Elliot Crouser, MD

Physician, Professor of Internal Medicine

11th Avenue; Suite 5000 Columbus, OH
614-293-4925 

Academic/Clinical Roles

I have academic and clinical interests in critical care and sarcoidosis.

Education and Training

Pulmonary and Critical Care Fellowship: Ohio State University 1992-1995
Internal Medicine Internship/Residency: Ohio State University 1989-1992
Medical School/degree: University of Toledo, MD 1989
Undergraduate/degree: Oberlin College, BA 1983.

Research Interests

Critical Care Research themes:

  • Mitochondrial mechanisms of organ failure during sepsis
  • Biomarkers for the early detection of sepsis in the hospital setting; particularly the monocyte distribution width (MDW), FDA approved (2020) for the detection of sepsis in adults admitted to the Emergency Department

    • Sarcoidosis Research themes:

  • Genomic studies of granulomas to determine disease mechanisms and to identify novel therapeutic targets
  • Clinical practice guidelines for the diagnosis and management of sarcoidosis
  • We established the first tractable laboratory disease model

    Current Research Themes

  • We are establishing novel biomarkers for early sepsis detection based on machine learning and employing the electronic medical record in conjunction with the US Government and FDA
  • We are investigating novel therapies for COVID-induced acute lung injury
  • We are conducting translational research in the field of pulmonary sarcoidosis to elicit disease mechanisms, establish novel biomarkers and to investigate novel therapies.

    • Honors, Awards, Appointments

    • AOA, 1989
    • Professor of Medicine with Tenure, 2016
    • Star Research Awards, Society of Critical Care Medicine: 2017, 2019
    • Chair, Scientific Advisory Board; Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research 2021
    • President, Americas Association of Sarcoidosis and Other Granulomatous Disorders (AASOG) 2018-2020
    • Chair, American Thoracic Society Official Clinical Practice Guidelines for Sarcoidosis: 2017-2020
    • Chair, Internal Medicine Section (>4000 members); Society of Critical Care Medicine: 2019-2021

    Active Funding

    NIH/NIAID/UO1; 2022-2026: Supplemental Citacoline Administration for Reducton of Lung Injury Efficacy Trial (SCARLET). Multi-PIs- Crouser, Davis

    Health and Human Services/BARDA/Beckman Coulter; 2020-2025: Sepsis Early Warning Algorithm. PI-Crouser

    (pending) NIH/NIAID/R21; 12/2022-11/2024: Role of Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System during sarcoidosis granuloma formation. PI- Crouser (impact score 17; pay line 2022 = impact score 28)

    (pending) NIH/NHLBI/RO1: Molecular Characterization of Progressive Pulmonary Sarcoidosis. Multi-PIs: Crouser, Maier, Bhargava (Percentile score 15; payline 2022 = 15%)

    Industry Research Contracts using Dr. Crouser’s proprietary in vitro sarcoidosis model to identify novel therapeutic targets, biomarkers and related disease mechanisms:

  • aTyr Pharmaceutical
  • Xentria Pharmaceutical
  • Star-Therapeutics Pharmaceutical
  • 23 & ME
  • Palleon Pharmaceutical

    • Publications

    Sarcoidosis Related:

    Drent M, Crouser ED, Grunewald J. Sarcoidosis: Challenges and Opportunities. N Engl J Med 2021; 385(11):1018-32.

    Volkman E, …*Crouser ED, *Feghali-Bostwick C (*workshop co-chairs). NHLBI Workshop Report: The impact of Sex and Gender on Autoimmune Lung Disease, a Roadmap for Future Clinical and Preclinical Research. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2022 (in press).

    Crouser ED, Maier LA, Wilson K, et al. DIAGNOSIS AND DETECTION OF SARCOIDOSIS An Official American Thoracic Society Clinical Practice Guideline. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2020; 201(8):e26-e51.

    Crouser ED, Smith R, Culver DA, et al. A pilot randomized trial of transdermal nicotine for pulmonary sarcoidosis. Chest 2021; 160(4):1340-49

    Crouser ED, Locke LW, Julian MW, et al. Phagosome-regulated mTOR signaling during sarcoidosis granuloma biogenesis. Eur Respir J 2020, Sep 17 (PMID: 32943400).

    *Locke L, *Crouser ED, White P, et al. IL-13-regulated macrophage polarization during granuloma formation in an in vitro human sarcoidosis model. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol 2019; 60(1):84-95. PMID: 30134122 *Contributed equally to the manuscript.

    Crouser ED, Fingerlin TE, Yang IV, Maier LA, et al. Application of ‘Omics” and systems biology to sarcoidosis research. Ann Am Thorac Soc 2017; 14(6): s445-s451. PMID: 29053026.

    Crouser ED, White P, Guirado Caceres E, Julian MW, Papp AC, Locke LW, Sadee W, Schlesinger LS. A novel In Vitro human granuloma model of sarcoidosis and latent TB infection. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol 2017; 57(4):487-498.

    Crouser ED, Hamzeh NY, Maier LA, Julian MW, Gillespe M, Rahman M, Baxter D, Wu X, Nana-Sinkam SP, Wang K. Exosomal MicroRNA for Detection of Cardiac Sarcoidosis. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2017; 196(7):931-934.

    Hao W, Crouser ED, Friedman A. A Mathematical Model of sarcoidosis. Proceedings of the National Academies of Science, USA 2014;111:16065-70.

