Positions
- Associate Professor
-
Pediatrics-Critical Care
ÌÇÐÄvlogÃÛÌÒ of Medicine
Houston, Texas, United States
- Core Faculty
-
Center for Translational Research on Inflammatory Diseases (CTRID)
Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center
ÌÇÐÄvlogÃÛÌÒ of Medicine
Houston, Texas, United States
- Associate Program Director (Scholarship)
-
Pediatrics
Pediatric Critical Care Medicine
Pediatric Critical Care Medicine Fellowship Program
Houston, Texas, United States
Addresses
- Center for Translational Research on Inflammatory Diseases (Lab)
-
Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center
2002 Holcombe Blvd. (MS 151)
Houston, TX, 77030
United States
Phone: (713) 791-1414
flam@bcm.edu
- Texas Children’s Hospital (Hospital)
-
TCH-Legacy Tower
6651 Main Street
Houston, TX, 77030
United States
Phone: (832) 826-6230
flam@bcm.edu
Education
- BA from University of Texas
- 05/1999 - Austin, Texas, United States
- MD from University Of Texas Southwestern Medical School
- 05/2003 - Dallas, TX, United States
- Internship at ÌÇÐÄvlogÃÛÌÒ of Medicine
- 06/2004 - Houston, TX
- Pediatrics
- Residency at ÌÇÐÄvlogÃÛÌÒ of Medicine
- 06/2006 - Houston, TX
- Pediatrics
- Fellowship at ÌÇÐÄvlogÃÛÌÒ of Medicine
- 06/2010 - Houston, TX
- Pediatric Critical Care Medicine
Certifications
- General Pediatrics
- American Academy of Pediatrics
- General Pediatrics
- Pediatric Critical Care Medicine
- American Academy of Pediatrics
- Subspecialty: Critical Care Medicine
Professional Interests
- Neutrophil-platelet-endothelial interactions in inflammation and thrombosis
- Microcirculation
- Developing novel peptide therapeutics
- Sepsis
- Acute/Chronic Liver Injury and Failure
- Testing novel microfluidic devices in vivo
Professional Statement
RESEARCH: My research interests are in the complex interplay between neutrophils, platelets, and endothelium and how these interactions mediate inflammation and thrombosis. I have focused my research on platelet-neutrophil-endothelial interactions in order to determine novel mechanisms on how these cells interact in different models of inflammation (sepsis, wound repair, acute lung injury, and liver injury and fibrosis). Given the recent SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, research into novel drug development is paramount. Our laboratory is creating and testing novel compounds to prevent attachment and inflammation of SARS-CoV-2 and other viruses. Finally, I am collaborating with biomedical engineers at the University of Houston to test novel microfluidic devices for extracorporeal therapies, such as apheresis. My laboratory is in the Center for Translation Research on Inflammatory Diseases (CTRID) at the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, where I actively collaborate with experts in the field of platelet biology, vascular biology, and inflammation.
CLINICAL: I have many clinical interests revolving around the physiology of critically ill children. One of these interests is in severe sepsis and the interplay between thrombosis and inflammation, where dysregulation of one can lead to dysfunction in the other and both can alter tissue perfusion and lead to organ injury. Additionally, I am a founding member of the Texas Children’s Hospital Liver ICU team, caring for critically ill patients with acute and acute-on-chronic liver failure. Children with critical liver disease are some of the most complex children to treat due to the complex interactions between the liver and most other organ systems (brain, lung, heart, kidneys, intestines, immunity, and coagulation). Therefore, caring for children with liver disease has been a rewarding experience in terms of both the complex pathophysiology as well as the multi-disciplinary teamwork involved in treating them.
EDUCATION: In critical care, understanding the core concepts of normal and abnormal physiology is paramount to the appropriate care of severely ill and injured children. To this end, I have developed our Core and Applied Physiology Curriculum which spans ~24 sessions over the course of the year. This curriculum sets the foundation for the basis of what we do in the Intensive Care Units and provides our trainees the building blocks to develop treatment plans for complex patients. I have an interest in effective education and have developed this program with the input of our fellows. We utilize a flipped-classroom approach, combined with peer teaching and small group discussions to allow for a safe, but effective learning environment. Finally, I am passionate about training the next generation of pediatrician-scientists and serve as the Associate Program Director (Scholarship) for our Pediatric Critical Care Medicine Fellowship Program and am an Advisory Board Member of the Texas Children's Hospital Pediatric Scientist Program.
CLINICAL: I have many clinical interests revolving around the physiology of critically ill children. One of these interests is in severe sepsis and the interplay between thrombosis and inflammation, where dysregulation of one can lead to dysfunction in the other and both can alter tissue perfusion and lead to organ injury. Additionally, I am a founding member of the Texas Children’s Hospital Liver ICU team, caring for critically ill patients with acute and acute-on-chronic liver failure. Children with critical liver disease are some of the most complex children to treat due to the complex interactions between the liver and most other organ systems (brain, lung, heart, kidneys, intestines, immunity, and coagulation). Therefore, caring for children with liver disease has been a rewarding experience in terms of both the complex pathophysiology as well as the multi-disciplinary teamwork involved in treating them.
EDUCATION: In critical care, understanding the core concepts of normal and abnormal physiology is paramount to the appropriate care of severely ill and injured children. To this end, I have developed our Core and Applied Physiology Curriculum which spans ~24 sessions over the course of the year. This curriculum sets the foundation for the basis of what we do in the Intensive Care Units and provides our trainees the building blocks to develop treatment plans for complex patients. I have an interest in effective education and have developed this program with the input of our fellows. We utilize a flipped-classroom approach, combined with peer teaching and small group discussions to allow for a safe, but effective learning environment. Finally, I am passionate about training the next generation of pediatrician-scientists and serve as the Associate Program Director (Scholarship) for our Pediatric Critical Care Medicine Fellowship Program and am an Advisory Board Member of the Texas Children's Hospital Pediatric Scientist Program.
