Lundy Braun

Last updated
Lundy Braun
Education Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Occupation Pathologist
Medical career
Profession Professor Emerita
Institutions Brown University
Research
Awards Ludwik Fleck Prize (2018)

Lundy Braun is professor of pathology and laboratory medicine, and Africana studies at Brown University, United States, who researches history of racial health disparities. She wrote Breathing Race Into the Machine: The Surprising Career of the Spirometer From Plantation to Genetics (2014), which looks at the history of correcting for race in spirometers, and for which she received the Ludwik Fleck Prize in 2018.

Contents

Career

Lundy Braun received her PhD from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in 1982. [1]

Braun studies differences in health relating to race, and is professor of pathology and laboratory medicine and Africana studies. Her reviews of research around algorithms using race adjustments have found that race is not often defined, and she raises the question of the role of race in medicine. [2] Her research paper "Defining race/ethnicity and explaining difference in research studies on lung function", published in the European Respiratory Journal in 2012, looked at almost 100 years of research pertaining to lung disease. [3]

She wrote Breathing Race Into the Machine: The Surprising Career of the Spirometer From Plantation to Genetics (2014), which looks at the history of correcting for race in spirometers, and for which she received the Ludwik Fleck Prize in 2018. [4] [5] [6] [7]

Selected publications

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lung volumes</span> Volume of air in the lungs

Lung volumes and lung capacities refer to the volume of air in the lungs at different phases of the respiratory cycle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spirometer</span> Apparatus for measuring air volume inspired and expired by the lungs

A spirometer is an apparatus for measuring the volume of air inspired and expired by the lungs. A spirometer measures ventilation, the movement of air into and out of the lungs. The spirogram will identify two different types of abnormal ventilation patterns, obstructive and restrictive. There are various types of spirometers that use a number of different methods for measurement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pulmonology</span> Study of respiratory diseases

Pulmonology, pneumology or pneumonology is a medical specialty that deals with diseases involving the respiratory tract. It is also known as respirology, respiratory medicine, or chest medicine in some countries and areas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spirometry</span> Pulmonary function test

Spirometry is the most common of the pulmonary function tests (PFTs). It measures lung function, specifically the amount (volume) and/or speed (flow) of air that can be inhaled and exhaled. Spirometry is helpful in assessing breathing patterns that identify conditions such as asthma, pulmonary fibrosis, cystic fibrosis, and COPD. It is also helpful as part of a system of health surveillance, in which breathing patterns are measured over time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atelectasis</span> Collapse or closure of a lung resulting in reduced or absent gas exchange

Atelectasis is the collapse or closure of a lung resulting in reduced or absent gas exchange. It is usually unilateral, affecting part or all of one lung. It is a condition where the alveoli are deflated down to little or no volume, as distinct from pulmonary consolidation, in which they are filled with liquid. It is often called a collapsed lung, although that term may also refer to pneumothorax.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vital capacity</span> Measure of human lung capacity

Vital capacity (VC) is the maximum amount of air a person can expel from the lungs after a maximum inhalation. It is equal to the sum of inspiratory reserve volume, tidal volume, and expiratory reserve volume. It is approximately equal to Forced Vital Capacity (FVC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Respiratory disease</span> Disease of the respiratory system

Respiratory diseases, or lung diseases, are pathological conditions affecting the organs and tissues that make gas exchange difficult in air-breathing animals. They include conditions of the respiratory tract including the trachea, bronchi, bronchioles, alveoli, pleurae, pleural cavity, the nerves and muscles of respiration. Respiratory diseases range from mild and self-limiting, such as the common cold, influenza, and pharyngitis to life-threatening diseases such as bacterial pneumonia, pulmonary embolism, tuberculosis, acute asthma, lung cancer, and severe acute respiratory syndromes, such as COVID-19. Respiratory diseases can be classified in many different ways, including by the organ or tissue involved, by the type and pattern of associated signs and symptoms, or by the cause of the disease.

