Research

Dr. Elefteriades continues over 14 different research projects in thoracic aortic disease and cardiac transplantation. For a more detailed description of this work, please visit the Yale Center for Thoracic Aortic Disease. Dr. Elefteriades and his team developed and validated in laboratory experiments a novel “cooling catheter” for protecting the spinal cord from ischemic injury during aortic surgery. Yale is currently applying for a patent. This new device hold promise for mitigating the effects of spinal trauma, traumatic brain injury, and even stroke. The National Science Foundation funded a technology transfer grant to support this research in 2008.

Dr. Hammond completed his 39–year tenure as professor in the section and became professor emeritus in 2006. He will continue to perform xenograft transplantation research, supported by a 2006–2008 grant from the NIH. Suppressor genes from trophoblast libraries that repress MHC Class I and Class II expression are being cloned. The cloned genes are transfected into MHC expressing cells and their effect on MHC expression analyzed at the mRNA and protein level. The mechanism for constitutive and inducible suppression of Class II antigen by CIITA promoter binding inhibition is also being investigated.

Dr. Kopf is conducting clinical research on the surgical treatment of congenital heart disease, including pulmonary artery shunting, tetralogy of Fallot, coarctation of the aorta, and ventricular septal defect, and cardiovascular surgery in low birth weight neonates.

Dr. Tellides leads the Veterans’ Administration Hospital cardiothoracic surgery program and continues his well–funded basic science research in vascular biology and transplantation immunology.

Dr. Shinoka was appointed director of pediatric cardiovascular surgery in 2007 and is an international expert in the field of cardiovascular tissue engineering, which he expects to pursue in Phase I clinical trials at Yale–New Haven Children’s Hospital.