Arjun Mohan, MD

Biography

A deep resolve to fight a common menace: asthma

While Richmond enjoys international acclaim for its restaurants, culture, and outdoors, the city surprisingly – and unfortunately – also ranks high in a very different area: It has long been among the nation’s “asthma capitals,” as cited by the Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America.

Welcome to the capital, Dr. Arjun Mohan.

“I am excited about building an asthma program from the ground up in Richmond –to serve the community, improve the quality of asthma care, educate the next generation of health care providers and to bring in cutting edge research,” says Dr. Mohan, who did so in North Carolina and served as medical director of a pulmonary clinic there. “VCU Health needs such a program, given the patient population it serves.”

More than 25 million Americans have asthma, a lung condition that affects all ages and is one of the most common chronic diseases in the country. While asthma is driven by environmental triggers such as pollen and poor air quality, it also disproportionately affects at-risk demographics, such as poorer socio-economic classes, more severely. This phenomenon may be in part driven by rising costs of asthma medications and limited access to care under the right providers.

Such a broad range of factors reflects the challenge of asthma, which is Dr. Mohan’s expertise. He is board-certified in internal, pulmonary and critical care medicine, and he has led clinical trials evaluating novel treatments for the condition. His research background also includes the closely associated condition COPD – chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

“Patients are often extremely sick or heavily burdened by their pulmonary diseases,” Dr. Mohan says. “Asthma by itself provides additional challenges as it frequently affects a younger and otherwise functional population. It impairs all aspects of health including physical activity, the ability to attend school or work, and quality of life in general. Moreover, patients tend to have flare ups that result in ED visits or hospitalizations, which also take a heavy toll. Patients seen in an asthma program are frequently quite complex and they often haven’t responded to conventional first-line measures.”

With such complexity, it can take months or even years to fully understand a patient’s disease state and to adjust treatments. Dr. Mohan shares that journey with his patients, from diagnosis to monitoring treatment responses and side effects. He emphasizes access and open communication – whether in clinic or by phone and online – so that patients feel engaged, empowered and capable of dealing with their asthma. Given the need for precision medicine, Dr. Mohan helps patients navigate to an individualized treatment plan. The components of this strategy can range from choosing the right inhalers to managing co-morbid conditions, assessing environmental hygiene and considering advanced therapies such as biologic agents.

Dr. Mohan has been a site principal investigator for multiple drug studies, and he is excited about the research potential at VCU Health, where previous studies have explored lung conditions such as cystic fibrosis, emphysema, pulmonary hypertension and sarcoidosis. Pulmonary and critical care medicine has been evolving rapidly amid extensive new research into lung diseases and therapies. It is imperative to have an asthma research program at VCU Health that not only contributes to the advancement of science but also provides patients access to clinical trials. “I anticipate a well-rounded portfolio that will ultimately place VCU at a national-level table for asthma research,” he says. He also has developed specific interest in studying asthma in unique patient populations, such as obesity, advanced age and socioeconomic disparities.

“VCU Health provides care to a unique and diverse patient population. Being a physician here allows me to care for patients from all walks of life with very individual requirements,” Dr. Mohan says. “It is important to get the right patients to the right treatments – and to monitor them closely to ensure they get the right benefits.”

Research interests: Severe asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, health equity and drug therapies.

Outside Interests: “I love spending time with my wife, kids and dogs. We love the outdoors and are frequently hiking around Richmond – and my wife and I also enjoy freshwater and surf fishing. I also like to stay fit, which helps me balance work and life. I love running, cycling, weightlifting, yoga and CrossFit.”