Airway obstruction is a blockage of respiration in the airway that hinders the free flow of air. It can be broadly classified into being either in the upper airway (UPA) or lower airway (LOA).

The Ludwik Fleck Prize is an annual award given for a book in the field of science and technology studies. It was created by the 4S Council in 1992 and is named after microbiologist Ludwik Fleck.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Incentive spirometer</span> Handheld device to improve lung function

An incentive spirometer is a handheld medical device used to help patients improve the functioning of their lungs. By training patients to take slow and deep breaths, this simplified spirometer facilitates lung expansion and strengthening. Patients inhale through a mouthpiece, which causes a piston inside the device to rise. This visual feedback helps them monitor their inspiratory effort. Incentive spirometers are commonly used after surgery or other illnesses to prevent pulmonary complications.

Race and health refers to how being identified with a specific race influences health. Race is a complex concept that has changed across chronological eras and depends on both self-identification and social recognition. In the study of race and health, scientists organize people in racial categories depending on different factors such as: phenotype, ancestry, social identity, genetic makeup and lived experience. "Race" and ethnicity often remain undifferentiated in health research.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Obstructive lung disease</span> Category of respiratory disease characterized by airway obstruction

Obstructive lung disease is a category of respiratory disease characterized by airway obstruction. Many obstructive diseases of the lung result from narrowing (obstruction) of the smaller bronchi and larger bronchioles, often because of excessive contraction of the smooth muscle itself. It is generally characterized by inflamed and easily collapsible airways, obstruction to airflow, problems exhaling, and frequent medical clinic visits and hospitalizations. Types of obstructive lung disease include; asthma, bronchiectasis, bronchitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Although COPD shares similar characteristics with all other obstructive lung diseases, such as the signs of coughing and wheezing, they are distinct conditions in terms of disease onset, frequency of symptoms, and reversibility of airway obstruction. Cystic fibrosis is also sometimes included in obstructive pulmonary disease.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pulmonary function testing</span> Test to evaluate respiratory system

Pulmonary function testing (PFT) is a complete evaluation of the respiratory system including patient history, physical examinations, and tests of pulmonary function. The primary purpose of pulmonary function testing is to identify the severity of pulmonary impairment. Pulmonary function testing has diagnostic and therapeutic roles and helps clinicians answer some general questions about patients with lung disease. PFTs are normally performed by a pulmonary function technician, respiratory therapist, respiratory physiologist, physiotherapist, pulmonologist, or general practitioner.

Workplace health surveillance or occupational health surveillance (U.S.) is the ongoing systematic collection, analysis, and dissemination of exposure and health data on groups of workers. The Joint ILO/WHO Committee on Occupational Health at its 12th Session in 1995 defined an occupational health surveillance system as "a system which includes a functional capacity for data collection, analysis and dissemination linked to occupational health programmes".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FEV1/FVC ratio</span> Ratio used in the diagnosis of lung disease

The FEV1/FVC ratio, also called modified Tiffeneau-Pinelli index, is a calculated ratio used in the diagnosis of obstructive and restrictive lung disease. It represents the proportion of a person's vital capacity that they are able to expire in the first second of forced expiration (FEV1) to the full, forced vital capacity (FVC). FEV1/FVC ratio first proposed by E.A. Haensler in 1950. The FEV1/FVC index should not be confused with the FEV1/VC index as they are different, although both are intended for diagnosing airway obstruction. Current recommendations for diagnosing pulmonary function recommend using the modified Tiffeneau-Pinelli index. This index is recommended to be represented as a decimal fraction with two digits after the decimal point.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Structured light plethysmography</span>

