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Cardiology
Research
Research efforts are designed to promote more effective treatments for complex heart problems. For example, clinical research activities in the Cardiac Transplant Program have resulted in new therapies with a friendlier environment, including discharge home for the child awaiting cardiac transplantation. Other transplant-related research has found new avenues of manipulation for the immune system that have markedly reduced the amount of rejection of the transplanted heart. Basic research on immunologic models is performed in collaboration with the Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes at UCD, where reconstitution of components of the immune system can be performed in an immunodeficient host. These technologies allow new insights into the process of organ tolerance, giving great hope for the possibility of transplantation without chronic immunosuppression, and even the possibility of xenotransplantation.
Both basic and applied experimental studies are conducted on techniques/devices to repair heart defects (i.e., ASD, VSD, PDA, HLHS) without surgery. Collaborative efforts with the Biomechanical Engineering Department at the University of Colorado at Boulder, as well as with the private community and the adult cardiology programs at UCD, ensure relevant and cutting-edge research in blood flow. Measurements of valve function and arterial remodeling with in vitro mock-up systems provide a greater understanding of blood flow than would ever be possible in the complex environment of the body.
There is a major basic research initiative to understand the remodeling of pulmonary arteries in response to abnormal pressures and new ways of treating these high pressures. This laboratory research program is conducted in collaboration with a large clinical program to test new drugs for children with pulmonary hypertension. Additional ongoing studies evaluate the impact of various heart surgeries on long-term rehabilitation patients and ways to improve diagnostic and interventional catheterizations. There is a major research effort in understanding the circulation of children with only a single ventricle. Specifically, we are performing computer modelling on children whose venous circulation to the lungs is provided by passive flow rather than a right ventricle.
The Section is involved in many national and international cooperative clinical trials. The Arrhythmia Program participates in the national Pediatric Electrophysiology Society and has published several papers on atrial and ventricular arrhythmias. We have been involved for the last decade in research on respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in children with congenital heart disease. As a result of this research, children with serious congenital heart disease may now receive prophylaxis against RSV during the winter months. Finally, the transplantation group is affiliated with the Pediatric Heart Transplantation Society, which evaluates heart transplantation in children in the 26 major centers in the United States.
Dr. Kak-Chen Chan investigates invasive and interventional pediatric cardiology. Dr. Neil Davie is involved in research regarding molecular evaluation of pulmonary vascular disease, stem cells and proteomics. Dr. Karrie Dyer pursues research in echocardiography, pulmonary hypertension, tissue Doppler and fetal echocardiography. Dr. Ruchira Garg's primary research interest is in cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging. Dr. Jill Ibrahim's research interests include cardiac intensive care, cardiac transplant and mechanical support. Dr. Dunbar Ivy is interested in research involving pulmonary hypertension, genomics and proteomics of pulmonary vascular disease. Dr. Joseph Kay investigates outcomes and therapies for children and adults with congenital and valvular heart disease. Dr. Biago Pietra's research relates to cardiac allograft rejection. Dr. Michael Schaffer's research examines electrophysiology, pediatric nuclear cardiology, pulmonary hypertension and myocardial development in bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Dr. Elizabeth Shaffer is interested in research related to echocardiography, including fetal echocardiography and cardiac MRI. Dr. Robin Shandas researches cardiovascular biofluid mechanics, experimental fluid diagnosis, noninvasive clinical imaging techniques, cardiovascular instrumentation and device design, minimally invasive techniques for correction of congenital heart defects and microsystems in bioengineering. Dr. Henry Sondheimer's primary research interest is respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Dr. Lilliam Valdes-Cruz is investigating cardiovascular biomechanics and imaging. Dr. Robert Wolfe's research interests are pulmonary hypertension at altitude, pulmonary vascular hypoxic response, altitude effects on systemic blood pressure, exercise physiology (anaerobic threshold), pediatric blood pressure tracking and altitude-specific systemic blood pressure in a tri-racial pediatric population. Dr. Angela Yetman's research centers on Marfan syndrome, aortic vascular pathology and cardiopulmonary exercise testing.
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