Department of Medicine
Faculty Profiles by Division

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

Faculty Profiles
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photo Alison Morris, MD, MS

Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine

Professor of Medicine, Immunology, and Clinical and Translational Research

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

Director, Center for Medicine and the Microbiome

UPMC Chair in Translational Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine

Email: morrisa@upmc.edu

Phone: 412-648-7784
Contact
Office: UPMC Montefiore Hospital, NW628
3459 Fifth Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
 
Phone: 412-648-7784
Fax: 412-624-8373
E-mail: morrisa@upmc.edu
Administrative Assistant:
Stephanie Hicks
Email: hicksse@upmc.edu
Phone: 412-624-7441
Fax: 412-624-1670
Education and Training
Education
AB, Psychobiology, Harvard College, 1990
MD, Duke University, 1995
MS, Clinical Research, University of Pittsburgh, 2003
Training
Residency, Internal Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, 1997
Fellowship, Pulmonary and Critical Care, University of California, San Francisco, 2000
Fellowship, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, 2002
Masters of Science, Clinical Research, University of Pittsburgh, 2003
Data Analytics, Heinz College, Carnegie Mellon University, 2015
Research Interest
Dr. Morris' research interests include HIV-associated lung disease as well as the role of the microbiome in disease. Her group works with large cohort epidemiologic studies of HIV and other diseases as well as in translational studies in which physiologic and molecular techniques are applied to patient populations. As part of her role in the Center for Medicine and the Microbiome, she works with collaborators in diverse areas studying the microbiome.

