Faculty Mentors:
Scott Solomon, Marcelo Di Carli, Marc Pfeffer, Raymond Kwong, Ron Blankstein, Sharmila Dorbala, Amil Shah, Viviany Taqueti, Jennifer Ho

BWH has one of the more extensive networks of core imaging laboratories including echocardiography, nuclear cardiology and PET, and cardiac MRI. These core laboratories run image interpretation and quantitative analysis for single- as well as multi-center imaging trials and have access to large datasets linking established and novel quantitative imaging markers of disease and clinical outcomes. Over the first 8 years of funding of this T32 program, this has been a popular and very productive theme for several of our trainees. The scope of opportunities in outcomes research for trainees has expanded as the Cardiac Imaging Core Laboratory (CICL) has been contracted as the imaging reading center for two major epidemiologic studies funded by NHLBI (ARIC and SOL).

Scott Solomon (Clinical ProfileResearch Profile), Marc Pfeffer (Clinical Profile, Research Profile), and Amil Shah (Clinical ProfileResearch Profile) have long standing collaborations that have studied the relationship between imaging-based markers of disease, including novel approaches to systolic and diastolic function, valvular heart disease, and atrial function, and hard clinical outcomes, with a focus on the incremental predictive value of imaging-based measures.

Marcelo Di Carli (Clinical ProfileResearch Profile), Ron Blankstein (Clinical ProfileResearch Profile), Sharmila Dorbala (Clinical ProfileResearch Profile), and Viviany Taqueti (Clinical ProfileResearch Profile) have active collaborations that include the use of advanced quantitative measures of myocardial perfusion and ischemia, and metabolism to understand pathophysiology, enhance risk assessment, and guide management in cardiovascular disease. Drs. Di Carli and Blankstein have developed large single- and multi-center registries linking quantitative coronary blood flow and flow reserve, as well as anatomic coronary information and clinical outcomes. Dr. Di Carli directs BWH’s nuclear cardiology and PET core laboratory that is actively involved in single- and multi-center clinical studies. Dr. Blankstein is an active investigator of the MESA study and has been involved in multiple studies evaluating the use of imaging preclinical atherosclerosis for enhancing risk assessment.

Raymond Kwong (Clinical ProfileResearch Profile) has pioneered the use of quantitative CMR imaging to improve risk stratification in patients with cardiovascular disease, especially after myocardial infarction. His group contributed to the validation of the link between the infarct core and the peri-infarct zone (so-called penumbra) to increased mortality in patients post myocardial infarction. Together with Dr. Michael Jerosch-Herold, he is leading a large single-center study using novel markers of cardiac remodeling with CMR (extracellular cell volume reflecting interstitial fibrosis) to assess risk after myocardial infarction and to monitor novel therapies.

Jennifer Ho (Clinical ProfileResearch Profile) is a cardiologist and heart failure specialist who uses imaging, exercise and circulating biomarkers to understand mechanisms driving heart failure and cardiometabolic disease, with a particular focus on obesity and cardiometabolic disease and HFpEF.

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