Timothy Whelan, MD

Associate Professor of Medicine
Contact Information 

BA - Lafayette College, Easton, PA in English and Biology (cum laude)
MD - State University of New York at Buffalo (magna cum laude)
Internal Medicine Training - University of Colorado Health Sciences Center
Pulmonary/Critical Care Training - University of Washington

Clinical Focus

My previous pulmonary and critical care training has provided me with the expertise to care for the complex health care issues of patients with advanced lung disease and/or patients who have undergone lung transplantation.  While at the University of Washington, I actively participated in all aspects of lung transplantation from the medical evaluation of the patient pre-transplant to donor procurement and perioperative care and, finally, post-operative management of the lung transplant recipient.  In addition, I gained experience caring for patients with interstitial lung disease.  I continue to pursue these interests here in Minnesota.  First and foremost, I think of myself as a clinician who can provide knowledgeable, compassionate care to patients who have advanced lung disease.  While doing so, I hope to help develop an interstitial lung disease clinic at the University of Minnesota that will allow us to deliver state-of-the-art care to the patient, as well as serve as a foundation for ongoing clinical trials in interstitial lung disease.  

Research Interests

I am a principal investigator in a number of industry-sponsored clinical trials for treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.  In addition to these, I also have an active interest in determining which factors play an important outcomes role in post lung transplantation.  In particular, I am involved in clinical outcomes research that uses information from the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplant Registry as well as information from our own database at University of Minnesota.

 Selected Recent Publications .

Alawali R, Whelan T, Bajwa R, Hodges T.  Lung transplantatoin and interstitial lung disease.  Curr Opin Pulm Med. 2005, 11: 461-466.

Whelan TPM, Dunitz JM, Kelly RF, Edwards LB, Herrington CS, Hertz MI, Dahlbert PS.  Effect of preoperative pulmonary artery pressure on early survival after lung transplantation for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.  J Heart Lung Transplant.  2005, 24(9): 1269-1274.

Barr ML, Kawut SM, Whelan TP, Grigis R, Bottcher H, Sonett J, Vigneswaran W, Follette DM, Corris PA.  Report of the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantaton Working Group on Primary Lung Graft Dysfunction: IV, Recipient-related risk factors and markers.  J Heart Lung Transplant.   2005, 24(10): 1468-1482.

Whelan TPM, Hertz MI.  Pulmonary allograft rejection in lung transplantation.  Clin Chest Med.   2005, 26(4): 599-612.

Whelan TPM.  Lung transplantation: a therapy for interstitial lung disease?  Current Opinion in Organ Transplantation.  2006 October; 11(5):502-07.

Kempainen RR, Savik K, Whelan TP, et al.  High prevalence of proximal and distal gastroesophageal reflux disease in advanced COPD.  Chest   2007, 131:1666-1671.

Whitson BA, Prekker, ME, Herrington CS, Whelan TP, Radosevich DM, Hertz MI, Dahlberg PS.  Primary graft dysfunction and long-term pulmonary function after lung transplantation.  J Heart Lung Transplant 2007; 26(10):1004-11.

 

Current Research Projects and Grant Support 

Centocor Inc.  12/30/2008 - 12/26/2012

A phase II multicenter, multinational, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group dose-ranging study evaluating the efficacy and safety of CNTO 888 administered intravenously in subjects with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.  Principal Investigator

Intermune Pharm Inc.   8/11/2008 - 2/11/2011

PIPF-012: An open-label extension study of the long-term safety and efficacy of subcutaneous recombinant pirfenidone in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis who complete the CAPACITY studies.    Principal Investigator

Actelion Pharm Ltd   8/27/2007 - 12/31/2010

BUILD 3: Effects of bosentan on morbidity and mortality in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis- a multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel group, event-driven phase III study.   Principal Investigator

Genzyme Corp   11/12/2008 - 12/31/2009

Expanded access use of GC-1008 in a single patient with progressing idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.   Principal Investigator

InterMune Pharm Inc.   6/12/2006 - 12/31/2009

PIPF—004: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, Phase 3, three-arm study of the safety and efficacy of Pirfenidone in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Principal Investigator

 

Recent Research Support

Genzyme Corp   1/8/2007 - 12/31/2008

A phase I study of the safety of GC-1008 in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: An open label investigation of an humanized antibody to  TGF-beta.   Principal Investigator 

Effect of pulmonary rehabilitation in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis at the University of Minnesota (2006 - present) Principal Investigator – Funded in part by a gift from David and Anne Amato

InterMune Pharm Inc.  7/15/2004 - 12/31/2007

INSPIRE Trial: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled multinational Phase 3 three-arm study of the safety and efficacy of 200 mg subcutaneous interferon gamma—1b in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.  Principal Investigator

A Phase III, randomized, double-blind comparison of oral Valganciclovir and placebo for prevention of CMV infection after lung transplantation. Co-investigator

In collaboration with Cynthia Herrington MD, Division of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, University of Minnesota: 

Donor management: Factors impacting on successful lung procurement (2006-2008) Co-investigator

Factors predisposing patients to development of primary graft dysfunction post-transplant. Co-investigator

Donor management: Donor factors impacting on lung transplant recipient outcome (2006-2008), Co-investigator

Last Updated 5/14/2009