Dr. Morris’ research interests focus in several overlapping areas:
1. Role of the microbiome in HIV-associated lung disease
2. Understanding and manipulating the respiratory and gut microbiota in the ICU
3. The role of nitrate-reducing bacteria in pulmonary hypertension
2. HIV-associated emphysema and pulmonary hypertension
3. Role of Pneumocystis and other fungi in COPD and HIV
Clinical Interest
Dr. Morris’ clinical interests focus on lung disease in HIV-infected patients and in care of intensive care unit patients.
Publications
For my complete bibliography, Click Here.
Selected Publications:
Segal LN, Clemente JC, Tsay JJ, Koralov SB, Keller BV, Wu BG, Yonghua L, Shen N, Ghedin E, Morris A, Diaz P, Huang L, Wikoff WR, Ubeda C, Artacho A, Rom WN, Sterman DH, Collman RG, Blaser MJ, Weiden MD. Enrichment of the lung microbiome with oral taxa is associated with lung inflammation of a TH17 phenotype. Nature Microbiology. 2016; 1: 16031.
Fitzpatrick, ME, Nouraie, M, Gingo, MR, Camp, D, Kessinger, CJ, Sincebaugh, JB, Clarke, A, Ries, JW, Kleerup, EC, Kingsley, L, Morris, A. Novel relationships of markers of monocyte activation and endothelial dysfunction with pulmonary dysfunction in HIV-infected persons. AIDS. 2016; 30(9): 1327-39.
Cribbs, SK, Uppal, K, Li, S, Jones, DP, Huang, L, Tipton, L, Fitch, A, Greenblatt, RM, Kinglsey, L, Guidot, DM, Ghedin, E, Morris, A. Correlation of the lung microbiome with metabolic profiles in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in HIV infection. Microbiome. 2016; 4: 3.
Cui, L., Lucht, L., Tipton, L., Rogers, M.B., Fitch, A., Kessinger, C., Camp, D., Kingsley, L,, Leo, N., Greenblatt, R.M., Fong, S., Stone, S., Dermand, J., Kleerup, E., Huang, L., Morris, A.*, Ghedin, E.*. Topographical diversity of the respiratory tract mycobiome and alteration in HIV and lung disease. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. 2015; 191: 932-42.
Moller, DR, Koth, LL, Maier, LA, Morris, A, Drake, W, Rossman, M, Leader, JK, Collman, RG, Hamzeh, N, Sweiss, NJ, Zhang, Y, O'Neal, S, Senior, RM, Becich, M, Hochheiser, HS, Kaminski, N, Wisniewski, SR, Gibson, KF. GRADS Sarcoidosis Study Group. Rationale and design of the Genomic Research in Alpha-1 Antitrypsin and Sarcoidosis Study: Sarcoidosis Protocol. Annals of the American Thoracic Society. 2015; 12(10): 1561-71.
Fitzpatrick, ME, Gingo, MR, Kessinger, CJ, Lucht, L, Kleerup, E, Greenblatt, RM, Claman, D, Ponath, C, Fong, S, Huang, L, Morris, A. HIV infection is associated with diffusing capacity impairment in women. Journal of the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. 2013; 64(3): 284-8.
Morris, A, Beck, JM, Schloss, PD, Campbell, TB, Crothers, K, Curtis, JL, Flores, SC, Fontenot, AP, Ghedin, E, Huang, L, Jablonski, K, Kleerup, E, Lynch, SV, Sodergren, E, Twigg, H, Young, VB, Bassis, CM, Venkataraman, A, Schmidt, TM, Weinstock, GM. Comparison of the respiratory microbiome in healthy non-smokers and smokers. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. 2013; 187(10): 1067-75.
Gingo, MR, George, MP, Kessinger, CJ, Lucht, L, Rissler, B, Weinman, R, Slivka, WA, McMahon, DK, Wenzel, SE, Sciurba, FC, Morris, A. Pulmonary function abnormalities in HIV-infected patients during the current antiretroviral therapy era. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. 2010; 182(6): 790-6.
Morris, A, Kinglsey, LA, Groner, G, Lebedeva, IP, Beard, CB, Norris, KA. Prevalence and clinical predictors of Pneumocystis colonization among HIV-infected men. AIDS. 2004; 18(5): 793-8.
Sponsored Research/Activities
Title: University of Pittsburgh MACS/WIHS CCS- Supplement Funds from NHLBI
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding Agency: National Heart, Lung, & Blood Institute
Grant Number: U01 HL142608
Start Year: 2020
End Year: 2026
Title: Healthcare Worker Exposure Response and Outcomes of Hydroxychloroquine Trial (HERO-HCQ Trial)
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding Agency: Duke Clinical Research Institue / Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute
Grant Number: RES
Start Year: 2020
End Year: 2021
Title: Pittsburgh HIV Mentored Training for Investigation of Co-morbidities and Cure (HIV MeTrICC)
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding Agency: National Heart, Lung, & Blood Institute
Grant Number: K12 HL143886
Start Year: 2018
End Year: 2023
Title: Translational Training Program in Pulmonary Biology and Medicine
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding Agency: National Heart, Lung, & Blood Institute
Grant Number: HL007563
Start Year: 2018
End Year: 2023
Title: Systems Biology of Diffusion Impairment in HIV
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding Agency: National Heart, Lung, & Blood Institute
Grant Number: R01 HL140963
Start Year: 2018
End Year: 2022
Title: Sphingolipids in HIV-associated Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding Agency: University of Minnesota/ National Heart, Lung, & Blood Institute
Grant Number: R01 HL140971
Start Year: 2018
End Year: 2022
Title: Dysbiosis Impact on Lung Disease in HIV (DimpL) Study
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding Agency: National Heart, Lung, & Blood Institute
Grant Number: R01 HL138630
Start Year: 2017
End Year: 2021
Title: Determination of Immunogenic Microbiota in the Lung: Leveraging the Lung HIV Microbiome Project
Role: Co-Principal Investigator
Funding Agency: National Heart, Lung, & Blood Institute
Grant Number: R21 HL143091
Start Year: 2018
End Year: 2020
Title: NCOA7 as a novel therapeutic and genetic diagnostic target in SARS-CoV-2 infection
Role: Co-Investigator
Funding Agency: American Lung Association
Grant Number: RES
Start Year: 2020
End Year: 2022
Title: University of Pittsburgh MACS-WIHS Combined Cohort Study
Role: Co-Investigator
Funding Agency: National Heart, Lung, & Blood Institute
Grant Number: U01 HL146028
Start Year: 2019
End Year: 2026
Title: Molecular Drivers of Vascular Stiffness and Metabolic Dysfunction in HIV-Induced Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
Role: Co-Investigator
Funding Agency: National Heart, Lung, & Blood Institute
Grant Number: R01 HL138437
Start Year: 2017
End Year: 2021
Title: Network Management Core (NEMO) for the Pulmonary Trials Cooperative (PTC)
Role: Co-Investigator
Funding Agency: National Heart, Lung, & Blood Institute
Grant Number: U01 HL128954
Start Year: 2015
End Year: 2020
Title: Vascular Subphenotypes of Lung Disease (Project 3)
Role: Project Leader
Funding Agency: National Heart, Lung, & Blood Institute
Grant Number: P01 HL103455
Start Year: 2016
End Year: 2021
Notable Achievements
Pittsburgh Best Doctors, 2012-2016
American Society for Clinical Investigation, 2012
University of Pittsburgh Critical Care Medicine Distinguished Alumni Award, 2014
Outstanding Mentor Award, PACCM, 2014
American Thoracic Society, Microbiology, Tuberculosis, and Pulmonary Infections Assembly, Mid-Level Peer Recognition Award, 2015

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

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Email:  chairoff@pitt.edu
Phone:  412-648-9636
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