Jonathan Andrew Kropski, M.D.

Associate Professor

jon.kropski@vanderbilt.edu

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Faculty Appointments
Associate Professor of Medicine Associate Professor of Cell & Developmental BiologyRudy W. Jacobson Chair in Pulmonary Medicine
Education
M.D., Medicine , Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TennesseeB.S., Biology, cum laude, Davidson College, Davidson, North Carolina
Research Description
Dr. Jonathan A. Kropski received his undergraduate degree from Davidson College in 2004 and his medical degree from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in 2008. He completed his residency training in Internal Medicine and Pulmonary/Critical Care fellowship at Vanderbilt University. His research interests include the genetic basis of interstitial lung disease, rare/familial lung diseases, and molecular mechanisms of lung injury, repair and fibrosis. His laboratory utilizes bioinformatic approaches as well as cell and transgenic animal models to investigate the molecular mechanisms through which genetic variants affect lung epithelial injury and repair mechanisms.
Research Keywords
Research focus: pulmonary fibrosis, genetics, rare lung diseases, single cell genomics
Publications
Scott MKD, Quinn K, Li Q, Carroll R, Warsinske H, Vallania F, Chen S, Carns MA, Aren K, Sun J, Koloms K, Lee J, Baral J, Kropski J, Zhao H, Herzog E, Martinez FJ, Moore BB, Hinchcliff M, Denny J, Kaminski N, Herazo-Maya JD, Shah NH, Khatri P. Increased monocyte count as a cellular biomarker for poor outcomes in fibrotic diseases: a retrospective, multicentre cohort study. Lancet Respir Med [print-electronic]. 2019 Mar 3/29/2019; PMID: 30935881, PII: S2213-2600(18)30508-3, DOI: 10.1016/S2213-2600(18)30508-3, ISSN: 2213-2619.

Pannu JK, Hewlett JC, Smith AB, Mason WR, Chen H, Rickman OB, Lentz RJ, Kropski JA, Maldonado F. Survival implications of transbronchial cryobiopsy and other diagnostic modalities in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. J Thorac Dis. 2019 Feb; 11(2): E20-E23. PMID: 30963007, PMCID: PMC6409248, PII: jtd-11-02-E20, DOI: 10.21037/jtd.2019.01.44, ISSN: 2072-1439.

Kropski JA, Blackwell TS. Progress in Understanding and Treating Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis. Annu. Rev. Med. 2019 Jan 1/27/2019; 70: 211-24. PMID: 30691371, PMCID: PMC6378692, DOI: 10.1146/annurev-med-041317-102715, ISSN: 1545-326X.

Wu AC, Kiley JP, Noel PJ, Amur S, Burchard EG, Clancy JP, Galanter J, Inada M, Jones TK, Kropski JA, Loyd JE, Nogee LM, Raby BA, Rogers AJ, Schwartz DA, Sin DD, Spira A, Weiss ST, Young LR, Himes BE. Current Status and Future Opportunities in Lung Precision Medicine Research with a Focus on Biomarkers. An American Thoracic Society/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Research Statement. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. 2018 Dec 12/15/2018; 198(12): e116-e136. PMID: 30640517, DOI: 10.1164/rccm.201810-1895ST, ISSN: 1535-4970.

Wilfong EM, Lentz RJ, Guttentag A, Tolle JJ, Johnson JE, Kropski JA, Kendall PL, Blackwell TS, Crofford LJ. Interstitial Pneumonia With Autoimmune Features: An Emerging Challenge at the Intersection of Rheumatology and Pulmonology. Arthritis & rheumatology (Hoboken, N.J.) [print-electronic]. 2018 Dec; 70(12): 1901-13. PMID: 30058242, PMCID: PMC6261671, DOI: 10.1002/art.40679, ISSN: 2326-5205.

Gaskill CF, Kropski JA, Richmond BW, Foronjy RF, Taketo MM, Majka SM. Identifying Mesenchymal Pathways That Initiate Emphysema in Order to Develop Targeted Therapies. Ann Am Thorac Soc. 2018 Dec; 15(Supplement_4): S291-S292. PMID: 30759014, PMCID: PMC6321997, DOI: 10.1513/AnnalsATS.201804-229MG, ISSN: 2325-6621.