    Judson MA, Baughman RP, Costabel U, Drent M, Wells A, Maier L, Koth L, Shigemitsu H, Culver DA, Valeyre D, Sweiss N, Crouser E, Morgenthau AS, Lower EE, Rosenbach M. (The WASOG Sarcoidosis Organ Assessment Instrument Investigators). The WASOG Sarcoidosis Organ Assessment Instrument: An update of a previous clinical tool. Sarcoidosis Vasc Diffuse Lung Dis 2014;31:19-27.

    Crouser ED, Ono C, He X, Raman SV. Improved detection of cardiac sarcoidosis using magnetic resonance with myocardial T2 mapping. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2014; 189:109-12.

    Crouser ED, Lozanski G, Fox CC, Hauswirth DW, Raveendran R, Julian MW. The CD4+ lymphopenic sarcoidosis phenotype is highly responsive to anti-TNF therapy. Chest 2010; 137: 1432-5.

    Crouser ED, Culver DA, Huff JE, Julian MW, Shao G, Liyanarachchi S, Knox KS, Macre JE, Wewers MD, Gavrilin M, Ross P, Abbas A, Eng C. Gene Expression Profiling Identifies MMP-12 and ADAMDEC1 as Potential Pathogenic Mediators of Pulmonary Sarcoidosis. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2009; 179:929-38.

    Sepsis Related:

    Crouser ED, Parrillo JE, Seymour CW, Angus DC, et al. Monocyte Distribution Width: A novel indicator of Sepsis-2 and Sepsis-3 in high-risk emergency department patients. Crit Care Med 2019;47(8):1018-25. PMID:31107278 A featured article, Editor’s Choice.

    Paoli CJ, Reynolds MA, Sinha M, Gitlin M, Crouser E. Epidemiology and costs of sepsis in the United States: An analysis based on timing of diagnosis and severity level. Crit Care Med 2018; 46(12):1889-97. PMID: 30048332. *A featured article, Editor’s Choice.

    Hotchkiss RS, Colston E, Yende S, Crouser ED, et al. Immune checkpoint inhibition in sepsis: A phase 1b randomized study to evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of nivolumab. Intensive Care Med 2019; 45(10):1360-71.

    Yende S, Kellum JA, Talisa V, Peck Palmer OM, Chang CCH, Filbin MR, Shapiro MI, Hou PC, Venkat A, LoVecchio F, Hawkins K, Crouser ED, Newman AB, Angus DC. Long-term host immune response trajectories among sepsis hospital survivors. JAMA Network Open 2019; 2(8):e198686

    Schumacker PT, Gillespie MN, Nakahira K, Choi AMK, Crouser ED, Piantadosi CA, Battacharya J. The New Biology of Mitochondria in the Lung: More than just a powerhouse. Am J Physiol-Lung Cell Mol Physiol 2014;306:L962-74.

    Siddiqui Y, Crouser ED, Raman SV. Non-Ischemic Myocardial Changes Detected by Cardiac Magnetic Resonance in Critical Care Patients with Sepsis. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2013;188:1037-9.

    Julian MW, Shao G, Bao S, Knoell DL, Crouser ED. Mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM) promotes plasmacytoid dendritic cell-mediated type I interferon responses to DNA. J Immunol 2012:189:433-43. A featured manuscript

    Knoell DL, Julian MW, Bao S, Besecker B, Huff JE, Leikauf G, DiSilvestro R, Crouser ED. Mortality is Significantly Increased by Zinc Deficiency in an Adult Murine Model of Polymicrobial Sepsis. Crit Care Med 2009; 37:1380-8.

    Crouser ED, Shao G, Julian MW, Macre JE, Tridandapani S, Shadel GS, Huang Q, Wewers MD. Monocyte Activation by Necrotic Cells is Promoted by Mitochondrial N-Formyl Proteins and Formyl Peptide Receptors. Crit Care Med 2009; 37:2000-9.

    Crouser ED, Cook CH, Julian MW, Struck J, Huff JE. Carbamoyl Phosphate Synthase-1: A Marker of Mitochondrial Damage and Depletion in the Liver During Sepsis. Crit Care Med 2006; 34:2439-46.

    Crouser ED, Julian MW, Huff JE, Pfeiffer DR, Joshi MS, Bauer JA, Gadd ME, Wewers MD. Abnormal Permeability of Inner and Outer Mitochondrial Membranes Contributes to Mitochondria Dysfunction in the Liver During Acute Endotoxemia. Crit Care Med 2004; 32: 478-88.

    Crouser ED, Julian MW, Joshi MS, Bauer JA, Wewers MD, Hart JM, Pfeiffer DR. Cyclosporin A Ameliorates Mitochondrial Ultrastructural Injury in the Ileum During Acute Endotoxemia. Crit Care Med 2002; 30: 2722-8.

    Crouser ED, Julian MW, Blaho DV, Pfeiffer DR. Endotoxin-Induced Mitochondrial Damage Correlates with Impaired Respiratory Activity. Crit Care Med 2002; 30: 276-84. Featured article.

    Crouser ED, Julian MW, Weinstein DM, Fahy RJ, Bauer JA. Endotoxin-induced ileal mucosal injury and nitric oxide dysregulation are temporally disassociated. Am J Resp Crit Care Med 2000; 161:1705-12.

    Crouser ED, Julian MW, Dorinsky PM. Ileal VO2-DO2 Alterations Induced by Endotoxin Correlate with Severity of Mitochondrial Injury. Am J Resp Crit Care Med 1999;160:1347-53.

    Crouser ED, Julian MW, Dorinsky PM. Acid aspiration results in ileal injury without altering ileal VO2 DO2 relationships. Am J Resp Crit Care Med 1996;153:1965-71.

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