Description of Research Expertise

Thomas Cappola is Herbert C. Rorer Professor in Medical Sciences and Chief, Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. His research aims to uncover heart failure mechanisms in human subjects and to use these insights to improve treatment. This has involved diverse approaches, including applied genomics, population science, laboratory studies, and clinical trials. He has established and leads a multicenter cohort study of advanced heart failure (Penn Heart Failure Study, PHFS); co-loads a multicenter consortium for human myocardial transcriptomics and systems genetics (Myocardial Applied Genomics Network, MAGNet); serves as a Principal Investigator on the NHLBI Heart Failure Clinical Research Network; and is a contributing member of numerous international genomics consortia. Within the Cardiovascular Division, he has established collaborative leadership to create programs integrating science and clinical care, and has used these as a platform for research and training. In his clinical role, he treats patients with advanced heart failure on the inpatient and outpatient heart failure/transplant service.

Selected Publications

Chirinos JA, Cohen JB, Zhao L, Hanff T, Sweitzer N, Fang J, Corrales-Medina V, Anmar R, Morley M, Zamani P, Bhattacharya P, Brandimarto J, Jia Y, Basso MD, Wang Z, Ebert C, Ramirez-Valle F, Schafer PH, Seiffert D, Gordon DA, Cappola TP: Clinical and proteomic correlates of plasma ACE2 (Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2) in human heart failure Hypertension 76 (5): 1526-36,2020.

Anene-Nzelu CG, Tan WLW, Lee CJM, Wenhao Z, Perrin A, Dashi A, Tiang Z, Autio MI, Lim B, Wong E, Tan HS, Pan B, Morley MP, Margulies KB, Cappola TP, Foo RS: Assigning distal genomic enhancers to cardiac disease-causing genes. Circulation 142 (9): 910-912,2020.

Verweij N, Benjamins JW, Morley MP, van de Vegte YJ, Teumer A, Trenkwalder T, Reinhard W, Cappola TP, van der Harst P.: The genetic makeup of the electrocardiogram Cell Syst. 11 (3): 229-38,2020.

Tan WLW, Anene-Nzelu CG, Wong E, Lee M, Tan HS, Tang SJ, Perrin AMY, Wu KX, Zheng WH, Ashburn RJ, Pan B, Lee MY, Autio MI, Morley M, Tam WL, Cheung C, Margulies KB, Chen L, Cappola TP, Loh M, Chambers J, Prabhakar S, Foo RS: Epigenomes of human hearts reveal new genetic variants relevant for cardiac disease and phenotype Circ Res 127 (6): 761-777,2020.

Nayor M, Short MI, Rasheed H, Lin H, Jonasson C, Yang Q, Hveem K, Felix JF, Morrison AC, Wild PS, Morley MP, Cappola TP, Benson MD; CHARGE-Heart Failure Working Group; CHARGE-EchoGen Consortium, Ngo D, Sinha S, Keyes MJ, Shen D, Wang TJ, Larson MG, Brumpton BM, Gerszten RE, Omland T, Vasan R: Aptamer-based proteomic platform identifies novel protein predictors of incident heart failure and echocardiographic traits Circ Heart Fail 13 (5): 2020.

Chirinos JA, Zhao L, Jia Y, Frej C, Adamo L, Mann D, Shewale SV, Millar JS, Rader DJ, French B, Brandimarto J, Margulies KB, Parks JS, Wang Z, Seiffert DA, Fang J, Sweitzer N, Chistoffersen C, Dahlbäck B, Car BD, Gordon DA, Cappola TP, Javaheri A: Reduced apolipoprotein M and adverse outcomes across the spectrum of human heart failure Circulation 141 (18): 1463-1476,2020.

Chirinos JA, Orlenko A, Zhao L, Basso MD, Cvijic ME, Li Z, Spires TE, Yarde M, Wang Z, Seiffert DA, Prenner S, Zamani P, Bhattacharya P, Kumar A, Margulies KB, Car BD, Gordon DA, Moore JH, Cappola TP: Multiple plasma biomarkers for risk stratification in patients with heart failure and preserved ejection fraction JACC 75 (11): 1281-1295,2020.

Cohen JB, Schrauben SJ, Zhao L, Basso MD, Cvijic ME, Li Z, Yarde M, Wang Z, Bhattacharya PT, Chirinos DA, Prenner S, Zamani P, Seiffert DA, Car BD, Gordon DA, Margulies K, Cappola T, Chirinos JA: Clinical phenogroups in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: detailed phenotypes, prognosis, and response to spironolactone JACC Heart Fail 8 (3): 172-184,2020.

Patel N, Russell GK, Musunuru K, Gutierrez OM, Halade G, Kain V, Prabhu SD, Margulies KB, Cappola TP, Arora G, Wang TJ, Arora P: Race, Natriuretic Peptides, and High-Carbohydrate Challenge: A Clinical Trial Circulation Research : [Epub ahead of print],2019.

Lyle MA, Iyer SR, Redfield MM, Reddy YNV, Felker GM, Cappola TP, Hernandez AF, Scott CG, Burnett JC Jr, Pereira NL: Circulating Neprilysin in Patients with Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction JACC Heart Fail 19 : [Epub ahead of print],2019.

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Academic Contact Information

Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine
Division of Cardiovascular Medicine
11-113 South Pavilion
3400 Civic Center Boulevard
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Phone: 215-662-3140
Patient appointments: 800-789-7366