Advanced methods to interpret ARDS trials with modern statistics
Official title: Advancing the design, analysis, and interpretation of acute respiratory distress syndrome trials using modern statistical tools
Funded at University of Pennsylvania · NIH-11324920 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Aims to reanalyze past ARDS trials using Bayesian and machine-learning methods to better identify treatments that help patients with acute respiratory failure.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pennsylvania NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project start | June 1, 2023 |
| Project end | May 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $690,557 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL168202-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11324920 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with acute respiratory distress syndrome who would have been eligible for the analyzed past trials.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose condition is unrelated to ARDS or whose trial data do not show a benefit from reanalysis may not experience a new advantage.
What this research studies
This project looks at past ARDS trials and reinterprets their data with newer statistical tools to find useful treatments that might have been missed before. It focuses on therapies that are low-cost or easy to implement, such as ventilator settings and fluid management, to improve outcomes for ARDS patients. By reanalyzing data from over 15,000 participants across many trials, the team hopes to reveal treatment options that could be adopted in routine care.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could uncover additional actionable therapies to improve survival and recovery for ARDS patients and guide better clinical decision-making.
How similar studies have gone: Previous ARDS trials showed benefits for two interventions, but many potential therapies were not clearly identified due to traditional statistical methods; this approach may reveal new options.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Harhay, Michael Oscar — University of Pennsylvania
- Study coordinator: Harhay, Michael Oscar
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Identifying ARDS patients who may benefit from paralytics guided by high-frequency clinical data
This grant aims to help doctors figure out which adults with ARDS are most likely to benefit from paralytic medications using detailed bedside data and electronic health records.
-
Resilience endotypes and early ARDS detection using biomarkers and AI
A Duke University team is using biomarkers and smart data analysis to detect ARDS early and uncover patterns that predict how patients recover.
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PAR1’s role in lung lymphatics and a new therapy approach for ARDS
This grant explores how the thrombin receptor PAR1 affects lung lymphatics to understand and ultimately reduce lung injury in ARDS patients.
-
Dead space and inhaled nitric oxide in pediatric ARDS
This project looks at whether measuring dead space and using inhaled nitric oxide can help improve outcomes for children with acute respiratory distress syndrome.
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Immune, hormone, and muscle energy links to recovery after ARDS
This project looks at why some ARDS survivors have ongoing weakness and how immune, hormone, and muscle energy factors might influence recovery.</n>
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Understanding why some people with severe lung injury get worse and how to tailor therapy
A patient-focused program that looks at why people develop sepsis-associated ARDS and how their bodies respond, with the goal of guiding better, personalized treatments.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.