Department of Medicine
Faculty Profiles by Division

Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine

Faculty Profiles
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photo Georgios D. Kitsios, MD, PhD

Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine

Assistant Professor of Medicine

Director, American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Research Pathway, Internal Medicine Residency Program, UPMC

Email: kitsiosg@upmc.edu

Phone: 412-383-0127
Contact
Office: UPMC Montefiore Hospital, NW 628
3459 Fifth Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
 
Phone: 412-383-0127
Fax: 412-624-8373
E-mail: kitsiosg@upmc.edu
Administrative Assistant:
Cindy Vinkovich
Address: E1140 Starzl BST 200 Lothrop Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Email: vinkovichc@upmc.edu
Phone: 412-648-7784
Fax: 412-624-8373
Education and Training
Education
MD, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, 2003
PhD, Genetic Epidemiology, University of Thessaly, Greece, 2009
MSc, Clinical and Translational Science, Tufts University, 2010
Training
Residency, Internal Medicine, Lahey Clinic, 2014
Fellowship, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, 2017
Research Interest
My translational research focuses on the development of microbial nucleic-acid sequencing-based diagnostics for pneumonia and sepsis in the intensive care unit, to improve upon major deficiencies in sensitivity and timeliness of the current diagnostic methods. My work further examines the ability to define ARDS subphenotypes from lung microbiome profiles and host innate immune responses to explain the clinical heterogeneity of the syndrome and allow for better targeting of interventions. On the clinical end, I aim to capture the radiographic heterogeneity of ARDS and severe pneumonia, and examine how easily accessible radiographic severity scores may predict outcomes and treatment responses. I am also interested in the impact of the gut microbiome on critical illness outcomes and the use of microbial replacement therapies with fecal transplant for the eradication of multidrug-resistant organisms in chronically critically-ill patients.
Clinical Interest
My clinical focus is on delivery of evidence-based critical care medicine across diverse settings and critically ill patient populations. I attend intensive care units across the UPMC system and I am also involved in provision of inpatient pulmonary consultations at the main campus and in other UPMC facilities through telemedicine services.
Educational Interest
Evidence-based critical care, ventilator physiology, clinical trials, observational evidence and comparative effectiveness.
Publications
For my complete bibliography, Click Here.
Selected Publications:
Kitsios GD, Nouraie SM, Qin S, Zhang Y, Ray P, Ray A, Lee JS, Morris A, McVerry BJ, Bain W. Distinct profiles of host responses between plasma and lower respiratory tract during acute respiratory failure. ERJ Open Res. 2023; Jun 5;9(3): 00743-2022.
Kitsios GD, Nguyen VD, Sayed K, Al-Yousif N, Schaefer C, Shah FA, Bain W, Yang H, Fitch A, Li K, Wang X, Qin S, Gentry H, Zhang Y, Varon J, Arciniegas, Rubio A, Englert JA, Baron RM, Lee JS, Methe B, Benos PV, Morris A, McVerry BJ. The upper and lower respiratory tract microbiome in severe aspiration pneumonia. iScience. 2023; May 6;26(6): 106832.
Al-Yousif N, Komanduri S, Qurashi H, Korzhuk A, Lawal HO, Abourizk N, Schaefer C, Mitchell KJ, Dietz CM, Hughes EK, Brandt CS, Fitzgerald GM, Joyce R, Chaudhry AS, Kotok D, Rivera JD, Kim AI, Shettigar S, Lavina A, Girard CE, Gillenwater SR, Hadeh A, Bain W, Shah FA, Bittner M, Lu M, Prendergast N, Evankovich J, Golubykh K, Ramesh N, Jacobs JJ, Kessinger C, Methe B, Lee JS, Morris A, McVerry BJ, Kitsios GD. Inter-rater reliability and prognostic value of baseline Radiographic Assessment of Lung Edema (RALE) scores in observational cohort studies of inpatients with COVID-19. BMJ Open. 2023; Jan 12;13(1): e066626.
Bain W, Yang H, Shah FA, Suber T, Drohan C, Al-Yousif N, DeSensi RS, Bensen N, Schaefer C, Rosborough BR, Somasundaram A, Workman CJ, Lampenfeld C, Cillo AR, Cardello C, Shan F, Bruno TC, Vignali DA, Ray P, Ray A, Zhang Y, Lee JS, Methe B, McVerry BJ, Morris A, Kitsios GD. COVID-19 versus Non-COVID-19 Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome: Comparison of Demographics, Physiologic Parameters, Inflammatory Biomarkers, and Clinical Outcomes. Ann Am Thorac Soc. 2021; Jul;18(7): 1202-1210.
