The Research Report - a column by Reid D'Amico

research report

At the time of writing this column, Reid had started his PhD in biomedical engineering at Vanderbilt University. He used an engineering approach to research pulmonary hypertension. Reid has cystic fibrosis, and finds much of his drive by experiencing both the research and patient aspects of cystic fibrosis. Reid has also served as a director at the U.S. Adult Cystic Fibrosis Association.

Dependency and Disease

I do not have pulmonary hypertension (PH). I do not know what it’s like to live my day-to-day life with the symptoms that may come with the disease. However, I do have cystic fibrosis (CF) — another crippling respiratory disease that shares some similar symptoms. We…

In Healthcare Fight, We Saw How Advocacy Works

Over the past several months the PH and rare disease community have seen significant progress towards ensuring that everyone with a condition can get access to the proper specialized care they require. This year alone, I’ve become increasingly more involved with disease advocacy; it mattered to me. With…

Patient Resources from the American Thoracic Society

This past week, I had the honor of presenting my work at the American Thoracic Society (ATS) international conference. Renowned physicians, scientists, companies, and advocates within the realm of pulmonary and cardiopulmonary fields had an opportunity to network and hear about the state of much of…

Serotonin Receptor as a Treatment Strategy for PAH?

Whether you’re studying pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) or another disease, there’s always a sense of joy that comes from seeing potential new therapies finding success in the lab. As someone with a rare disease myself, I comb the literature to see what the next life-changing medication may be. While the…


A Conversation With Rare Disease Advocates