Nirmal S Sharma, M.D.

Medical Director, The Center for Advanced Lung Disease and Transplantation

Email

nirmal.sharma@bcm.edu

Positions

Medical Director, The Center for Advanced Lung Disease and Transplantation: Center for Advanced Lung Diseases and Transplantation
Baylor St Luke's Medical Center
Houston, Texas, United States

Frances K. Friedman & Oscar Friedman, M.D. ’36 Endowed Professorship for Pulmonary Disorders: Baylor College of Medicine

Co-Director: Baylor Lung Institute

Senior Faculty: Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, Texas, United States

Addresses

Administrative Office (Office): Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center/Texas Heart Institute
P516J
Houston, TX, 77030
United States
nirmal.sharma@bcm.edu

Academic Office (Lab): Neurosensory Center of Houston
6501 Fannin St, # NB340
Houston, TX, 77030
United States
nirmal.sharma@bcm.edu

Education

Graduate Certificate at T.H. Chan Harvard School of Public Health: Boston, Massachusetts, United States; Certificate Course in Leadership Development for Physicians in Academic Health Centers

Fellowship at University of Alabama at Birmingham: Birmingham, AL; Pulmonary disease, Critical Care disease

Residency at Albert Einstein College of Medicine: Bronx; Internal Medicine

Internship at Western Reserve Care System/NEOMED: Ohio; Internal Medicine

MBBS from Stanley Medical College: Chennai, India

Certifications

Board Certification in Internal Medicine: ABIM (Internal Medicine)

Board Certification in Pulmonary Disease: ABIM (Pulmonary Disease)

Board Certification in Critical Care Medicine: ABIM (Critical Care Medicine)

Full Unrestricted License: Texas Medical Board

Full Unrestricted License: Board of Registration in Medicine, Massachusetts

Honors & Awards

DOM Exemplary Service Award: Massachusetts General Brigham (12/2024)

Chairman's Research Award: Brigham and Womens Hospital (12/2022)

Brigham Visiting Scholar: Brigham and Womens Hospital (03/2022)

Provider of the Month: Tampa General Hospital (08/2018)

Abstract Scholarship: American Thoracic Society (05/2015)

Fellow Tract Symposium: American Thoracic Society (05/2014)

Best Outgoing Resident: Albert Einstein College of Medicine (06/2013)

Milford Fulop Research Award: Albert Einstein College of Medicine (03/2013)

Leo M. Davidoff Excellence in Teaching: Albert Einstein College of Medicine (06/2012)

Professional Statement

Dr. Nirmal S. Sharma is the Medical Director of the Center for Advanced Lung Disease and Transplantation at Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center and Co-Director of the Baylor Lung Institute. He holds the Frances K. Friedman and Oscar Friedman, M.D. ’36 Endowed Professorship for Pulmonary Disorders at Baylor College of Medicine.

He is a lung transplant physician-scientist with clinical expertise in advanced lung disease, lung transplantation, and extracorporeal life support. Prior to joining Baylor, he served as Medical Director of Lung Transplantation at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Boston VA Medical Center, and was an Faculty at Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Sharma has contributed to national transplant policy and governance through committee service with the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, including the OPTN Lung Committee, Lung Exception Board, and Membership and Professional Standards Committee. His work in these roles has supported efforts to improve organ allocation, transplant access, and quality in lung transplant care.

His NIH-funded basic and translational research program focuses on mechanisms of lung allograft rejection and chronic lung allograft dysfunction, with the goal of identifying novel therapeutic strategies to prevent and treat rejection. Through his clinical leadership, national service, and translational research, Dr. Sharma aims to improve outcomes for patients with advanced lung disease and lung transplant recipients.

Selected Publications

Goda Y, Naito T, Banday MM, Potter AS, Odintsov I, Patel K, Davis N, Lee S, Gaggar A, Rosas I, Loor G, Hayes D Jr, Sharma NS.. " Spatial transcriptomics reveals coordinated endothelial and epithelial activator protein-1 activation in chronic lung allograft dysfunction. " J Heart Lung Transplant. 2026 Jun ;
Pubmed PMID: 41663041.
Banday MM, Rahman M, Goda Y, Potter AS, Naito T, Mallidi H, Surolia R, Lee S, Rehman R, Loor G, Hayes D Jr, Sharma NS.. " Mechanistic analysis of an IRF7-dependent pathway in virus-induced fibrosis in chronic lung allograft dysfunction " EBioMedicine. 2026 Jun ;
Pubmed PMID: 42105629.
Banday MM, Banday S, Rahman M, Harrison AO, Singh N, Moore RM, Khan MM, Shankar S, Goda Y, Coppolino A, Movval N, Goldberg H, Mebratu Y, Polson SW, Patel KN, Gaggar A, Hayes D Jr, Krishnamoorthy N, Gewurz BE, Washko G, Tesfaigzi Y, Rehman R, Sharma NS.. " Anellovirus-Mediated Interferon Dysregulation Enhances Virus-Induced Lung Injury " Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 2026. 2026 Mar ;
Pubmed PMID: 42089290.
41. Goda Y, Lee S, Xu X, Khan MM, Visner G, Hills E, Pena A.L, Lopez P, Gaggar A, Hochman-Mendes C, Loor G, Banday MM, Sharma NS.. " Targeting the proline-glycine-proline-protease feed-forward loop attenuates primary graft dysfunction after lung transplantation. " Front Immunol. 2026 Feb ;
Pubmed PMID: 41798933.