Structured Light Plethysmography (SLP) technology is a noninvasive method for collecting accurate representations of chest and abdominal wall movement. A checkerboard pattern of light is projected from a light projector onto the chest of an individual. Movements of the grid are viewed by two digital cameras, digitalised, and processed to form a 3D model and can be interrogated to assess lung function. The system has been tested on over 70 adults. SLP is simple to use, accurate and cost effective, is self-calibrating and does not require the use of plastic consumables, reducing cost, risk of cross infection and the device's carbon footprint. In conjunction with the Cambridge Veterinary School, proof of concept studies have indicated that the device is sensitive enough to noninvasively pick up respiratory movements in domestic animals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease</span> Lung disease involving long-term poor airflow

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a type of progressive lung disease characterized by long-term respiratory symptoms and airflow limitation. The main symptoms of COPD include shortness of breath and a cough, which may or may not produce mucus. COPD progressively worsens, with everyday activities such as walking or dressing becoming difficult. While COPD is incurable, it is preventable and treatable. The two most common types of COPD are emphysema and chronic bronchitis and have been the two classic COPD phenotypes. Emphysema is defined as enlarged airspaces (alveoli) whose walls have broken down resulting in permanent damage to the lung tissue. Chronic bronchitis is defined as a productive cough that is present for at least three months each year for two years. Both of these conditions can exist without airflow limitation when they are not classed as COPD. Emphysema is just one of the structural abnormalities that can limit airflow and can exist without airflow limitation in a significant number of people. Chronic bronchitis does not always result in airflow limitation but in young adults who smoke the risk of developing COPD is high. Many definitions of COPD in the past included emphysema and chronic bronchitis, but these have never been included in GOLD report definitions. Emphysema and chronic bronchitis remain the predominant phenotypes of COPD but there is often overlap between them and a number of other phenotypes have also been described. COPD and asthma may coexist and converge in some individuals. COPD is associated with low-grade systemic inflammation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Artificial butter flavoring</span> Culinary liquid mimicking flavor of butter

Artificial butter flavoring is a flavoring used to give a food the taste and smell of butter. It may contain diacetyl, acetylpropionyl, or acetoin, three natural compounds in butter that contribute to its characteristic taste and smell. Manufacturers of margarines or similar oil-based products typically add it to make the final product butter-flavored, because it would otherwise be relatively tasteless.

Race adjustment, also known as race-correction, is the calculating of a result which takes into account race. It is commonly used in medical algorithms in several specialties, including cardiology, nephrology, urology, obstetrics, endocrinology, oncology and respiratory medicine. Examples include the eGFR to assess kidney function, the STONE score for the prediction of kidney stones, the FRAX tool, to evaluate the 10-year probability of bone fracture risk, and lung function tests, to identify the severity of lung disease.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephanie J. London</span> American physician

Stephanie J. London is an American epidemiologist and physician-scientist specializing in environmental health, respiratory diseases, and genetic susceptibility. She is the deputy chief of the epidemiology branch at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

References

  1. "Race & Public Health | The Office of the Provost | Brown University". www.brown.edu. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  2. Brown. "Spirometry: A built-in 'correction' for race?". news.brown.edu. Archived from the original on 5 March 2021. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  3. Chowkwanyun, Merlin (23 May 2013). "Race Is Not Biology". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on 30 March 2021. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  4. Kahn, Jonathan (1 February 2015). "Review of Lundy Braun, Breathing Race Into the Machine: The Surprising Career of the Spirometer From Plantation to Genetics". The American Journal of Bioethics. 15 (2): W5–W6. doi:10.1080/15265161.2014.990586. ISSN   1526-5161. S2CID   71215823.
  5. Braun, Lundy (2014). Breathing Race into the Machine: The Surprising Career of the Spirometer from Plantation to Genetics. University of Minnesota Press. ISBN   9780816683574. JSTOR   10.5749/j.ctt5vkbdf.
  6. "Lundy Braun wins book award | Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine | Brown University". www.brown.edu. Archived from the original on 27 January 2019. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  7. "Lundy Braun". Society for Social Studies of Science. Retrieved 18 April 2021.