Lynn Schnapp, MD

Lynn Schnapp, MD, is a UW Health pulmonology and critical care doctor and a professor and chair of the Department of Medicine at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.

Dr. Schnapp primarily cares for patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). These are the sickest patients in the hospital. Her patients are often on ventilators (breathing machines) or have a serious illness such as severe pneumonia, COVID-19, liver and kidney failure, sepsis (blood infection) and other major infections. She has a clinical interest in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) — lung failure in which a person needs mechanical assistance to breathe.

Dr. Schnapp believes firmly in shared decision-making and open communication with patients and families. When offering guidance, she is careful to balance hope with realistic expectations.

With an eye towards improving patient care and treatment, Dr. Schnapp studies pathways involved in lung diseases such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and ARDS. Her current research focuses on acute (sudden) lung injury and repair.

Outside of work, Dr. Schnapp enjoys running. Her goal is to race in every state and on every continent.

I aim to support ICU patients and families through difficult decisions and help make the process less intimidating.