Sairam Parthasarathy, MD

  • Professor, Medicine
  • Chief, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine
  • Director, Center for Sleep, Circadian and Neuroscience Research, UA Health Sciences
  • Medical Director, Center for Sleep Disorders, Banner – University Medical Center Tucson

Dr. Parthasarathy has a broad background in clinical-translational research with emphasis on intervention-based approaches in sleep, COVID, and health disparities. His current research work is focused on as contact-PI or co-investigator: (a) community engaged research alliance against COVID-19 related health disparities (NIH-CEAL Alliance, OT2-HL156812 and OT2-HL158287; Contact-PI); that is Arizona statewide with multiple sub-awardee organizations (Arizona State University [ASU], Mayo Clinic Scottsdale, Arizona Center for Rural Health (AzCRH), Arizona Community Worker Organization (AzCHOW), and Northern Arizona University [NAU] -- Arizona-CEAL). (b) sleep disturbances and the relationship to inflammation and patient-outcomes in critically ill patients and survivors of critical illness; Adult Hub MPI for NIH RECOVER: A Multi-site Observational Study of Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Adults (NIH-NHLBI; OT2-HL161847); and (c) health-services research in sleep medicine with emphasis on patient-centered approaches and dissemination and implementation aspects of interventions aimed to promote treatment adherence in health disparate populations (PI; DI-2018C2-13161; HL138377l; PCORI-IHS-1306-02505) and a nationwide peer-driven intervention for promoting treatment adherence and training the trainers during the COVID-19 pandemic. He is board-certified in Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine. Other funded research programs include Arizona Pride-25: Translational Approaches to Health Disparities in the Lung. (NIH-NHLBI; MPI; R25HL126140); UAHS Sleep Research Center Construction Grant (NIH/OD; Center Director; C06OD028307); Site-PI and core leader for Comparative Effectiveness of Zolpidem and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia in Older Adults (PCORI - CER‐2018C2‐13262); Site-PI for A Phase Two Trial to Evaluate the Safety, Tolerability, and Preliminary Efficacy of Intravenous USB002 to Treat Patients with Respiratory Distress due to COVID-19 Infection (W81XWH2110025; DiZerega; PI); Site-PI for Predictors of Severity of COVID-19 (PRESCO; Sergei Brin Foundation). 

Research Interests: 

Sleep-disrdered breathing, sleep in survivors of critical illness, and noninvasive ventilation. 

Degrees
  • MBBS: Madras Medical College 1990
Honors and Awards
  • Standing member, NHLBI T32 Study Section (NITM; 2021-2025)
  • President, Sleep Research Society Foundation
  • Founder's day lecturer, College of Medicine - Tucson (2022)
  • Special Advisor, NCSDR, Division of Lung Diseases, NHLBI / NIH (Intergovernmental Personnel Act; 2018-2019)
  • PCORI Standing Reviewer Board for PCORI Draft Final Research Reports
  • Chair (2012-2014); Member (2010-2012), Sleep Disorders Research Advisory Board (SDRAB) to National Center for Sleep Disorders Research (NIH/NHLBI)
  • Associate Editor, Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine
  • Editorial Board Member, American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine
  • Arizona All of Us Champion Award - 2022
  • Chief of Research, Southern Arizona Veterans Administration Health Care System, Tucson, AZ (2007-2011)
  • Director’s Commendation, Southern Arizona VA HealthCare System
  • Chairperson, Sleep Research Network
  • Founder and Chair, Young Investigator Forum, AASM-NIH, Bethesda, MD
Residency
  • Loyola University Medical Center - Chicago, Internal Medicine
Internship
  • Cook County Hospital, Chicago, IL
Fellowship
  • Loyola University Medical Center, Pulmonary Critical Care Medicine
Board Certifications
  • American Board of Sleep Medicine, Internal Medicine - General
  • American Board of Internal Medicine, Critical Care Medicine - Subspecialty
  • American Board of Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Disease - Subspecialty
  • American Board of Internal Medicine, Sleep Medicine - Subspecialty