Ken Kunisaki, MD

Assistant Professor

kunis001@umn.edu

Dr. Kunisaki completed his undergraduate training at the University of California at Davis, majoring in Physiology with a minor in Japanese. He went on to receive his M.D. degree from The Ohio State University in 1999, followed by residency training in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics at the University of Minnesota. He pursued further training in Adult Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at the University of Minnesota, including coursework towards a M.S. in Clinical Research from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health.  Dr. Kunisaki is now a junior faculty member in the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine at the University of Minnesota, with a primary appointment at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center.

Dr. Kunisaki has an interest in the pulmonary complications of HIV infection, particularly the heightened risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).  He is currently conducting an NIH-funded, multi-center, multi-national clinical trial to investigate the effect of antiretroviral therapy on lung function decline and COPD risk in patients with HIV infection.  Dr. Kunisaki also has an interest in the potential effects of vitamin D and other micronutrients in patients with COPD.  He has several ongoing studies in these areas.

Current and Recent Grant Support:

2009 – 2014     NIH R01 HL096453
“Effects of HIV Antiretroviral Therapy on Pulmonary Function in a Randomized Trial”
Role: Principal Investigator

2009 – 2011     Minnesota Veterans Research Institute
“Vitamin D Status and Exacerbations in Patients with Severe COPD”
Role: Principal Investigator

2008 – 2010     Minnesota Medical Foundation Faculty Research Award
“Vitamin D and Lung Function Decline: A Nested Case-Control Study”
Role: Principal Investigator

2007 – 2008    NIH K12 RR023247
“A multidisciplinary scholar development program to advance clinical research”
Role: Clinical Research Scholar

2005 – 2007    NIH T32 HL07741
“Training in Lung Science"
Role: Postdoctoral Fellow

 2005 – 2006    The CHEST Foundation of the American College of Chest Physicians
“COPD Clinical Research Trainee Award”
Role: Principal Investigator

 2005 – 2006    American Lung Association of Minnesota
“Research Training Fellowship Award”
Role: Principal Investigator
Note: Declined in favor of NIH T32 Grant

 2005 – 2006    Contract with GlaxoSmithKline, Investigator-Initiated Proposal
“Serum and Exhaled Markers of Inflammation in COPD: Predictors of Inhaled Corticosteroid Response?”
Role: Co-principal Investigator

Recent Honors

2008   NIH Clinical Research Loan Repayment Program
          Note: Award declined due to acceptance of federal employment

2007   Leslie Zieve Award for Outstanding Research by a Resident or Fellow
         Minneapolis VA Medical Center

Recent Publications:

Kunisaki KM, Rice KL, Niewoehner DE.  Management of acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the elderly: an appraisal of published evidence.  Drugs Aging  2007;24(4):303-324.

Rice KL, Kunisaki KM, Niewoehner DE.  Role of tiotropium in the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.  Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis 2007;2(2):95-105.

Kunisaki M, Rice KL, Janoff EN, Rector TS, Niewoehner DE. Exhaled nitric oxide, systemic inflammation, and the spirometric response to inhaled fluticasone propionate in severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a prospective study.  Ther Adv Respir Dis 2008; 2:55-64.

Rubins JB, Kunisaki KM. Contemporary issues in the diagnosis and treatment of obstructive sleep apnea. Postgrad Med, 2008; 120(2):46-52.

Kunisaki KM, Niewoehner DE. Antibiotic prophylaxis for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: resurrecting an old idea. Am J Respir Crit Care Med, 2008; 178(11):1098-9.

Rubins JB, Raci E, Kunisaki KM. Managing stable COPD in 2009: incorporating results from recent clinical studies into a goal-directed approach for clinicians. Postgrad Med, 2009; 121(1):104-12.

 Kunisaki KM, Janoff EN. Influenza in immunosuppressed populations: a review of infection frequency, morbidity, mortality, and vaccine responses. Lancet Infect Dis 2009;9:493-504.

Kunisaki KM, Niewoehner DE, Singh RJ, Connett JE.  Vitamin D status and longitudinal lung function decline in the Lung Health Study.  Submitted for publication.