Krishna M. Sundar

Krishna M. Sundar, MD

Languages spoken: English, Hindi

Academic Information

Departments Adjunct - Internal Medicine

Divisions: Rheumatology

Board Certification

  • American Board of Sleep Medicine

Research Interests

  • Sleep Apnea Outcomes on Chronic Disease
  • Effects of Chronic Hypoxia
  • Relationship Between Cough and Sleep Disordered Breathing

Dr. Sundar is currently the Medical Director of the Sleep-Wake Center, University of Utah. He is American Board-Certified in Sleep Medicine, Pulmonary Disease, Critical Care Medicine, and Internal Medicine.

Following his medical training in India, Dr. Sundar did his residency in Internal Medicine at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital, Columbia University, New York followed by fellowship in Pulmonary, Critical Care Medicine and Sleep Medicine at the University of Utah. Thereafter, Dr. Sundar worked with the Utah Valley Pulmonary group, Provo, Utah for nearly a decade where he developed an interstitial lung disease program and directed pulmonary and critical care research for the IHC Urban South Region. In 2012, he joined the University of Utah full-time and helped expand the sleep medicine program and fellowship. In addition, he has developed a multi-disciplinary sleep apnea clinic in conjunction with ENT, a follow up program for patients stable on CPAP and a multidisciplinary cough clinic with speech behavioral therapy at the University of Utah.

Dr. Sundar has extensive experience with all aspects of pulmonary and sleep medicine. He has done a number of presentations in national and international forums on various topics in Pulmonary and Sleep medicine. One of his main goals as the Sleep Center physician is to educate patients and providers in realizing the full potential of sleep in maintaining health and improving outcomes from chronic illnesses. He has consistently been named Castle Connolly's Region's Top Doctors in Pulmonary Disease from 2013-2017 and featured in Top 10% of America's most honored professionals in the 2016 American Registry.

Education History

Fellowship University of Utah Medical Center
 Fellow
Fellowship University of Utah Medical Center
 Chief Fellow
Fellowship University of Utah Medical Center
 Fellow
Residency St.Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital, Columbia University
 Resident
Internship St.Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital, Columbia University
 Intern
Professional Medical Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research
 MD
Residency Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education & Research
 Resident
Clerkship Safdarjung Hospital
 Clerkship
Professional Medical University College Medical Science
 MBBS

