Dr. Blount is a physician scientist studying air pollution health effects both in the US and globally. His current research focuses on the immunologic mechanisms through which air pollutants increase risk for tuberculosis (TB) and other pulmonary infections. He has substantial research, teaching, and clinical experience in East Africa and Southeast Asia. Prior to fellowship, he led an international health education program in Kenya, teaching Kenyan and American students, residents, and fellows as well as caring for HIV and TB patients. Over the past 4 years, Dr. Blount has been collaborating with the Vietnam National Tuberculosis Program and is currently developing air pollution monitoring and immunology lab infrastructure for a K23 project to elucidate the immunologic and clinical effects of air pollution on childhood tuberculosis.
Publications:
- Blount RJ, Fong S, Stone S, Falahati V, Auld E, Balmes J, Huang L. Recreational drug inhalation and socioenvironmental determinants of pulmonary infection in patients with HIV: a hospital-based case control study. BMC Public Health. 2026 May 30. doi: 10.1186/s12889-026-27957-2. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 42216131.
- Becker GL, Kisembo H, Sato Y, Wendt LH, Aanyu-Tukamuhebwa H, Nantanda R, Jackson JB, Blount RJ, Wobudeya E. Post-TB lung function, quality of life, and radiographic findings in children. IJTLD Open. 2025 Jul;2(7):427-433. doi: 10.5588/ijtldopen.24.0675. eCollection 2025 Jul. PubMed PMID: 40657266; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC12248413.
- Amuge PM, Becker GL, Ssebunya RN, Nalumansi E, Adaku A, Juma M, Jackson JB, Kekitiinwa AR, Elyanu PJ, Wobudeya E, Blount R. Patient characteristics and predictors of mortality among children hospitalised with tuberculosis: A six-year case series study in Uganda. PLoS One. 2024;19(5):e0301107. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0301107. eCollection 2024. PubMed PMID: 38805452; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC11132474.
- Cho JL, Villacreses R, Nagpal P, Guo J, Pezzulo AA, Thurman AL, Hamzeh NY, Blount RJ, Fortis S, Hoffman EA, Zabner J, Comellas AP. Quantitative Chest CT Assessment of Small Airways Disease in Post-Acute SARS-CoV-2 Infection. Radiology. 2022 Jul;304(1):185-192. doi: 10.1148/radiol.212170. Epub 2022 Mar 15. PubMed PMID: 35289657; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC9270680.
- Blount RJ, Phan H, Trinh T, Dang H, Merrifield C, Zavala M, Zabner J, Comellas AP, Stapleton EM, Segal MR, Balmes J, Nhung NV, Nahid P. Indoor Air Pollution and Susceptibility to Tuberculosis Infection in Urban Vietnamese Children. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2021. Epub 2021/08/04. PubMed PMID: 34343025. DOI: 10.1164/rccm.202101-0136OC [doi]
- Blount RJ, Pascopella L, Barry P, Zabner J, Stapleton EM, Flood J, Balmes J, Nahid P, Catanzaro DG. Residential urban tree canopy is associated with decreased mortality during tuberculosis treatment in California. Sci Total Environ. 2020;711:134580. Epub 2020/02/01. PubMed PMID: 32000313. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134580
- Stapleton EM, Manges R, Parker G, Stone EA, Peters TM, Blount RJ, Noriega J, Li X, Zabner J, Polgreen PM, Chipara O, Herman T, Comellas AP. Indoor Particulate Matter From Smoker Homes Induces Bacterial Growth, Biofilm Formation, and Impairs Airway Antimicrobial Activity. A Pilot Study. Frontiers in Public Health 2020; 7. PMCID: PMC6992572.
- Blount BC, Karwowski MP, Shields PG, Morel-Espinosa M, Valentin-Blasini L, Thomas J, Pirkle JL, Blount RJ (Lung Injury Response Laboratory Working Group), et.al. Vitamin E Acetate in Bronchoalveolar-Lavage Fluid Associated with EVALI. The New England Journal of Medicine 2019. PMCID: PMC7032996.
- Cho J, Villacreses R, Nagpal P, Guo J, Pezzulo A, Thurman A, Hamzeh N, Blount RJ; Fortis S, Hoffman E, Zabner J, Comellas A. 2022. Quantitative Chest CT Assessment of Small Airways Disease in Post-Acute SARS-CoV-2 Radiology. In Press
- Blount RJ, Pascopella L, Catanzaro DG, Barry P, English PB, Segal MR, Flood J, Meltzer D, Jones B, Balmes J, Nahid P. Traffic-Related Air Pollution and All-Cause Mortality during Tuberculosis Treatment in California. Environmental health perspectives 2017;125:097026.
- Blount RJ, Daly KR, Fong S, Chang E, Grieco K, Greene M, Stone S, Balmes J, Miller RF, Walzer PD, Huang L. Effects of clinical and environmental factors on bronchoalveolar antibody responses to Pneumocystis jirovecii: a prospective cohort study of HIV+ patients. PLoS One 2017; 12(7):e0180212.
- Blount RJ, Tran MC, Everett CK, Cattamanchi A, Metcalfe JZ, Connor D, Miller CR, Grinsdale J, Higashi J, Nahid P. Tuberculosis progression rates in U.S. Immigrants following screening with interferon-gamma release assays. BMC Public Health 2016; 16: 875.
- Blount RJ, Tran B, Jarlsberg LG, Phan H, Van TH, Nhung VN, Lewinsohn DA, Nahid P. Childhood tuberculosis in Northern Viet Nam: a review of 103 cases. PLoS One 2014;9(5):e97267. PMCID: PMC4018290.
- Blount RJ, Djawe K, Daly KR, Jarlsberg LG, Fong S, Balmes J, Miller RF, Walzer PD, Huang L, International HIV-associated Opportunistic Pneumonias Study. Ambient air pollution associated with suppressed serologic responses to Pneumocystis jirovecii in a prospective cohort of HIV-infected patients with Pneumocystis pneumonia. PLoS One 2013;8:e80795. PMCID: PMC3827464.
- Blount RJ, Jarlsberg LG, Daly KR, Worodria W, Davis JL, Cattamanchi A, Djawe K, Andama A, Koch J, Walzer PD, Huang L, International HIV-Associated Opportunistic Pneumonias (IHOP) Study. Serologic responses to recombinant Pneumocystis jirovecii major surface glycoprotein among Ugandan patients with respiratory symptoms. PLoS One 2012;7:e51545. PMCID: PMC3528778.
- Blount RJ, Davis JL, Huang L. Pneumocystis Pneumonia. In: Volberding PA, Greene WC, Lange J, Gallant J, Sewankambo N eds. Sande’s HIV/AIDS Management. Saunders Elsevier, 2013.
- Gibb E, Blount R, Lewis N, Nielson D, Church G, Jones K, Ly N. Management of plastic bronchitis with topical tissue-type plasminogen activator. Pediatrics 2012;130:e446-50.
- Blount R, Huang L. Clinical approach to HIV-associated pulmonary disease. Clin Pulm Med 2010;17(5):210-217.