Kerry Empey, PharmD, Ph.D.

Kerry Empey, PharmD, Ph.D.

Contact

Ph: 412-648-9629

kme33@pitt.edu

Education

  • PharmD, University of Rhode Island
  • Ph.D., University of Kentucky

Academic Affiliation

  • Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacy and Therapeutics
  • Associate Professor, Department of Immunology

About Research

Current research interests include understanding the role of age-based factors on host immune responses to pulmonary infections that are prominent in the infant and childhood populations. At the graduate level, Dr. Empey coordinates Clinical Pharmacy Environments, a unique, hands-on experience designed to introduce pharmacy-based clinical research to graduate-level students. Within the PharmD curriculum, she teaches pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, immunology, and co-coordinates the Seminar Series designed to teach Pharmacy students how to prepare and present professional talks.

 

Selected Publications

  1. Empey KM, Hollifield M, Schuer K, Gigliotti F, Garvy BA. Passive Immunization of Neonatal Mice Against Pneumocystis carinii f. sp. muris Enhances Control of Infection Without Stimulating Inflammation. Infection and Immunity. 2004 Nov;72(11):6211-6220. PMID: PMID15501746; PMCID: PMC523030
  2. Qureshi MH, Empey KM, Garvy BA. Modulation of Pro-inflammatory Responses to Pneumocystis carinii f. sp. muris in Neonatal Mice by GM-CSF and IL-4: Role of Antigen Presenting Cells. Journal of Immunology. 2005 Jan 1;174(1):441-8. PMID: PMID15611269
  3. Martin C, Ofotokun I, Rapp R, Empey K, Armitstead J, Pomeroy C, Hoven A, Evans M. Results of an Antimicrobial Control Program at a University Hospital. AJHP 2005 Apr 62(7):732-8. PMID: PMID15790801
  4. Empey KM, Hollifield M, Garvy BA. Exogenous heat-killed Escherichia coli improves alveolar macrophage activity and reduces Pneumocystis carinii lung burden in infant mice. Infection and Immunity. 2007 Jul;75(7):3382-93. PMID: PMID17485459; PMCID: PMC1932967
  5. Empey KM, RS Peebles, JK Kolls. Pharmacologic advances in the treatment and prevention of respiratory syncytial virus. Clin Infect Dis. 2010 50(9), 1258-1267. PMID: PMID20235830; PMCID: PMC2851489
  6. Poloyac SM, Empey KM, Rohan LC, Skledar SJ, Empey PE, Nolin TD, Bies RR, Gibbs RB, Folan M, Kroboth PD. Core Competencies for Research Training in the Clinical Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy. Am J Pharm Ed. 2011 Mar 10;75(2):27. PMID: PMID21519417; PMCID: PMC3073101
  7. Kurkjian C, Hollifield M, Lines JL, Rogosky A, Empey KM, Qureshi M, Brown SA, and Garvy BA. Alveolar macrophages in neonatal mice are inherently unresponsive to Pneumocystis infection. Spotlight article. Infect and Immun. 2012 Aug;80(80):2835-46
  8. Empey KM, Orend JG†, Peebles RS, Jr., Norris KA, Oury TD, and Kolls JK. Stimulation of immature lung macrophages with intranasal interferon gamma in a novel neonatal mouse model of respiratory syncytial virus. PLoS One. Epub 2012 Jul 7(7):e40499. PMID: PMID22792355; PMCID: PMC3391240
  9. Smith MA#, Hibino M#, Falcione B, Eichinger KM#, Patel R#, Empey KM. Immunosuppressive aspects of analgesics and sedatives used in mechanically ventilated patients: an underappreciated risk factor for the development of ventilator-associated pneumonia in critically ill patients. Annals Pharmacother. 2014 Jan;48(1):77-85. PMID: PMID24259637; PMCID: PMC4052449
  10. Kling HM, Nau GJ, Ross TM, Evans TM, Chakraborty K, Empey KM, Flynn JL. Challenges and Future in Vaccines, Drug Development, and Immunomodulatory Therapy: Proceedings from the 2013 Pittsburgh Lung Conference. Annals of the Am Thoracic Soc. 2014 Aug;11(Suppl 4):S201-S210. PMID: PMID25148426; PMCID: PMC4200570
