Q&A with the Lerner Research Institute’s New Chief, Serpil C. Erzurum, MD

After a year-long national search, Cleveland Clinic selected Serpil C. Erzurum, MD, to lead the Lerner Research Institute. Dr. Erzurum has been on the staff of Pulmonary Medicine at Cleveland Clinic since 1993 and has chaired the Department of Pathobiology since 2004. She holds the Alfred Lerner Memorial Chair in Innovative Biomedical Research. Her high-energy, team-building approach to both clinical and basic research has earned her the praise, confidence and goodwill of her colleagues. We sat down with Dr. Erzurum to discuss her thoughts about the importance of research in today’s medical world.

Q. Why do you think you are well suited for this job?

I am passionate about helping patients; it is the reason I conduct research. As a physician-scientist, I understand the fundamental and clinical sciences and can enhance collaborations and teamwork to create a more unified relationship between research and medicine.

Cleveland Clinic has been continuously productive in discoveries and innovations over the past 95 years, and it continues today at an even larger scale. For example, in addition to groundbreaking work in heart and kidney diseases, we are pioneering vaccines against breast cancer and early detection tests of lung cancer.

Q. Is there anything special about the way the Lerner Research Institute approaches medical research?

Absolutely, yes. Our model of research pairs laboratory researchers and physician specialists to tackle mechanisms of disease and develop approaches for care with immediate impact for patients. A good example is the recent discovery of mechanisms underlying resistant prostate cancer, which is now being translated into a clinical trial for patients. Similarly, discoveries of how the organisms that inhabit our gut determine health and risks of disease are being applied in diagnostic testing for risks of cardiovascular disease, including heart attacks and strokes. Sharing ideas and information among our diverse team enables us to accelerate discoveries and the important applications that benefit patients.

Q. How relevant is medical research today?

Research is more important now than ever. It is an extraordinary time to take an interest in research, because of the potential for greater, faster advances. Research itself is changing due to the amount of data we can generate and comprehend through new technologies. New computational tools are allowing us to integrate these data to provide a complete picture of the complex nature of most diseases. By examining all the interacting processes, we can identify the critical nodes that will help us shut down disease networks, such as those processes that lead to abnormal growth and unchecked proliferation in cancer cells. We can now rapidly and cost effectively sequence the entire human genome and read all the possible gene variants that might impact a patient’s future health. We will soon be able to understand how chemical changes in the DNA code are influenced by environmental factors, opening up new ways to think of prevention in a personalized way. Cleveland Clinic researchers are studying all these rapidly evolving areas.

Q. Do you see a role for population health studies?

Population health science is more important than ever, so we are growing our population and public health research efforts. We already have a strong foundation in studying patient outcomes and predictive disease modeling. We feel it is important to look beyond the laboratory to evidence-based clinical practice. Our Quantitative Health Sciences department collaborates with our physicians to gather and analyze long-term outcomes. One of our clinical researchers pioneered a cancer-risk calculator that now is used by doctors around the world to assess a patient’s likelihood of developing certain types of cancer. The calculator uses commonly available patient data in an algorithm to make its predictions. By using quantitative science, we aim to continue making improvements that have a direct impact on patient healthcare. Our studies in population care will lead to new ways to sustain health and prevent disease in communities.

These are exciting times in medical research for all of us and our families, who will benefit from the rapid discoveries that are sure to come within the next few years.