San Francisco Researcher Awarded American Lung Association Grant to Study Novel Therapies for Asthma and Other Serious Breathing Conditions

Lung health research is more important than ever. Never have we faced so many challenges to our lung health, including COVID-19, vaping and smoke from increased wildfires. Today, the American Lung Association in California announced that Aparna Sundaram, M.D. from the University of California – San Francisco was awarded the organization’s Innovation Award.

Sundaram’s project aims to develop novel therapies that target airway constriction in chronic lung diseases including asthma. 

“Here in California, we face lung health challenges every day including those stemming from increased wildfires, perennially poor air quality, and other obstacles to lung health. In addition, more than 4,645,000 Californians are living with chronic lung disease today,” said Carrie Nash, Executive Director of the American Lung Association in California – San Francisco. “We are beyond excited to welcome Dr. Sundaram to the American Lung Association Research Team to help improve lung health here in California and across the nation.”

In the 2022-2023 grants cycle, the Lung Association is funding $13.2 million for more than 130 lung health research grants. For this round of funding, the organization placed a greater focus on strategic partnerships with key organizations like American Thoracic Society and CHEST, and grants that focus on equity like the Harold Amos Scholar.

Research projects funded by the Lung Association are carefully selected through rigorous scientific review and awardees represent the investigation of a wide range of complex issues. Awards were given in eight different categories; ALA/AAAAI Allergic Respiratory Diseases Award, ALA/ATS/CHEST Foundation Respiratory Health Equity Research Award, Catalyst Award, COVID-19 Respiratory Virus Research Award, Dalsemer Award, Innovation Award, Lung Cancer Discovery Award, and Public Policy Research Award. 

The Lung Association’s Nationwide Research Program includes the Awards and Grants Program, and also our Airways Clinical Research Network, the nation's largest not-for-profit network of clinical research centers dedicated to asthma and COPD treatment research.

For more information about the new grant awardees and the entire American Lung Association Research Team, visit Lung.org/research-team.