Selected Publications
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Shan Z, Li L, Atkins CL, Wang M, Wen Y, Jeong J, Moreno NF, Feng D, Gui X, Zhang N, Lee CG, Elias JA, Lee WM, Gao B, Lam FW, An Z, Ju C. " " Elife. 2021 ;
Pubmed PMID: . -
Gorgis NM, Kennedy C, Lam F, Thompson K, Coss-Bu J, Akcan Arikan A, Nguyen T, Hosek K, Miloh T, Karpen SJ, Penny DJ, Goss J, Desai MS.. " " Hepatology. 2019 Mar ; 69 ((3)) : 1206-1218.
Pubmed PMID: . -
Mendelson AA, Lam F, Peirce SM, Murfee WL. " " Microcirculation. 2021 ;
Pubmed PMID: . -
Nguyen T, Kyle UG, Jaimon N, Tcharmtchi MH, Coss-Bu JA, Lam F, Teruya J, Loftis L. " " Crit. Care Med.. 2012 Dec ; 40 (12) : 3246-50.
Pubmed PMID: .
Memberships
- American Academy of Pediatrics
- Society of Critical Care Medicine
- Microcirculatory Society
- American Physiological Society
- Society for Pediatric Research
Funding
-
Utilizing soluble vimentin and its components to attenuate inflammation
#GM123261 - $900,875.00 (04/01/2017 - 03/31/2023)
- Grant funding from NIH/NIGMS K08 (PI)
- The goal of this study is to determine the mechanisms through which recombinant vimentin attenuates inflammation and to identify the active motifs through which its interactions occur.
-
Role of Chitinase-3-like-1 (Chi3l1) in Acetaminophen-induced Liver Injury
#DK122708 - (09/19/2019 - 08/31/2024)
- Grant funding from NIH/NIDDK R01 (Co-Investigator)
- The goal of this proposal is to define the role of chitinase-3-like-1 (Chi3l1) in hepatic platelet accumulation during acetaminophen (APAP)-induced liver injury (AILI) and to evaluate the potential of targeting Chi3l1 for the treatment of AILI.
-
Enabling Pediatric Leukapheresis with High-Throughput Microfluidic Technology
#HL151858 - $1,571,600.00 (04/01/2020 - 03/31/2024)
- Grant funding from NIH/NHLBI R01 (Co-Investigator)
- The goal of this proposal is the development and initial validation of novel microfluidic devices capable of separating white blood cells from whole blood with efficiency and throughput sufficiently high to ultimately enable centrifugation-free leukapheresis in pediatric patients.
-
Testing P-selectin-targeted therapies to treat liver fibrosis
- (10/01/2023 - 09/30/2024)
- Grant funding from Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center
- The goal of this proposal is to test the role of P-selectin in the development of liver fibrosis
-
Developing microfluidic-based leukapheresis devices to treat hyperleukocytosis in infants and children
- (07/01/2024 - 06/30/2025)
- Grant funding from Southwest Pediatric Device innovation Consortium Faculty Seed Grant
- The purpose of this grant is to test novel microfluidic devices to perform leukapheresis without a driving pump.
-
Purifying platelets with high-throughput microfluidics for pediatric and neonatal transfusions
#HL178979 - $2,728,917.00 (05/01/2025 - 02/28/2029)
- Grant funding from NIH/NHLBI R01 (Contact PI)
- Platelet transfusions are crucial for preventing and treating bleeding, but they have significant side effects, particularly in premature babies. We are developing an innovative device to purify platelets safely and efficiently, maximizing their therapeutic benefits while minimizing potential harm. The purpose of this study is to finalize the design and conduct preclinical testing of our novel device aimed at making platelet transfusions safer and more effective for treating and preventing bleeding in all patients, especially premature babies.
Intellectual Property
- THE USE OF VIMENTIN IN THE MODULATION OF ACUTE INFLAMMATION AND THROMBOSIS
- Design Patent #US 20200061153 A1 (Approved)
- Embodiments of the disclosure include methods and compositions for treating or preventing acute inflammation using soluble vimentin. In specific embodiments, a vimentin derivative comprising the rod domain is utilized for treating or preventing any disease in which a decrease in leukocyte adhesion is therapeutic. In specific embodiments, a fragment of vimentin that comprises part or all of the rod domain is employed.
- Edible vaccines expressed in yeast for preventing and treating infectious diseases in animals and humans.
- Design Patent #US 20190298817 A1 (Approved)
- In the invention described here, the approach is to formulate an edible vaccine based on N-terminal yeast surface display expression systems including S. cerevisiae EBY100/pYD5-VP28, S. cerevisiae EBY100/pYD5-VP28-VP24 and S. cerevisiae EBY100/pYD5-VP24 for preventing shrimps such as L. vannamei, P. monodon and M. rosenbergii species from white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) infection, suggesting that yeast surface display expression system expressing WSSV antigen has potential as a prophylactic treatment for WSSV in shrimps via oral vaccination. The technology developed in this patent application can also be used to produce edible (oral) vaccines for preventing and treating other infectious diseases in animals and human.
Skills
- Critical Care Medicine
- Neutrophil biology
- Platelet biology
- Endothelial biology
- Intravital microscopy
- Microvascular inflammation and thrombosis
- Extracorporeal support devices
- Basic and Translational Research
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