Celada LJ, Kropski JA, Herazo-Maya JD, Luo W, Creecy A, Abad AT, Chioma OS, Lee G, Hassell NE, Shaginurova GI, Wang Y, Johnson JE, Kerrigan A, Mason WR, Baughman RP, Ayers GD, Bernard GR, Culver DA, Montgomery CG, Maher TM, Molyneaux PL, Noth I, Mutsaers SE, Prele CM, Peebles RS, Newcomb DC, Kaminski N, Blackwell TS, Van Kaer L, Drake WP. PD-1 up-regulation on CD4+ T cells promotes pulmonary fibrosis through STAT3-mediated IL-17A and TGF-ß1 production. Sci Transl Med. 2018 Sep 9/26/2018; 10(460): PMID: 30257954, PMCID: PMC6263177, PII: 10/460/eaar8356, DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aar8356, ISSN: 1946-6242.

Burman A, Kropski JA, Calvi CL, Serezani AP, Pascoalino BD, Han W, Sherrill T, Gleaves L, Lawson WE, Young LR, Blackwell TS, Tanjore H. Localized hypoxia links ER stress to lung fibrosis through induction of C/EBP homologous protein. JCI Insight. 2018 Aug 8/23/2018; 3(16): PMID: 30135303, PMCID: PMC6141182, PII: 99543, DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.99543, ISSN: 2379-3708.

Dressen A, Abbas AR, Cabanski C, Reeder J, Ramalingam TR, Neighbors M, Bhangale TR, Brauer MJ, Hunkapiller J, Reeder J, Mukhyala K, Cuenco K, Tom J, Cowgill A, Vogel J, Forrest WF, Collard HR, Wolters PJ, Kropski JA, Lancaster LH, Blackwell TS, Arron JR, Yaspan BL. Analysis of protein-altering variants in telomerase genes and their association with MUC5B common variant status in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: a candidate gene sequencing study. Lancet Respir Med [print-electronic]. 2018 Jun 6/8/2018; PMID: 29891356, PII: S2213-2600(18)30135-8, DOI: 10.1016/S2213-2600(18)30135-8, ISSN: 2213-2619.

Sucre JMS, Jetter CS, Loomans H, Williams J, Plosa EJ, Benjamin JT, Young LR, Kropski JA, Calvi CL, Kook S, Wang P, Gleaves L, Eskaros A, Goetzl L, Blackwell TS, Guttentag SH, Zijlstra A. Successful Establishment of Primary Type 2 Alveolar Epithelium with 3D Organotypic Co-culture. Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Biol [print-electronic]. 2018 Apr 4/6/2018; PMID: 29625013, DOI: 10.1165/rcmb.2017-0442MA, ISSN: 1535-4989.

Hewlett JC, Kropski JA, Blackwell TS. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: Epithelial-mesenchymal interactions and emerging therapeutic targets. Matrix Biol [print-electronic]. 2018 Apr 4/3/2018; PMID: 29625182, PII: S0945-053X(18)30108-2, DOI: 10.1016/j.matbio.2018.03.021, ISSN: 1569-1802.

Sucre JMS, Deutsch GH, Jetter C, Ambalavanan N, Benjamin JT, Gleaves LA, Millis BA, Young LR, Blackwell TS, Kropski JA, Guttentag SH. A Shared Pattern of ß-Catenin Activation in Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia and Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis. Am. J. Pathol [print-electronic]. 2018 Jan 1/31/2018; PMID: 29355514, PII: S0002-9440(17)30901-X, DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2017.12.004, ISSN: 1525-2191.

Sivley RM, Sheehan JH, Kropski JA, Cogan J, Blackwell TS, Phillips JA, Bush WS, Meiler J, Capra JA. Three-dimensional spatial analysis of missense variants in RTEL1 identifies pathogenic variants in patients with Familial Interstitial Pneumonia. BMC Bioinformatics. 2018 Jan 1/23/2018; 19(1): 18. PMID: 29361909, PMCID: PMC5781290, PII: 10.1186/s12859-018-2010-z, DOI: 10.1186/s12859-018-2010-z, ISSN: 1471-2105.

Kropski JA, Blackwell TS. Endoplasmic reticulum stress in the pathogenesis of fibrotic disease. J. Clin. Invest [print-electronic]. 2018 Jan 1/2/2018; 128(1): 64-73. PMID: 29293089, PMCID: PMC5749533, PII: 93560, DOI: 10.1172/JCI93560, ISSN: 1558-8238.

