Steven M. Scharf, M.D., Ph.D.

Professor of Medicine
Director, Sleep Disorders Center (Adults)

Department: Division
UM Sleep Disorders Center
Medicine: Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine

Special Interests: Sleep Disordered Breathing; Emphysema, COPD

Medical Degree: Johns Hopkins

Residency: Brigham and Women's Hospital, Internal Medicine

Fellowship: Brigham and Women's Hospital, Pulmonary Diseases

Certification: Internal Medicine; Pulmonary Diseases; Sleep Medicine

Biography:

Dr. Scharf recently joined the University of Maryland family from Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Throughout his career he has maintained a wide variety of laboratory and clinical interests. He is widely known for his work in heart-lung interactions and large-scale clinical trials in obstructive airway disease. The latter includes a leading role in the National Emphysema Treatment Trial for lung volume reduction surgery, Feasibility of Retinoids in the Treatment of Emphysema and Asthma Clinical Research Center network of the ALA. He is PI on the recently funded University of Maryland COPD Clinical Research Center Site for the NIH COPD Clinical Research Network.

He has maintained a research and clinical interest in sleep disorders, especially cardiovascular effects of sleep-disordered breathing. He founded the University of Maryland Sleep Disorders Center as a multi-disciplinary resource for the management of a variety of sleep disorders. This center manages a referral clinic, a sleep laboratory, and educational program in sleep medicine and has embarked on several clinical and laboratory studies, some in collaboration with other departments.

Newer studies in the Laboratory of Physiologic Genomics have used an animal model of sleep apnea to demonstrate oxidative stress and deterioration of myocardial function. We are currently investigating the source of reactive oxygen species and the possible role of antioxidants in preventing myocardial damage in this mode.

Current Research Interests:

• Cardiovascular effects of sleep disordered breathing
• Oxidative stress and cardiac function in chronic intermittent hypoxemia
• New treatment modalities for COPD
• Predictors of outcome for treatment of sleep disordered breathing
• Racial and Ethnic influence on severity of sleep disordered breathing
• Economic impact of sleep disordered breathing

Current Research Funding:

• 2003 - 2004 Maryland Tobacco Restitution fund: Infliximab treatment in COPD.
• 2003 - 2006 National Institutes of Health: "Cardiovascular Stress of Sleep Apnea and Heart Failure", HL 01-009
• 2003 - 2008 Clinical Center - COPD Clinical Research Network. RFP HL-03-002. PI: SM Scharf. Direct Costs: $3,000,000, Indirect Costs: $957,875. Total Costs: $3,957,875
• 2003 ? 2004: Oxidative stress in chronic intermittent hypoxia

Education:

• MD Johns Hopkins School of Medicine (1973)
• PhD Johns Hopkins School of Public Health (1973)
• House Staff Training; Peter Bent Brigham Hospital (now Brigham and Women's)
• Fellowship training: Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, West Roxbury VA Medical Center

Ask Dr. Scharf your sleep disorder questions.

Contact Information:
1-800-373-4111 (physicians only)
1-800-492-5538 (patients and general information)
1-410-328-8919 (news media only)