Drohan CM, Nouraie SM, Bain W, Shah FA, Evankovich J, Zhang Y, Morris A, McVerry BJ, Kitsios GD. Biomarker-Based Classification of Patients With Acute Respiratory Failure Into Inflammatory Subphenotypes: A Single-Center Exploratory Study. Crit Care Explor. 2021; Aug 19;3(8): e0518.
Kitsios GD, Kotok D, Yang H, Finkelman MA, Zhang Y, Britton N, Li X, Levochkina MS, Wagner AK, Schaefer C, Villandre JJ, Guo R, Evankovich JW, Bain W, Shah F, Zhang Y, Methe BA, Benos PV, McVerry BJ, Morris A. Plasma 1,3-ß-d-glucan levels predict adverse clinical outcomes in critical illness. JCI Insight. 2021; Jul 22;6(14): e14127.
Yang H, Haidar G, Al-Yousif NS, Zia H, Kotok D, Ahmed AA, Blair L, Dalai S, Bercovici S, Ho C, McVerry BJ, Morris A, Kitsios GD. Circulating microbial cell- free DNA is associated with inflammatory host-responses in severe pneumonia. Thorax. 2021; Apr 22: thoraxjnl-2020-216013.PMID:33888575.
Valenzi E, Yang H, Sembrat JC, Yang L, Winters S, Nettles R, Kass DJ, Qin S, Wang X, Myerburg MM, Methe B, Fitch A, Alkder JL, Benos PV, McVerry BJ, Rojas M, Morris A, Kitsios GD. Topographic heterogeneity of lung microbiota in end-stage idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: the Microbiome in Lung Explants-2 (MiLES-2) Study. Thorax. 2020; Dec 2: thoraxjnl-2020-214770.PMID:33268457.
Kitsios GD, Yang H, Yang L, Qin S, Fitch A, Wang XH, Evankovich J, Bain W, Shah F, Li K, Methe B, Benos PV, Morris A, McVerry BJ. Respiratory Tract Dysbiosis is Associated With Worse Outcomes in Mechanically-Ventilated Patients. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2020; Dec 15;202(12): 1666-1677.
Kitsios GD, Yang L, Manatakis DV, Nouraie M, Evankovich J, Bain W, Dunlap DD, Shah FA, Barbash, IJ, Rapport SF, Zhang Y, DeSensi RS, Weathington NM, Chen BB, Ray P, Mallampalli RK, Benos PV, Lee JS, Morris A, McVerry BJ. Host-Response Subphenotypes Offer Prognostic Enrichment in Patients With or at Risk for Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome. Crit Care Med. 2019; 47: 1724-1734: PMID:31634231.
Sponsored Research/Activities
Title: Microbiome-Based Diagnosis of Pneumonia in the Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding Agency: National Heart, Lung, & Blood Institute
Grant Number: K23 HL139987
Start Year: 2018
End Year: 2022
Title: Rapid Etiologic Diagnosis of Severe Pneumonia with Plasma cfDNA Sequencing
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding Agency: Karius, Inc.
Start Year: 2018
End Year: 2021
Notable Achievements
COVID-19 & Respiratory Virus Research Award, American Lung Association, 2023
Outstanding Mentorship Award, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, 2023
Rising Star Award in Pulmonary Infections and Tuberculosis, Science and Innovation Center, ATS International Conference, 2021
Covid-19 Pilot Grant Program, Clinical and Translational Science Institute, University of Pittsburgh, PA, 2020
ATS and Asian Pacific Society of Respirology Young Investigator Award, Hanoi, Vietnam, 2019
Robert M. Rogers Outstanding Scholarly Achievement Award, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, 2018
Breathe Pennsylvania Lung Health Research Award, 2017
Fellow Teaching Award of the year, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, 2015
Outstanding Resident of the Year Award, Lahey Hospital, 2014
Excellence in Medical Student Teaching Award, Tufts School of Medicine, 2013

Division Websites

Cardiology

Endocrinology and Metabolism

Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition

General Internal Medicine

Geriatric Medicine
Hematology/Oncology

Infectious Diseases

Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine

Renal-Electrolyte

Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology

Contact

Department of Medicine
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3550 Terrace Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15261
Email:  chairoff@pitt.edu
Phone:  412-648-9636
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