Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Cell Biology and Physiology; Director, Pediatric Pulmonology Fellowship Program; Director Division of Allergy and Pulmonary Medicine; Director Cystic Fibrosis Center

• Cystic Fibrosis Center
• Allergy and Pulmonary Medicine
• Patient Oriented Research
• Pathobiology
• Thomas Ferkol Research Lab

Thomas Ferkol, M.D. graduated from Case Western Reserve University (Cleveland, Ohio) in 1981, and he received his M.D. degree from the Ohio State University College of Medicine (Columbus, Ohio) in 1985. He was a pediatric resident at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1985-1988), where he also served as Chief Resident and Clinical Instructor (1988-1989). Dr. Ferkol returned to Case Western Reserve University in 1989 for fellowship training in pediatric pulmonology, and subsequently joined the pediatric faculty of Case Western Reserve University and Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital (Instructor in 1992-1994, and Assistant Professor 1994-2000). Dr. Ferkol moved to Washington University School of Medicine in 2000, where he currently is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Cell Biology and Physiology. He is also Director of the Cystic Fibrosis Center, and Director of the Pediatric Pulmonology Fellowship Training Program at Washington University School of Medicine and St. Louis Children’s Hospital.

An American Lung Association Edward Livingston Trudeau Scholar and past recipient of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation LeRoy Matthew’s Physician-Scientist Award, research in his laboratory has focused on generating cell and animal models to study suppurative lung diseases, such as cystic fibrosis and primary ciliary dyskinesia, and defining factors that cause patients to develop chronic endobronchial infection, inflammation, and pulmonary deterioration. In addition, he has developed novel approaches to inhibit destructive effects of inflammation in the bronchiectatic airway by targeting drugs to the epithelial surface. Dr. Ferkol has been principal investigator on several National Institutes of Health, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, March of Dimes, and American Lung Association grants. He is also a respected educator, and has received several departmental teaching awards.

Education

• B.A., (magna cum laude) Case Western Reserve University, 1981
• M.D., Ohio State University College of Medicine, 1985

Training

• Resident, Department of Pediatrics, North Carolina Memorial Hospital, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina (1985-1988)
• Chief Resident, Department of Pediatrics, North Carolina Memorial Hospital, College of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina (1988-1989)
• Pulmonary Fellow, Division of Pediatric Pulmonology, Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio (1989-1992)
• Clinical Instructor, Department of Pediatrics, North Carolina Memorial Hospital, College of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina (1988-1990)
• Chief Resident, Department of Pediatrics, North Carolina Memorial Hospital, College of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina (1988-1989)
• Instructor, Division of Pediatric Pulmonology, Department of Pediatrics, Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio (1992-1994)
• Assistant Professor, Pediatric Pulmonology Division, Department of Pediatrics, Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio (1994-2000)
• Associate Professor (tenured), Allergy and Pulmonary Medicine Division, Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri (2000-present)
• Associate Professor, Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri (2000-present)

Honors

• Floyd Denny Pediatric Society Award
• Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital Trustees Award
• Cystic Fibrosis Foundation LeRoy Matthews Physician-Scientist Award
• American Lung Association Edward Livingston Trudeau Scholar
• Member, Society for Pediatric Research
• Teaching Excellence Award, Department of Pediatrics, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.
• Best Doctor, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
• EDI Innovation Award
• European Cystic Fibrosis Conference Presentation Award

Selected Publications

1. Joseph T, Look DC, Ferkol T: NF-kB activation and sustained IL-8 gene expression in primary cultures of cystic fibrosis airway epithelial cells stimulated with Pseudomonas aeruginosa. American Journal of Physiology, Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology. 2005; 288:L471-9.

2. Hardin, DS, Ferkol T, Chul A, Dreimane D, Dyson M, Morse M, Prestidge C, Rice J, Seilheimer DK: A retrospective study of growth hormone use in adolescents with cystic fibrosis. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology Oxford 2005; 62:560-6.

3. Johnson MR, Ferkol T, Shepherd RW: Energy cost of daily activity and exercise in children and adolescents with cystic fibrosis. Journal of Cystic Fibrosis. 2006; 5:53-8.

4. Chen DL, Ferkol T, Mintun MA, Pittman J, Wilson, K Rosenbluth DB, Schuster DP: Quantifying pulmonary inflammation in cystic fibrosis with positron emission tomography. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. 2006; 173:1363-1369.

5. Sedor J, Hogue L, Akers K, Schreiber J, Ferkol T: Altered clearance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa from lungs of mice deficient in cathepsin-G. Pediatric Research. 2007; 61:26-31.

6. Fennel PB, Quante J, Wilson K, Boyle M, Strunk R, Ferkol T: Use of high-dose ibuprofen in a pediatric cystic fibrosis center. Journal of Cystic Fibrosis, 2007 In Press.

7. Gregory AD, Hogue LA, Ferkol T, Link DC: Regulation of systemic and local neutrophil responses by GCSF during pulmonary bacterial infection. Blood 2007 In Press.

8. Elizur A, Orscheln RC, Ferkol T, Atkinson JJ, Dunne WM, Storch GA, Cannon CL: Lung abscesses in patients with cystic fibrosis associated with acquisition of Panton-Valentine Leukocidin-positive methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Chest 2007. In Press.

Selected Reviews

1. Richard JC, Chen DL, Ferkol T, Schuster DP: Molecular imaging for pediatric lung diseases. Pediatric Pulmonology 2004; 37:286-9.

2. Ferkol T, Rosenfeld M, and Milla CE: Cystic fibrosis pulmonary exacerbations. Journal of Pediatrics. 2006; 148:259-64.

3. Ferkol T, Leigh M: Neonatal manifestations of primary ciliary dyskinesia. Seminars in Perinatology. 2006; 30:335-40.

4. Ferkol T, Bush, A: Movement: the emerging genetics of primary ciliary dyskinesia. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. 2006; 174:109-10.