The University of Texas at Tyler Biology Professor Involved with Biomedical Research
April 3, 2017
UT Tyler Office of Marketing and Communications
The University of Texas at Tyler Biology Professor Involved with Biomedical Research through Collaborative NIH Project
Follow @UTTyler TweetApril 3, 2017
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Dr. Ali Azghani, a biology professor at The University of Texas at Tyler, will participate in a National Institutes of Health sponsored research project to enhance patient care outcomes for those with empyema, or EMP.
As a top expert devoted to biomedical research, Azghani will collaborate with several international and nationally known scientists who are leading the project at UT Health Northeast to develop novel anti-inflammatory and clot buster drugs. He has been a devoted member of this multidisciplinary research team for the past 20 years.
"The aim of this current project is to develop novel and less invasive diagnostic methods and drugs that will provide safer and more effective treatment for patients with infections surrounding the lungs," Azghani said.
Approximately 65,000 patients in the United States alone develop EMP, an inflammatory disease of the area between the lungs and chest wall known as the pleural space, according to Azghani.
"EMP is associated with serious morbidity, a mortality rate of about 20 percent and patient care costs of roughly $500 million per year," he said.
"One of the remarkable outcomes of this international collaborative research has been the development of a clot buster drug that is now being tested in human participants under a clinical research project in Australia and New Zealand," Azghani added. "If the outcome of the current project is successful as well, the drug could help patients with difficulty to drain pleural fluid around the lungs to avoid surgery and recover faster."
For additional information, contact Azghani, 903.566.7332 or aazghani@uttyler.edu.
Azghani first joined The University of Texas the Tyler in 1994 as an adjunct before becoming a full-time biology faculty member in 2005. His lab recruits many undergraduate and graduate students who go on to pursue careers through medical, dental and graduate schools nationwide. He holds a Ph.D. in radiation microbiology.
One of the 14 campuses of the UT System, The University of Texas at Tyler features excellence in teaching, research, artistic performance and community service. More than 80 undergraduate and graduate degrees are available at The University of Texas at Tyler, which has an enrollment of almost 10,000 high-ability students. The University of Texas at Tyler offers courses at its campuses in Tyler, Longview and Palestine as well as a location in Houston.