphismsARDSMortalityMKK3 regulates mitochondrial biogenesis and mitophagy in sepsis-induced lung injury
Mannam P, Shinn AS, Srivastava A, Neamu RF, Walker WE, Bohanon M, Merkel J, Kang MJ, Dela Cruz CS, Ahasic AM, Pisani MA, Trentalange M, West AP, Shadel GS, Elias JA, Lee PJ. MKK3 regulates mitochondrial biogenesis and mitophagy in sepsis-induced lung injury. American Journal Of Physiology - Lung Cellular And Molecular Physiology 2014, 306: l604-l619. PMID: 24487387, PMCID: PMC3962628, DOI: 10.1152/ajplung.00272.2013.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsSepsis-induced lung injuryPeripheral blood mononuclear cellsPrimary mouse lung endothelial cellsLethality of sepsisLevels of lungSystemic inflammatory responsePathogenesis of sepsisBlood mononuclear cellsCurrent medical careEffective therapeutic strategyRelevant animal modelsMitochondrial functionLung endothelial cellsNew diagnostic markersMitochondrial biogenesisAction of SIRT1Mouse lung endothelial cellsLung injurySeptic patientsNonseptic controlsMononuclear cellsSpecific therapyInflammatory responseSepsisTherapeutic strategies
2012
Distinct and replicable genetic risk factors for acute respiratory distress syndrome of pulmonary or extrapulmonary origin
Tejera P, Meyer NJ, Chen F, Feng R, Zhao Y, O'Mahony DS, Li L, Sheu CC, Zhai R, Wang Z, Su L, Bajwa E, Ahasic AM, Clardy PF, Gong MN, Frank AJ, Lanken PN, Thompson BT, Christie JD, Wurfel MM, O'Keefe GE, Christiani DC. Distinct and replicable genetic risk factors for acute respiratory distress syndrome of pulmonary or extrapulmonary origin. Journal Of Medical Genetics 2012, 49: 671. PMID: 23048207, PMCID: PMC3654537, DOI: 10.1136/jmedgenet-2012-100972.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsAcute lung injuryALI/ARDSIndirect lung injuryRisk of ARDSRespiratory distress syndromeLung injuryExtrapulmonary causesDistress syndromeIndirect insultsSingle nucleotide polymorphismsStage IIAcute respiratory distress syndromeDevelopment of ARDSGenetic variantsGenetic risk factorsIll Caucasian patientsFunctional single nucleotide polymorphismsALI/Extrapulmonary injuryPulmonary sepsisPulmonary injuryExtrapulmonary originCaucasian patientsRisk factorsARDS
2011
IGF1 and IGFBP3 in acute respiratory distress syndrome
Ahasic AM, Zhai R, Su L, Zhao Y, Aronis KN, Thompson BT, Mantzoros CS, Christiani DC. IGF1 and IGFBP3 in acute respiratory distress syndrome. European Journal Of Endocrinology 2011, 166: 121-129. PMID: 22004906, PMCID: PMC3757506, DOI: 10.1530/eje-11-0778.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsAcute respiratory distress syndromeLevels of IGF1Development of ARDSRespiratory distress syndromeIGFBP3 levelsARDS casesDistress syndromePersistent acute respiratory distress syndromeFibrotic lung diseaseSeverity of illnessIntensive care unitCase-cohort studyRelevant clinical covariatesCause mortalityConsecutive patientsCare unitLung diseaseRisk factorsClinical covariatesPlasma IGF1Parent studyCase statusPatientsIGF pathwayDay 60
2008
The future of occupationally related diffuse lung disease.
Nuernberg AM, Christiani DC. The future of occupationally related diffuse lung disease. Seminars In Respiratory And Critical Care Medicine 2008, 29: 680-4. PMID: 19221966, DOI: 10.1055/s-0028-1101278.Peer-Reviewed Original Research