Michael B. Keller, MD, MS

BSc, Biology, Villanova University, 2008

MS, Biomedical Science, Florida Atlantic University, 2009

MD, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, 2013

Residency, Internal Medicine, Johns Hopkins Hospital, 2016

Fellowship, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins Hospital, 2020

Fellowship, Critical Care Medicine, National Institutes of Health, 2021

Dr. Keller received his Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Villanova University, his Master of Science degree in Biomedical Science from Florida Atlantic University, and Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Miami. He completed residency training at Johns Hopkins Hospital in internal medicine, and then completed a fellowship in Critical Care Medicine at the NIH and fellowships in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine and Transplant Pulmonology at Johns Hopkins Hospital. He is actively board certified in Internal Medicine and Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine.

As an NIH-funded physician-scientist, Dr. Keller’s research work focuses on advanced lung disease and lung transplantation. Dr. Keller values the concept of the bench-to-bedside approach inherent to translational research, applying novel cutting-edge technologies to the clinical realm to advance the field of lung transplantation and critical care medicine. His laboratory focuses on novel methods of evaluating and defining various post-transplant complications. Dr. Keller’s lab employs a multimodality approach that integrates novel molecular assays, advanced bronchoscopic techniques and comprehensive pulmonary function testing techniques to better understand the pathophysiologic mechanisms of post-transplant lung allograft dysfunction. His work has established donor-derived cell free DNA (dd-cfDNA) as a molecular biomarker of allograft injury and has revealed the potential of dd-cfDNA to detect, better quantify and risk stratify various post-transplant complications, including acute cellular and antibody-mediated rejection.

Dr. Keller also values his role as an educator and has a strong passion for teaching the next generation of physicians to become strong clinicians and physician-scientists. He serves as Local Site Director of the Mid-Atlantic Mechanical Ventilation Course, Educational Consortium. He has a passion for medical education and has authored articles on complex topics in mechanical ventilation as well as the impact of dedicated mechanical ventilation courses on trainee competence and retention of knowledge.

Keywords Lung Transplantation, Mechanical Ventilation, Acute Cellular Rejection, Antibody-Mediated Rejection, Donor-derived Cell-free DNA, Baseline Lung Allograft Dysfunction, Chronic Lung Allograft Dysfunction

Keller MB, Tian X, Jang MK, Meda R, Charya A, Berry GJ, Marboe CC, Kong H, Ponor IL, Aryal S, Orens JB, Shah PD, Nathan SD, Agbor-Enoh S. Higher Molecular Injury at Diagnosis of Acute Cellular Rejection Increases the Risk of Lung Allograft Failure: A Clinical Trial. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2024 May 15;209(10):1238-1245. 

Keller MB, Tian X, Jang MK, Meda R, Charya A, Ozisik D, Berry GJ, Marboe CC, Kong H, Ponor IL, Aryal S, Orens JB, Shah PD, Nathan SD, Agbor-Enoh S. Organizing pneumonia is associated with molecular allograft injury and the development of antibody-mediated rejection. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2023 Nov 14:S1053-2498(23)02125-3.

Keller MB, Newman D, Alnababteh M, Ponor L, Shah P, Mathew J, Kong H, Andargie T, Park W, Charya A, Luikart H, Aryal S, Nathan SD, Orens JB, Khush KK, Jang M, Agbor-Enoh S. Extreme elevations of donor-derived cell-free DNA increases the risk of chronic lung allograft dysfunction and death, even without clinical manifestations of disease. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2024 May 3:S1053-2498(24)01644-9.

Keller M, Yang S, Ponor L, Bon A, Cochrane A, Philogene M, et al. Preemptive treatment of de novo donor-specific antibodies in lung transplant patients reduces subsequent risk of chronic lung allograft dysfunction or death. Am J Transplant. 2023 Apr;23(4):559-564.

Keller M, Junfeng Sun, Cedric Mutebi, Pali Shah, Deborah Levine, Shambhu Aryal, et al. Donor-derived Cell-free DNA as a Composite Marker of Acute Lung Allograft Dysfunction in Clinical Care, The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation, 2022 Apr;41(4):458-466.

Keller M, Bush E, Diamond JM, Shah P, Matthew J, Brown AW, et al. Use of donor-derived-cell-free DNA as a marker of early allograft injury in primary graft dysfunction (PGD) to predict the risk of chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD). The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation. 2021 Jun;40(6):488-493.

Keller M, Megan Acho, Junfeng Sun, Eric Kriner, Nitin Seam and Burton W. Lee. Impact of Longitudinal Mechanical Ventilation Curriculum on Decay of Knowledge. ATS Scholar. Dec 1, 2023: 5(2) 302-310.