SUMMARY
The research of Kamal Shouman, M.D., focuses on autonomic and peripheral nerve disorders, specifically post-COVID-19 autonomic dysfunction, autoimmune autonomic neuropathies, autonomic ganglionopathies, amyloid neuropathies, chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy, small fiber neuropathy, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) and multiple system atrophy. Studies span from autonomic, laboratory-based studies on mechanisms and natural history of disease to clinical trials.
Focus areas
- Post-COVID-19 autonomic dysfunction. Dr. Shouman's research focuses on post-COVID-19 autonomic dysfunction, including POTS, orthostatic intolerance and autonomic ganglionopathy. Dr. Shouman conducted a highly impactful study of Mayo Clinic's early experience treating COVID-19. Dr. Shouman is continuing his work researching COVID-19 through the Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER) initiative. This National Institutes of Health research initiative seeks to understand and prevent long COVID complications. Dr. Shouman also is a part of the RECOVER-AUTONOMIC clinical trial that focuses on POTS related to long COVID.
- Multiple system atrophy. Dr. Shouman is working with Wolfgang Singer, M.D., a Mayo Clinic neurologist and principal investigator, on a clinical trial studying intrathecally administered autologous mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in multiple system atrophy. This trial is unique in that it uses MSCs to treat multiple system atrophy. The trial is based on the hypothesis that MSCs can provide the necessary growth factors that are deficient due to glial cytoplasmic inclusions.
Significance to patient care
Autonomic diseases disrupt the function of various organs. For a long time, diagnosing and treating these conditions was thought to be elusive and hard. Under the leadership of Phillip A. Low, M.D., a Mayo Clinic neurologist, Mayo Clinic has created a way to help physicians accurately diagnose autonomic diseases and tell how severe they are. This has allowed Dr. Shouman and other Mayo Clinic experts to research this area extensively to improve patient care.