  11. Eichinger KM#, Egaña L†, Orend JG†, Resetar E#, Patel R#, Empey KM. Alveolar macrophages support interferon gamma-mediated viral clearance in RSV-infected neonatal mice. Respir Research. 2015 Oct;16:122. PMID: PMID26438053; PMCID: PMC4594958 (Cited by other leaders in the field, including Peter Openshaw and Fiona Culley)
  12. Hendricks MR, Lashua LP, Fischer DK, Flitter BA, Eichinger KM#, Durbin JE, Sarker SN, Coyne CB, Empey KM, Bomberger JM. Respiratory syncytial virus infection enhances Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm growth through dysregulation of nutritional immunity. PNAS. 2016 Feb;113(6):1642-7. PMID: PMID26729873; PMCID: PMC4760822
  13. Eichinger KM#, Resetar E#, Orend J†, Anderson K, Empey KM. Age predicts cytokine kinetics and innate immune cell activation following intranasal delivery of IFNγ and GM-CSF in a mouse model of RSV infection. Cytokine. 2017 May;97:25-37. PMID: PMID28558308; PMCID: PMC5541950
  14. Gong T, Zhang W, Parniak MA, Graebing PW, Moncla B, Gupta P, Empey KM, Rohan LC. Preformulation and Vaginal Film Formulation Development of Microbicide Drug Candidate CSIC for HIV Prevention. J pharmaceutical innovation. 2017 June 01; 12(2):142-154. PMID: PMID28983328; PMCID: PMC5624728
  15. Eichinger KM# and Empey KM. Data describing IFNγ-mediated clearance in an adult mouse model of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Elsevier Data-in-Brief. 2017 July 19; 14:272-277. PMID: PMID28861450; PMCID: PMC5567392
  16. Eichinger KM#, Kosanovich JL†, Empey KM. Localization of an anti-viral T cell response to RSV infection is altered in infant mice. Pediat. Pulmonology. 2018; 53:145-153. PMID: PMID29115050; PMCID: PMC5775046
  17. Prefusion RSV F immunization elicits Th2-mediated lung pathology in mice when formulated with a Th2) but not a Th1/Th2-balanced) adjuvant despite complete viral protection. Front Immunol. Eichinger KM#, Kosanovich JL†, Gidwani SV, Zomback A, Lipp MA, Perkins TN, Oury TD, Petrovsky N, Marshall CP, Yondola MA, Empey KM. Front. Immunol. 2020 July 29; 11:1673. PMID: 32849580 
  18. Formulation of the prefusion RSV F protein with a Th1/Th2-balanced adjuvant provides complete protection without Th2-skewed immunity in RSV-experienced young mice. Vaccine. Kosanovich JK†, Eichinger KM#, Lipp MA#, Yondola MA, Perkins TN, Empey KM. 2020, Sep 22;38(31):6357-6362. PMID: 32829976
  19. Maternal immunization with adjuvanted RSV prefusion F protein effectively protects offspring from RSV challenge and alters innate and T cell immunity. Vaccine. Eichinger KM#, Kosanovich JL†, Lipp MA#, Perkins TN, Petrovsky NP, Marshall CP, Yondola MA, Empey KM. 2020, Nov 25; 38(50):7885-7891. PMID:33129608
  20. Empey KM, Peebles RS, Kolls JK. Pharmacologic Advances in the Treatment and Prevention of Respiratory Syncytial Virus. Clin Infect Dis. 2010 May 1; 50(9):1258-67.
  21. Empey KM and Kolls JK. Neonatal Pulmonary Host Defense Mechanisms. In: Fetal and Neonatal Physiology, 4th Ed. Chapter 159, p 1701. Elsevier Ed. By Polin, Fox, Abman. 2011
  22. Good M, Kolls JK, Empey KM. Neonatal Pulmonary Host Defense Mechanisms. In: Fetal & Neonatal Physiology, 5th Ed.  Chap 130, Elsevier Ed. By Polin, Fox, Abman. July 15, 2016
  23. Empey KM, Janssen WJ, Peebles RS. Lung Innate Immunity and Inflammation: Mouse Models of Viral Infection. In: Methods & Protocols. Springer Ed. By Alper & Janssen. 2018
  24. Strategies for active and passive pediatric RSV immunization. Ther Adv Vaccines Immunother. Eichinger KM, Kosanovich JK, Lipp M, Empey KM, Petrovsky N. 2021, Feb 10; 9:1-21.
  25. Good M, Kolls JK, Empey KM. Neonatal Pulmonary Host Defense Mechanisms. In: Fetal & Neonatal Physiology, 6th Ed.  Chap 130, Elsevier Ed. By Polin & Abman. August 3, 2021