Lentz RJ, Taylor TM, Kropski JA, Sandler KL, Johnson JE, Blackwell TS, Maldonado F, Rickman OB. Utility of Flexible Bronchoscopic Cryobiopsy for Diagnosis of Diffuse Parenchymal Lung Diseases. J Bronchology Interv Pulmonol [print-electronic]. 2017 Aug 8/7/2017; PMID: 28796717, DOI: 10.1097/LBR.0000000000000401, ISSN: 1948-8270.

Kropski JA, Young LR, Cogan JD, Mitchell DB, Lancaster LH, Worrell JA, Markin C, Liu N, Mason WR, Fingerlin TE, Schwartz DA, Lawson WE, Blackwell TS, Phillips JA, Loyd JE. Genetic Evaluation and Testing of Patients and Families with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. 2017 Jun 6/1/2017; 195(11): 1423-8. PMID: 27786550, PMCID: PMC5470751, DOI: 10.1164/rccm.201609-1820PP, ISSN: 1535-4970.

Kropski JA, Young LR, Blackwell TS, Loyd JE. Reply: The Genetic Diagnosis of Interstitial Lung Disease: A Need for an International Consensus. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. 2017 Jun 6/1/2017; 195(11): 1539-40. PMID: 28569574, PMCID: PMC5470755, DOI: 10.1164/rccm.201612-2520LE, ISSN: 1535-4970.

Gaskill CF, Carrier EJ, Kropski JA, Bloodworth NC, Menon S, Foronjy RF, Taketo MM, Hong CC, Austin ED, West JD, Means AL, Loyd JE, Merryman WD, Hemnes AR, De Langhe S, Blackwell TS, Klemm DJ, Majka SM. Disruption of lineage specification in adult pulmonary mesenchymal progenitor cells promotes microvascular dysfunction. J. Clin. Invest [print-electronic]. 2017 Jun 6/1/2017; 127(6): 2262-76. PMID: 28463231, PMCID: PMC5451236, PII: 88629, DOI: 10.1172/JCI88629, ISSN: 1558-8238.

Kropski JA, Reiss S, Markin C, Brown KK, Schwartz DA, Schwarz MI, Loyd JE, Phillips Iii JA, Blackwell TS, Cogan JD. Rare Genetic Variants in PARN are Associated with Pulmonary Fibrosis in Families. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med [print-electronic]. 2017 Apr 4/17/2017; PMID: 28414520, DOI: 10.1164/rccm.201703-0635LE, ISSN: 1535-4970.

Kropski JA, Richmond BW, Gaskill CF, Foronjy RF, Majka SM. EXPRESS: Deregulated Angiogenesis in Chronic Lung Diseases: A Role for Lung Mesenchymal Progenitor Cells. Pulm Circ [print-electronic]. 2017 Jan 1/1/2017; 2045893217739807. PMID: 29040010, DOI: 10.1177/2045893217739807, ISSN: 2045-8932.

Gaskill C, Marriott S, Pratap S, Menon S, Hedges LK, Fessel JP, Kropski JA, Ames D, Wheeler L, Loyd JE, Hemnes AR, Roop DR, Klemm DJ, Austin ED, Majka SM. Shared gene expression patterns in mesenchymal progenitors derived from lung and epidermis in pulmonary arterial hypertension: identifying key pathways in pulmonary vascular disease. Pulm Circ. 2016 Dec; 6(4): 483-97. PMID: 28090290, PMCID: PMC5210051, PII: PC2013372, DOI: 10.1086/688314, ISSN: 2045-8932.

Mont S, Davies SS, Roberts Second LJ, Mernaugh RL, McDonald WH, Segal BH, Zackert W, Kropski JA, Blackwell TS, Sekhar KR, Galligan JJ, Massion PP, Marnett LJ, Travis EL, Freeman ML. Accumulation of isolevuglandin-modified protein in normal and fibrotic lung. Sci Rep. 2016 Apr 4/27/2016; 6: 24919. PMID: 27118599, PMCID: PMC4847119, PII: srep24919, DOI: 10.1038/srep24919, ISSN: 2045-2322.

Hemnes AR, Zhao M, West J, Newman JH, Rich S, Archer SL, Robbins IM, Blackwell TS, Cogan J, Loyd JE, Zhao Z, Gaskill C, Jetter C, Kropski JA, Majka SM, Austin ED. Critical Genomic Networks and Vasoreactive Variants in Idiopathic Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med [print-electronic]. 2016 Feb 2/29/2016; PMID: 26926454, DOI: 10.1164/rccm.201508-1678OC, ISSN: 1535-4970.

