Ryan Johnson, MD
(2007-2010)
Medical School: Oregon Health & Science University
Residency: University of Arizona
Research interests: Dr. Johnson is currently involved in a multidisciplinary, translational research project between the Departments of Pediatrics (Carver College of Medicine) and Electrical Engineering (College of Engineering) to develop new analysis methods for use with magnetic resonance imaging. The project aims are to develop techniques for automated 4D analysis (3D+Time) of the thoracic aorta and right and left ventricles using active appearance model segmentation. Using these techniques, Dr Johnson will develop a set of quantitative indices for use in analysis of patients with connective tissue disorders and postoperative tetralogy of Fallot to provide novel methods for tracking disease progression. |
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Melissa Agoudemos, MD, PhD
(2007-2010)
Medical School: Medical College of Wisconsin
Residency: University of Iowa College of Medicine
Research interests: Gestational diabetes creates an abnormal environment for the developing fetus. This environment is known to lead to an increased incidence of cardiac defects including ventricular septal defects, double outlet right ventricle, truncus arteriosus, and most notably hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The hypertrophic cardiomyopathy usually resolves by six months of age by echocardiography. It is unknown whether structural and functional effects in echocardiographically “normal” hearts persist into adulthood in the offspring of diabetic mothers. Dr. Agoudemos is investigating the mechanisms of resolution of the hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, the resulting differences in cellular characteristics between offspring of normal mothers and offspring of diabetic mothers, and the cardiovascular physiologic differences at baseline and in response to ischemia/reperfusion injury between offspring of normal mothers and offspring of diabetic mothers. |
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Sonali Patel, MD
(2006-2009)
Medical School: University of Iowa College of Medicine
Residency: University of Iowa College of Medicine
Research interests: Project 1 – This project is also her dissertation project towards her doctoral degree in Epidemiology. The project involves two separate datasets. The first dataset is a multiplex pedigree from Minnesota with autosomal dominant atrioventricular canal defects, also referred to as atrioventricular septal defects (AVSD). She is evaluating both affected and non-affected members of this family using a candidate-gene approach to determine a functional variant leading to the development of non-syndromic AVSD. Preliminary studies have defined a locus, AVSD1, to be located within 1p21-1p31. She is evaluating chromosome 1 in order to determine the gene and sequence this gene to identify the functional variant. Her second objective is to describe a genetic/environmental etiology for the development of non-syndromic atrioventricular canal defects using a case-control population consisting of affected child-parent trios. She will use a candidate-gene approach to determine a genetic locus in the trio population. Chromosomes 1, 3, 5, 8, 14, 17 and 21 will be evaluated due to previous findings and/or association with the syndromic form of AVSD. The subjects in this study were taken from a larger study called the Family Study of Endocardial Cushion Defects. An echocardiogram, blood sample, and a detailed Health History Questionnaire were obtained from each subject. The Health History Questionnaire will be utilized to evaluate for possible environmental risk factors for the development of non-syndromic atrioventricular canal defects, such as tobacco, alcohol, and medication use. Her final objective is to use echocardiograms from the “non-affected” parents of the trios to determine if there is a minor phenotype of non-syndromic AVSD, specifically, looking at the AV septum length and comparing that length to controls. Her hypothesis is that the parents of affected children or carriers will have a shorter AV septum.
Project 2 – This project is examining the observed increased incidence of an uncommon congenital heart defect, total anomalous pulmonary venous return (TAPVR) in the past 5 years at the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital. She is comparing the incidence of TAPVR seen at the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital to data received from the Pediatric Cardiac Care Consortium (PCCC) along with data from the National Birth Defects Registry. The PCCC is a database supported by multiple pediatric cardiac centers. These data, along with registry data, will be considered as the “national” prevalence for comparison purposes. Her hypothesis is that Iowa has had a statistically significant increase in incidence. If this hypothesis is true, she plans to contact families with affected children and perform a retrospective analysis for determination of possible causal factors leading to the increased incidence. This would include examining family history, environmental factors and other confounders for possible association.
Project 3 – This project’s main research question evaluates if prenatal diagnosis of congenital heart disease confers a survival advantage. The first part of this project will be to examine fetal echocardiograms performed at the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital over the past 5 years and their outcome – termination, survival, or death before 1 month of age. She estimates that approximately 300 echocardiograms have been performed and that a majority of these patients have been referred for congenital heart disease. Therefore, a majority of the fetal echocardiograms will have structural heart disease. Another objective of this study is to combine the data obtained from the University of Iowa with other studies of similar size and perform a meta-analysis to evaluate the primary question of prenatal diagnosis and survival advantage.
Along with completing research for fellowship requirements, Dr. Patel is completing coursework and research requirements necessary to complete her PhD in Epidemiology. |
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Scott (Jared) Bentley, DO
(2008-2011)
Medical School: University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine
Residency: Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, Virginia
Research interests: Obstructive sleep apnea (clinical markers of and cardiovascular changes associated with OSA) and childhood obesity. |
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