Interview with Kirsten Kloepfer, MD MS

Kirsten Kloepfer, MD, MS
Indiana University
Project: “Microbial Influence on Airway Function and Inflammation”
$240,000 paid over 3 years
Award Term: July 2017-June 2020

Why did you choose your project?

We know that the rate of asthma is on the rise and that one out of every 10 children has asthma. With these increasing rates, we’re really trying to look into what may be causing asthma to develop to begin with so perhaps we can prevent it from ever occurring.

My project looks at children from birth and starts sampling them through their first year of life. We’re looking specifically at the microbiome in their upper airway.

How has the Faculty Development Award helped you?

I’m a new investigator, so obtaining funding can be difficult when you’re first starting out. This award helps me continue my research and get even more data to help me write grants in the future and become more independent.

It’s difficult because the amount of funding is limited. The biggest thing is that when you’re coming out of training you don’t have a lot of preliminary data to support your research ideas. Grants like this help us produce more preliminary data to strengthen our research to show that the idea would work.

Would you suggest that other young investigators apply for the Faculty Development Award?

Yes. It’s within our Foundation, so I’m getting support from people who do research in my field. It’s that generous support that will help me out as I’m trying to get my research up and going.

Who are your mentors?

Stacie M. Jones, MD; William W. Busse, MD, FAAAAI; Robert F. Lemanske, Jr., MD, FAAAAI; James E. Gern, MD, FAAAAI; and Stephanie D. Davis, MD.