Claar DD, Larkin EK, Bastarache L, Blackwell TS, Loyd JE, Hartert TV, Denny JC, Kropski JA. A Phenome-Wide Association Study Identifies a Novel Asthma Risk Locus Near TERC [letter]. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. 2016 Jan 1/1/2016; 193(1): 98-100. PMID: 26720789, PMCID: PMC4731616, DOI: 10.1164/rccm.201507-1267LE, ISSN: 1535-4970.

Kropski JA, Lawson WE, Blackwell TS. Personalizing Therapy in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis: A Glimpse of the Future? [editorial]. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. 2015 Dec 12/15/2015; 192(12): 1409-11. PMID: 26669470, PMCID: PMC4731727, DOI: 10.1164/rccm.201509-1789ED, ISSN: 1535-4970.

Kropski JA, Loyd JE. Telomeres revisited: RTEL1 variants in pulmonary fibrosis [editorial]. Eur. Respir. J. 2015 Aug; 46(2): 312-4. PMID: 26232478, PII: 46/2/312, DOI: 10.1183/13993003.00710-2015, ISSN: 1399-3003.

Kropski JA, Blackwell TS, Loyd JE. The genetic basis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Eur. Respir. J [print-electronic]. 2015 Jun; 45(6): 1717-27. PMID: 25837031, PII: 09031936.00163814, DOI: 10.1183/09031936.00163814, ISSN: 1399-3003.

Cogan JD, Kropski JA, Zhao M, Mitchell DB, Rives L, Markin C, Garnett ET, Montgomery KH, Mason WR, McKean DF, Powers J, Murphy E, Olson LM, Choi L, Cheng DS, Blue EM, Young LR, Lancaster LH, Steele MP, Brown KK, Schwarz MI, Fingerlin TE, Schwartz DA, Lawson WE, Loyd JE, Zhao Z, Phillips JA, Blackwell TS. Rare variants in RTEL1 are associated with familial interstitial pneumonia. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. 2015 Mar 3/15/2015; 191(6): 646-55. PMID: 25607374, PMCID: PMC4384777, DOI: 10.1164/rccm.201408-1510OC, ISSN: 1535-4970.

Kropski JA, Pritchett JM, Zoz DF, Crossno PF, Markin C, Garnett ET, Degryse AL, Mitchell DB, Polosukhin VV, Rickman OB, Choi L, Cheng DS, McConaha ME, Jones BR, Gleaves LA, McMahon FB, Worrell JA, Solus JF, Ware LB, Lee JW, Massion PP, Zaynagetdinov R, White ES, Kurtis JD, Johnson JE, Groshong SD, Lancaster LH, Young LR, Steele MP, Phillips Iii JA, Cogan JD, Loyd JE, Lawson WE, Blackwell TS. Extensive phenotyping of individuals at risk for familial interstitial pneumonia reveals clues to the pathogenesis of interstitial lung disease. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. 2015 Feb 2/15/2015; 191(4): 417-26. PMID: 25389906, PMCID: PMC4351594, DOI: 10.1164/rccm.201406-1162OC, ISSN: 1535-4970.

Marriott S, Baskir RS, Gaskill C, Menon S, Carrier EJ, Williams J, Talati M, Helm K, Alford CE, Kropski JA, Loyd J, Wheeler L, Johnson J, Austin E, Nozik-Grayck E, Meyrick B, West JD, Klemm DJ, Majka SM. ABCG2pos lung mesenchymal stem cells are a novel pericyte subpopulation that contributes to fibrotic remodeling. Am. J. Physiol., Cell Physiol. 2014 Oct 10/15/2014; 307(8): C684-98. PMID: 25122876, PMCID: PMC4200000, PII: ajpcell.00114.2014, DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.00114.2014, ISSN: 1522-1563.

West JD, Austin ED, Gaskill C, Marriott S, Baskir R, Bilousova G, Jean JC, Hemnes AR, Menon S, Bloodworth NC, Fessel JP, Kropski JA, Irwin D, Ware LB, Wheeler L, Hong CC, Meyrick B, Loyd JE, Bowman AB, Ess KC, Klemm DJ, Young PP, Merryman WD, Kotton D, Majka SM. Identification of a common Wnt-associated genetic signature across multiple cell types in pulmonary arterial hypertension. Am. J. Physiol., Cell Physiol [print-electronic]. 2014 Sep 9/1/2014; 307(5): C415-30. PMID: 24871858, PMCID: PMC4154073, PII: ajpcell.00057.2014, DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.00057.2014, ISSN: 1522-1563.

