M. Patricia Rivera, MD, ATSF, professor of pulmonary and critical care medicine in the UNC Department of Medicine, has received a four-year, $1.5 million NIH R01 grant to study “Comorbidity and Functional Status in a Population Undergoing Lung Cancer Screening” with Louise Henderson, PhD, in the UNC Department of Radiology.
The investigators will evaluate the extent to which patient comorbidities and functional status impact LCS outcomes in a population-based setting. They will make innovative use of their existing work using a population-based registry of patients screened for lung cancer in North Carolina to determine the downstream consequences of comorbidities on lung cancer screening.
Last year, Rivera was recognized for outstanding contributions to thoracic oncology and longstanding service to the American Thoracic Society. She has been honored for meritorious contributions to education at CHEST, and most recently, Rivera was elected secretary-treasurer of the American Thoracic Society (ATS). She will serve as president of the organization in 2023.