Overview

Dr. Wongtrakool is a Professor of Medicine n the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine. She obtained a B.S. in chemical engineering from MIT and her medical degree from Cornell University Medical College. She completed an internship and residency in internal medicine at Boston University School of Medicine in Boston, MA. She completed her pulmonary and critical care medicine fellowship at The Pulmonary Center at Boston University School of Medicine in Boston, MA. Upon finishing fellowship, she joined the Emory faculty. In 2009, Dr. Wongtrakool moved her research program and clinical responsibilities to the Atlanta VA Medical Center. She is currently the Chief of Pulmonary and the former Medical Director of the Pulmonary Function Laboratory at the Atlanta VA Healthcare System. She is also the VA Site Director for the Emory Pulmonary/Critical Care Fellowship. She became the Acting Associate Chief of Staff of Medicine at the Atlanta VA in October 2023.

Dr. Wongtrakools research focuses on the effects of nicotine exposure on lung function and structure, particularly as it relates to airway physiology and asthma. Her research has been funded through the NIH and the VA. Dr. Wongtrakool is a site investigator on several multicenter studies funded through the NIH and VA. Her major interests relate to the interaction between nicotine and neuronal signaling in airway smooth muscle cells and lung fibroblasts, and the interaction between environmental exposures and early lung development. Dr. Wongtrakool also is a site principal investigator on VA clinical studies, including SHADE (Service and Health among Deployed Veterans) in the VA Cooperative Studies Program. She supervises students, residents, and fellows at the Atlanta VA for pulmonary and ICU rotations. She is engaged in medical student education at Emory University School of Medicine. Dr. Wongtrakool has a particular clinical interest in exercise physiology and cardiopulmonary exercise testing.

Academic Appointment

• Professor of Medicine, Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine
• Distinguished Physician, Emory University School of Medicine

Education

Research