JeffreyTowbinMD

Summary

• Jeffrey A. Towbin, M.D., is the Executive Co-Director of the Heart Institute and Chief of Pediatric Cardiology at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis. He is the Medical Director of the Cardiomyopathy, Heart Failure, and Transplant Services and is interested in the clinical, genetic and mechanistic aspects of cardiomyopathies, arrhythmias, and causes of sudden cardiac death.
  
  Dr. Towbin's research has focused on cardiovascular gene identification, animal and cellular models of human cardiomyopathies and arrhythmias, as well as acquired forms of heart muscle disease including myocarditis, post-transplant cardiac rejection, and etiology and mechanisms of cardiotoxicity (cardio-oncology). Studies published to date has generated new knowledge, which is allowing clarification of underlying pathophysiology, which then guides targeted treatment options.
  
  Current Focus areas
  Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy. Dr. Towbin's research in arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy has explored and identified genes responsible for the phenotypes of this group of patients, mechanisms responsible for the development and progression of disease, including modifier genes as well as the effects of increased mechanical stress on the heart. He authored the most recent expert consensus statement on evaluation, risk stratification, and management of arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (2019).
  Left ventricular noncompaction cardiomyopathy. Dr. Towbin has published data on clinical phenotyping/diagnosis of left ventricular noncompaction cardiomyopathy, risk stratification in left ventricular noncompaction cardiomyopathy, clinical presentation and disease progression. He is also involved in ongoing genetic research with regards to patient gene identification and mechanism determination using animal models.