Christian Merlo, MD

Professional Titles

• Director of Outpatient Clinical Operations

Primary Academic Title

Associate Professor of Medicine

Background

Centers and Institutes

• Comprehensive Transplant Center
• Cystic Fibrosis Center

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Research Interests

Clinical outcomes in cystic fibrosis, HIV-related pulmonary disease, Outcomes after lung transplantation

Lab Website

Christian Merlo Lab

• Work in the Christian Merlo Lab includes studies on pulmonary arteriovenous malformations, outcomes in lung transplantation and treatment of cystic fibrosis (CF), and HIV-related pulmonary disease. We have studied methods of diagnosing and managing pulmonary arteriovenous malformations as well as the outcomes of adult CF patients who are infected with multiple antibiotic-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Our recent research has also explored recipient and donor variables in the success or failure of lung transplants, and ways in which national healthcare delivery systems impact lung transplant outcomes for CF patients.

Research Summary

Dr. Merlo’s research is focused on outcomes in patients with cystic fibrosis and specifically studies the effect of infection, genetics, and the environment in cystic fibrosis.  His research also focuses on the transition process for those patients with advanced lung disease who may require lung transplantation as well as outcomes and predictors of survival after lung transplantation.

PubMed - Publications

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?dispmax=20&pmfilter_EDatLimit=added+to+PubMed+in+the+last+0+i&cmd_current=Limits&orig_cmd=Search&term=MERLO+C%5BAuthor+Name%5D&doptcmdl=DocSum

Selected Publications

• Braun AT, Dasenbrook EC, Shah AS, Orens JB, Merlo CA. “Impact of lung allocation score on survival in cystic fibrosis lung transplant recipients.” J Heart Lung Transplant. 2015 Jun 11. pii: S1053-2498(15)01294-2. doi: 10.1016/j.healun.2015.05.020. [Epub ahead of print]

• Drummond MB, Merlo CA, Astemborski J, Kalmin MM, Kisalu A, Mcdyer JF, Mehta SH, Brown RH, Wise RA, Kirk GD. The effect of HIV infection on longitudinal lung function decline among IDUs: a prospective cohort. AIDS. 2013 May 15;27(8):1303-11. doi: 10.1097/QAD.0b013e32835e395d. PMID: 23299176

• Eberlein M, Diehl E, Bolukbas S, Merlo CA, Reed RM. An oversized allograft is associated with improved survival after lung transplantation for idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2013 Dec;32(12):1172-8. doi: 10.1016/j.healun.2013.06.011. Epub 2013 Jul 19. PMID: 23876630

• Eberlein M, Reed RM, Bolukbas S, Parekh KR, Arnaoutakis GJ, Orens JB, Brower RG, Shah AS, Hunsicker L, Merlo CA. Lung size mismatch and survival after single and bilateral lung transplantation. Ann Thorac Surg. 2013 Aug;96(2):457-63. doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2013.04.064. Epub 2013 Jun 26. PMID: 23809729

• Eberlein M, Reed RM, Maidaa M, Bolukbas S, Arnaoutakis GJ, Orens JB, Brower RG, Merlo CA, Hunsicker LG. Donor-recipient size matching and survival after lung transplantation. A cohort study. Ann Am Thorac Soc. 2013 Oct;10(5):418-25. doi: 10.1513/AnnalsATS.201301-008OC. PMID: 23988005 

• Fischer Ii WA, Drummond MB, Merlo CA, Thomas DL, Brown R, Mehta SH, Wise RA, Kirk GD. Hepatitis C Virus Infection Is Not An Independent Risk Factor For Obstructive Lung Disease. COPD. 2013 Jul 17. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23862666

• Fischer WA 2nd, Drummond MB, Merlo CA, Thomas DL, Brown R, Mehta SH, Wise RA, Kirk GD. “Hepatitis C virus infection is not an independent risk factor for obstructive lung disease.” COPD. 2014 Feb;11(1):10-6. doi: 10.3109/15412555.2013.800854. Epub 2013 Jul 17.

• Grimm JC, Valero V 3rd, Kilic A, Crawford TC, Conte JV, Merlo CA, Shah PD, Shah AS. “Preoperative performance status impacts perioperative morbidity and mortality after lung transplantation.” Ann Thorac Surg. 2015 Feb;99(2):482-9. doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2014.09.038. Epub 2014 Dec 18.

• Grimm JC, Valero V 3rd, Kilic A, Magruder JT, Merlo CA, Shah PD, Shah AS. “Association between prolonged graft ischemia and primary graft failure or survival following lung transplantation.” JAMA Surg. 2015 Jun;150(6):547-53. doi: 10.1001/jamasurg.2015.12.

• Grimm JC, Valero V 3rd, Magruder JT, Kilic A, Dungan SP, Silhan LL, Shah PD, Kim BS, Merlo CA, Sciortino CM, Shah AS. “A novel risk score that incorporates recipient and donor variables to predict 1-year mortality in the current era of lung transplantation.” J Heart Lung Transplant. 2015 Jul 22. pii: S1053-2498(15)01358-3. doi: 10.1016/j.healun.2015.07.001. [Epub ahead of print]

• Kilic A, Beaty CA, Merlo CA, Conte JV, Shah AS. Functional status is highly predictive of outcomes after redo lung transplantation: an analysis of 390 cases in the modern era. Ann Thorac Surg. 2013 Nov;96(5):1804-11; discussion 1811. doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2013.05.080. Epub 2013 Aug 20. PMID: 23968759

• Kilic A, Shah AS, Merlo CA, Gourin CG, Lidor AO. Early outcomes of antireflux surgery for United States lung transplant recipients. Surg Endosc. 2013 May;27(5):1754-60. doi: 10.1007/s00464-012-2674-9. Epub 2012 Dec 28. PMID: 23271270

• Lambert AA, Merlo CA, Kirk GD. Human immunodeficiency virus-associated lung malignancies. Clin Chest Med. 2013 Jun;34(2):255-72. doi: 10.1016/j.ccm.2013.01.008. Epub 2013 Apr 8. Review. PMID: 23702175

• Merlo CA, Clark SC, Arnaoutakis GJ, Yonan N, Thomas D, Simon A, Thompson R, Thomas H, Orens J, Shah AS. “National healthcare delivery systems influence lung transplant outcomes for cystic fibrosis.” Am J Transplant. 2015 Jul;15(7):1948-57. doi: 10.1111/ajt.13226. Epub 2015 Mar 24.

• Merlo CA, Yin LX, Hoag JB, Mitchell SE, Reh DD. “The effects of epistaxis on health-related quality of life in patients with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia.” Int Forum Allergy Rhinol. 2014 Nov;4(11):921-5. doi: 10.1002/alr.21374. Epub 2014 Aug 21.

• Reh DD, Hur K, Merlo CA. Efficacy of a topical sesame/rose geranium oil compound in patients with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia associated epistaxis. Laryngoscope. 2013 Apr;123(4):820-2. doi: 10.1002/lary.23736. Epub 2013 Feb 9. PMID: 23401038

• Yarmus L, Akulian J, Gilbert C, Illei P, Shah P, Merlo C, Orens J, Feller-Kopman D. Cryoprobe transbronchial lung biopsy in patients after lung transplantation: a pilot safety study. Chest. 2013 Mar;143(3):621-6. PMID: 23328889

Honors

Harry Shwachman Clinical Investigator Award, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

Graduate Program Affiliations

• Bloomberg School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology