VCU news

By Carissa Etters

Experts from the Virginia Commonwealth University Pauley Heart Center and the VCU School of Nursing are available to speak with media about a variety of topics related to the leading cause of death in the U.S. for both men and women — heart disease.

Antonio Abbate, M.D., is the lead investigator in several preclinical research studies at the VCU Pauley Heart Center and the Victoria Johnson Research Laboratories where he examines the role of inflammation in heart disease. Inflammation plays a role in all stages of blood clots.

Phoebe Ashley, M.D., is a women’s heart health expert. She can speak about the risk factors and symptoms of heart disease in women, as well as available treatments. Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women in the U.S., and the warning signs aren’t the same as in men. Ashley can also speak about preventive measures that women can take to reduce their chances of developing heart disease.

Gabor Bagameri, M.D., is an aorta expert. Diseases of the aorta account for significant heart diseases and deaths worldwide, and diagnosis of aortic diseases has improved in the last two decades. Bagameri’s areas of expertise include aortic root surgery, aortic root valve sparing procedures, thoracic aortic aneurysm and dissection surgery, endovascular treatment of the thoracic aorta, and minimally invasive valve surgery.

Debra Barksdale, Ph.D., is certified as a family nurse practitioner, an adult nurse practitioner and a nurse educator. Her research focuses on stress and cardiovascular disease in the African-American community and her former National Institutes of Health-funded study, titled “Hypertension in Black Americans: Environment, Behavior and Biology,” explores the underlying hemodynamic determinants of hypertension.

Kenneth Ellenbogen, M.D., is the chair of the Division of Cardiology at the VCU School of Medicine. His research focuses on effective ways to perform ablation and development methods for ablation of atrial fibrillation. Ablation is a procedure that uses radiofrequency energy to destroy a small area of heart tissue that is causing rapid and irregular heartbeats. Atrial fibrillation is an irregular and often rapid heart rate that can increase your risk of stroke. The risk of stroke for people with atrial fibrillation is five times greater than the risk for those with normal heart rhythms. Blood thinners are often given to patients to help decrease this risk, but a non-drug implant is now being offered to patients as well. The implant is designed to help keep harmful clots from escaping the left atrial appendage in the heart, which is the place where most clots develop. Ellenbogen has been implanting this device since it was approved last year by the Food and Drug Administration.

Zachary Gertz, M.D., specializes in structural heart disease, which often refers to valvular heart problems or diseases of the heart chambers. Gertz helped pave the way for transcatheter aortic valve replacement and he has pioneered conscious sedation for patients who are not good candidates for general anesthesia or heart surgery.

Jayanthi Koneru, M.D., specializes in cardiac electrophysiology, treating a wide variety of heart rhythm issues as well as being actively involved in groundbreaking research. Atrial fibrillation is a common heart condition that affects more than five million Americans and can increase the risk of stroke.   

Jordana Kron, M.D., specializes in cardiac sarcoidosis, an inflammatory disease that can affect any organ but is particularly damaging to the heart. Early diagnosis is key, and survival rates are improving thanks to advances in detection and research.

Keyur Shah, M.D, specializes in mechanical circulatory support device implantation and heart transplants. He is leading an interdisciplinary team of physicians that is helping patients with amyloidosis, a rare disease that occurs when a substance called amyloid builds up in organs, often affecting the heart. Early diagnosis is the key to survival, and the cardiovascular team at VCU Health is one of only a few in the nation focused on treating the disease.

Melissa Smallfield, M.D., specializes in pulmonary hypertension and advanced heart failure. Pulmonary hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, can be a serious risk factor for heart disease. While heart failure sounds like it simply means the heart stops working, it actually means the heart isn’t pumping blood like it should. Smallfield can speak about both of her specialties, including who is at risk and what people can do to reduce their risk of either condition. She can also discuss available treatments.

As a major academic research institution, VCU also can provide interviews with numerous other cardiology researchers. You can read bios of all the available cardiology experts here.