Robert Keith, M.D.

Dr. Keith is a professor of medicine and cancer biology, Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine. He is the associate chief of staff for research for the VA Eastern Colorado HealthCare System. He directs the NCI funded Colorado SPORE in Lung Cancer Clinical Trials Core and is a co-investigator on multiple SPORE clinical and basic science projects.

Dr. Keith's main research interest is lung cancer chemoprevention and early detection. He was Principal Investigator (PI) of the NCI-sponsored Lung Cancer Biomarkers and Chemoprevention Consortium (LCBCC) Iloprost Chemoprevention Trial and is the PI of an ongoing VA lung cancer chemoprevention trial evaluating pioglitazone in high-risk current and former smokers. He is also the co-PI on a recently initiated chemoprevention trial examining inhaled iloprost.

He maintains an active outpatient pulmonary medicine practice and attends on the inpatient pulmonary/critical care service at the Denver VAMC. His basic science laboratory focuses on lung cancer chemoprevention and examines the roles of prostaglandins and PPAR gamma agonists in pre-clinical models of lung cancer. His other research interests include the biology of airway premalignant lesions and contributions from the tumor microenvironment; screening and early detection of lung cancer; and identifying the highest risk lesions for progression to invasive lung cancer. He utilizes advanced bronchoscopic techniques (including endobronchial ultrasound, autofluorescence, and electromagnetic navigation).

Dr. Keith holds a joint VA / University appointment and is funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs, NIH, and the Department of Defense.