Carolyn Novaleski, PhD, CCC-SLP, Assistant Professor in the Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences, has received an NIH K23 Career Development Award to support her project, “Identifying Predictors of Treatment Response to Pharmacologic and Nonpharmacologic Interventions in Cough Hypersensitivity Syndrome.” The project will be funded by the NIH National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI).
The project, slated to take place over the course of five years and funded for $714,020, will seek to determine whether cough symptomology predicts responses to different treatments for adults with chronic cough. The research will also evaluate the feasibility of a pilot randomized control trial (RCT) of a nonpharmacological intervention, acceptance and commitment therapy, among patients with chronic cough.
The primary objective of the award is to learn how to efficiently and responsibly conduct human clinical trials, which will be the foundation for pursuing future largescale, multi-site RCTs for chronic cough.
A Natural Step to Support Patients with Chronic Cough
Novaleski’s work previously focused on cough and respiratory physiology, but experiments were limited in healthy volunteers. Her ongoing awareness of the lack of progress being made with people who chronically cough without relief shifted her attention.
“I was surprised how frustrated patients and providers feel about chronic cough, and was disappointed to learn how much trial and error is used with treatment recommendation,” said Novaleski. “Fortunately, thanks to the NIH award, I can pivot my research toward patient-oriented clinical trials in chronic cough, as the funding will provide protected time, outstanding mentoring, training experiences, and a collaborative environment at UNC to gradually become an expert in chronic cough.”
Patient Participation and Hopes for Lasting Impacts
To her knowledge, Novaleski’s is one of the first NIH awards devoted to clinical research among adults suffering from refractory chronic cough. “This presents an exciting opportunity to promote the public health burdens associated with chronic cough, and hopefully will inspire more clinical investigators to address the most pressing research questions for this patient population,” she said.
When the project is ready for enrollment, the study will be registered at ClinicalTrials.gov. Patients and providers will be able to access the information about participation using that resource. However, in the meantime, both patients and providers interested in her research are encouraged to contact Novaleski via email.
“My hope is the work resulting from this award will reassure both patients and providers – many factors contributing to chronic cough are treatable, and I’d like to see more optimism surrounding patient outcomes,” said Novaleski. “I also hope that providers demand more risk-reward assessments of current and future pharmacological treatment options for chronic cough.”
Novaleski has assembled a skilled team of mentors and consultants to help achieve the aims of the research and succeed with her career development goals. Matthew Laughon, M.D., MPH, Professor and Vice Chair of Academic Affairs in the Department of Pediatrics at UNC School of Medicine, is the primary mentor for this award. The remaining essential members of the mentoring team are Roberto Benzo, M.D., M.S. (Director of the Mindful Breathing Laboratory, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at the Mayo Clinic); Stephen Tilley, M.D. (Division of Pulmonary Diseases and Critical Care Medicine in the Department of Medicine at UNC); and John Grose, Ph.D. (Departments of Otolaryngology and Health Sciences at UNC).