Email

flam@bcm.edu

Positions

Associate Professor

Pediatrics-Critical Care
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, Texas United States

Core Faculty

Center for Translational Research on Inflammatory Diseases (CTRID)
Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center
Baylor College 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 Baylor College of Medicine

06/2004 - Houston, TX

Pediatrics

Residency at Baylor College of Medicine

06/2006 - Houston, TX

Pediatrics

Fellowship at Baylor College 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.

Websites

Selected Publications

• 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 "Chitinase 3-like-1 contributes to acetaminophen-induced liver injury by promoting hepatic platelet recruitment." Elife. 2021; Pubmed PMID: 34110284
• 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. "Clinical Consequences of Cardiomyopathy in Children With Biliary Atresia Requiring Liver Transplantation.." Hepatology. 2019 Mar;69((3)):1206-1218. Pubmed PMID: 30076624
• Mendelson AA, Lam F, Peirce SM, Murfee WL "Clinical perspectives on the microcirculation." Microcirculation. 2021; Pubmed PMID: 33629399
• Nguyen T, Kyle UG, Jaimon N, Tcharmtchi MH, Coss-Bu JA, Lam F, Teruya J, Loftis L "Coinfection with Staphylococcus aureus increases risk of severe coagulopathy in critically ill children with influenza A (H1N1) virus infection.." Crit. Care Med.. 2012 Dec;40(12):3246-50. Pubmed PMID: 22971587

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

Intellectual Property

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.

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