Selected Publications

Journal Article

  1. Baron KG, Troxel WM, Galway S, Kharidia S, DeVettori G, Gilles A, Sundar KM, Watt MH (2023). Couples-based interventions to promote PAP adherence among older adults: a qualitative study of patients, partners, and providers. J Clin Sleep Med, 18(11), 2627-2634. (Read full article)
  2. Baugh A, Buhr RG, Quibrera P, Barjaktarevic I, Barr RG, Bowler R, Han MK, Kaufman JD, Koch AL, Krishnan J, Labaki W, Martinez FJ, Mkorombindo T, Namen A, Ortega V, Paine R, Peters SP, Schotland H, Sundar K, Zeidler MR, Hansel NN, Woodruff PG, Thakur N (2022). Risk of COPD exacerbation is increased by poor sleep quality and modified by social adversity. Sleep, 45(8). (Read full article)
  3. Baron KG, Gilles A, Sundar KM, Baucom BRW, Duff K, Troxel W (2022). Rationale and study protocol for We-PAP: a randomized pilot/feasibility trial of a couples-based intervention to promote PAP adherence and sleep health compared to an educational control. Pilot Feasibility Stud, 8(1), 171. (Read full article)
  4. Reynolds JE, Jett ME, Wright ML, Sundar KM, Gillespie AI, Slovarp LJ (2022). Normative Values for the Leicester Cough Questionnaire in Healthy Individuals. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol, 34894221112517. (Read full article)
  5. Locke BW, Neill SE, Howe HE, Crotty MC, Kim J, Sundar KM (2023). Electronic health record-derived outcomes in obstructive sleep apnea managed with positive airway pressure tracking systems. J Clin Sleep Med, 18(3), 885-894. (Read full article)
  6. Roy N, Merrill RM, Pierce J, Sundar KM (2020). Evidence of Possible Irritable Larynx Syndrome in Obstructive Sleep Apnea: An Epidemiologic Approach. J Voice, 35(6), 932.e29-932.e38. (Read full article)
  7. Garrison GW, Cho JL, Deng JC, Camac E, Oh S, Sundar K, Baptiste JV, Cheng GS, De Cardenas J, Fitzgerald C, Garfield J, Ha NT, Holden VK, OCorragain O, Patel S, Wayne MT, McSparron JI, Wang T, oruh B, Hayes MM, Guzman E, Channick CL (2021). ATS Core Curriculum 2021. Adult Pulmonary Medicine: Thoracic Oncology. ATS Sch, 2(3), 468-483. (Read full article)
  8. Sundar KM, Stark AC, Hu N, Barkmeier-Kraemer J (2021). Is laryngeal hypersensitivity the basis of unexplained or refractory chronic cough? ERJ Open Res, 7(1). (Read full article)
  9. Zeidler MR, Martin JL, Kleerup EC, Schneider H, Mitchell MN, Hansel NN, Sundar K, Schotland H, Basner RC, Wells JM, Krishnan JA, Criner GJ, Cristenson S, Krachman S, Badr MS, SPIROMICS Research Group (2017). Sleep disruption as a predictor of quality of life among patients in the subpopulations and intermediate outcome measures in COPD study (SPIROMICS). Sleep, 41(5). (Read full article)
  10. Sundar S, Stratman J, Sundar KM (2017). Using A Disaster Preparedness Triangle Framework to Link Disaster Preparedness to Pandemic Outcomes. Int J Mass Emerg Disasters, 35(3), 154-68.
  11. Sundar KM, Prchal JT (2017). The Cornerstone of the Aberrant Pathophysiology of Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Tissue Responses to Chronic Sustained Versus Intermittent Hypoxia. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol, 56(4), 419-420. (Read full article)
  12. Sundar KM, Scholand MB, Willis A, Sundar S (2015). Sleep apnea management in “possible IPF” and ‘Idiopathic NSIP”. A case series. http://dx.doi.org/10.4172/2167-0277.1000173. J Sleep Disord Ther, 3, 4.
  13. Sundar KM, Sires M (2014). 16. Sundar KM, Sires M. Sepsis induced immunosuppression: Implications for secondary infections and complications. Indian Journal of Critical Care Medicine 2013;17:44-51. Indian J Crit Care Med.
  14. Sundar KM, Daly SE (3/11/2014). A longitudinal study of CPAP therapy for patients with chronic cough and OSA. Cough, 9, 19.
  15. Sundar KM, Daly SE (3/11/2014). Chronic cough and OSA: an underappreciated relationship. Lung.
  16. Scholand MB, Wolff R, Crossno PF, Sundar K, Winegar M, Whipple S, Carey P, Sunchild N, Coon H (2014). Severity of cough in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is associated with MUC5 B genotype. Cough, 10, 3. (Read full article)
  17. Sundar KM, Daly SE, Willis AM (2013). A longitudinal study of CPAP therapy for patients with chronic cough and obstructive sleep apnoea. Cough, 9(1), 19. (Read full article)
  18. McAdams-Jones D, Sundar K (2012). Jump into action against aspiration pneumonia. Am Nurse Today, 7(8).
  19. Sundar KM, Thaut P, Nielsen DB, Alward WT, Pearce MJ (2012). Clinical course of ICU patients with severe pandemic 2009 influenza A (H1N1) pneumonia: single center experience with proning and pressure release ventilation. J Intensive Care Med, 27(3), 184-90. (Read full article)
  20. Sundar KM, Nielsen D, Sperry P (2012). Comparison of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) rates between different ICUs: Implications of a zero VAP rate. J Crit Care, 27(1), 26-32. (Read full article)
  21. Daly SE, Sundar KM (2011). Cough. Fam Pract.
  22. Sundar K, Kanner R (2010). Aspiration pneumonia. Point of Care monograph.
  23. Sundar KM, Daly SE, Pearce MJ, Alward WT (2010). Chronic cough and obstructive sleep apnea in a community-based pulmonary practice. Cough, 6(1), 2. (Read full article)
  24. Sundar KM, Ludwig KA, Alward WT, Pearce MJ, Bishop CT, Hammond RC, Hillyard DR, Freestone SW, Ozment A, Cahill BC (2008). Clinical course and spectrum of intensive care unit patients reactivating herpes simplex-1 virus: a retrospective analysis. Indian J Crit Care Med, 12(4), 145-52. (Read full article)
  25. Sundar KM, Harris DL (2007). Initial presentation of IPF as an “acute exacerbation". Respir Med.
  26. He L, Chen J, Dinger B, Sanders K, Sundar K, Hoidal J, Fidone S (2003). Carotid body chemoreceptor activity in mice deficient in selected subunits of NADPH oxidase. Adv Exp Med Biol, 536, 41-6. (Read full article)
  27. Sanders KA, Sundar KM, He L, Dinger B, Fidone S, Hoidal JR (2002). Role of components of the phagocytic NADPH oxidase in oxygen sensing. J Appl Physiol (1985), 93(4), 1357-64. (Read full article)
  28. He L, Chen J, Dinger B, Sanders K, Sundar K, Hoidal J, Fidone S (2002). Characteristics of carotid body chemosensitivity in NADPH oxidase-deficient mice. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol, 282(1), C27-33. (Read full article)
  29. Sundar KM, Carveth HJ, Gosselin MV, Beatty PG, Colby TV, Hoidal JR (2001). Granulomatous pneumonitis following bone marrow transplantation. Bone Marrow Transplant, 28(6), 627-30. (Read full article)
  30. Sundar K, Rosado-Santos H, Reimer L, Murray K, Michael J (2001). Unusual presentation of thoracic Pneumocystis carinii infection in a patient with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Clin Infect Dis, 32(3), 498-501. (Read full article)

Review

  1. Locke BW, Lee JJ, Sundar KM (2022). OSA and Chronic Respiratory Disease: Mechanisms and Epidemiology. [Review]. Int J Environ Res Public Health, 19(9). (Read full article)
  2. Lee JJ, Sundar KM (2021). Evaluation and Management of Adults with Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome. [Review]. Lung, 199(2), 87-101. (Read full article)
  3. Song J, Sundar K, Gangaraju R, Prchal JT (2017). Regulation of erythropoiesis after normoxic return from chronic sustained and intermittent hypoxia. [Review]. J Appl Physiol (1985), 123(6), 1671-1675. (Read full article)
  4. Sundar KM, Sires M (2013). Sepsis induced immunosuppression: Implications for secondary infections and complications. [Review]. Indian J Crit Care Med, 17(3), 162-9. (Read full article)

Other

  1. Shumway C, Curtin K, Taylor S, Sundar KM, Wirostko BM, Ritch R (2020). Association between Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Exfoliation Syndrome: The Utah Project on Exfoliation Syndrome. Ophthalmol Glaucoma (4(3), pp. 260-267). United States. (Read full article)
  2. Gangaraju R, Song J, Kim SJ, Tashi T, Reeves BN, Sundar KM, Thiagarajan P, Prchal JT (2019). Thrombotic, inflammatory, and HIF-regulated genes and thrombosis risk in polycythemia vera and essential thrombocythemia. Blood Adv (4(6), pp. 1115-1130). United States. (Read full article)