Kropski JA, Mitchell DB, Markin C, Polosukhin VV, Choi L, Johnson JE, Lawson WE, Phillips JA, Cogan JD, Blackwell TS, Loyd JE. A novel dyskerin (DKC1) mutation is associated with familial interstitial pneumonia. Chest. 2014 Jul; 146(1): e1-e7. PMID: 24504062, PMCID: PMC4077414, PII: S0012-3692(15)48774-4, DOI: 10.1378/chest.13-2224, ISSN: 1931-3543.

Kropski JA, Pritchett JM, Mason WR, Sivarajan L, Gleaves LA, Johnson JE, Lancaster LH, Lawson WE, Blackwell TS, Steele MP, Loyd JE, Rickman OB. Bronchoscopic cryobiopsy for the diagnosis of diffuse parenchymal lung disease. PLoS ONE. 2013; 8(11): e78674. PMID: 24265706, PMCID: PMC3827078, PII: PONE-D-13-31364, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0078674, ISSN: 1932-6203.

Kropski JA, Lawson WE, Young LR, Blackwell TS. Genetic studies provide clues on the pathogenesis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Dis Model Mech. 2013 Jan; 6(1): 9-17. PMID: 23268535, PMCID: PMC3529334, PII: 6/1/9, DOI: 10.1242/dmm.010736, ISSN: 1754-8411.

Pettit AC, Kropski JA, Castilho JL, Schmitz JE, Rauch CA, Mobley BC, Wang XJ, Spires SS, Pugh ME. The index case for the fungal meningitis outbreak in the United States. N. Engl. J. Med [print-electronic]. 2012 Nov 11/29/2012; 367(22): 2119-25. PMID: 23083311, DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1212292, ISSN: 1533-4406.

Kropski JA, Lawson WE, Blackwell TS. Right place, right time: the evolving role of herpesvirus infection as a "second hit" in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Am. J. Physiol. Lung Cell Mol. Physiol [print-electronic]. 2012 Mar 3/1/2012; 302(5): L441-4. PMID: 22180659, PMCID: PMC3311513, PII: ajplung.00335.2011, DOI: 10.1152/ajplung.00335.2011, ISSN: 1522-1504.

Bastarache JA, Fremont RD, Kropski JA, Bossert FR, Ware LB. Procoagulant alveolar microparticles in the lungs of patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome. Am. J. Physiol. Lung Cell Mol. Physiol [print-electronic]. 2009 Dec; 297(6): L1035-41. PMID: 19700643, PMCID: PMC2793184, PII: 00214.2009, DOI: 10.1152/ajplung.00214.2009, ISSN: 1522-1504.

Kropski JA, Fremont RD, Calfee CS, Ware LB. Clara cell protein (CC16), a marker of lung epithelial injury, is decreased in plasma and pulmonary edema fluid from patients with acute lung injury. Chest [print-electronic]. 2009 Jun; 135(6): 1440-7. PMID: 19188556, PMCID: PMC2716712, PII: S0012-3692(09)60345-7, DOI: 10.1378/chest.08-2465, ISSN: 1931-3543.

Kropski JA, Keckley PH, Jensen GL. School-based obesity prevention programs: an evidence-based review. Obesity (Silver Spring) [print-electronic]. 2008 May; 16(5): 1009-18. PMID: 18356849, PII: oby200829, DOI: 10.1038/oby.2008.29, ISSN: 1930-7381.

Available Postdoctoral Position Details
Posted: 7/18/2018

Postdoctoral position for single-cell genomics project

We are seeking a highly motivated, enthusiastic and independent postdoctoral fellow to join our multidisciplinary laboratory ground studying the genetics and molecular mechanisms of pulmonary fibrosis. Our work utilizes single-cell genomic technologies, genetic and genomic approaches, transgenic animal modeling, in-vitro and primary cell culture techniques to study mechanisms of disease initiation and propagation. Applicants should have a PhD or MD/PhD degree with a background in Computational Biology, Human Genetics, Cell/Molecular Biology, or a related field. Successful applicants will have strong prior experience with cell and molecular biology; computational experience is preferred but not required. Interested applicants should send a current CV and a brief statement of interest to Jon Kropski, jon.kropski@vanderbilt.edu.