The Pulmonary Hypertension Program was established to provide patients with access to the latest diagnostic and treatment strategies available. Its beginnings date back several years ago as a component of the McKelvey Lung Transplantation Center.
The Pulmonary Hypertension Program is led by Micah Fisher, Assistant Professor of Medicine within the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy. Critical Care and Sleep Medicine. Dr. Fisher was recruited from Johns Hopkins University a few years ago because of his expertise in pulmonary hypertension. Together with a team from several departments at the Emory School of Medicine, Dr. Fisher is spearheading innovative approaches to the care of patients with this disorder. This group is one of the few groups in Georgia able to offer patients access to clinical experimental trials testing the effects of new drugs for pulmonary hypertension.
Because options for patients with pulmonary hypertension are limited, the Program recognized the need for further research in this area. To this end, an expert team of investigators have joined this effort and are currently engaged in state-of-the-art research directed at uncovering the biological mechanisms responsible for this illness and the discovery of new treatment options.
The research component of the program is lead by C. Michael Hart, Professor of Medicine in the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine. Dr. Hart's team is already making great advances in understanding the mechanisms of hypoxia-associated pulmonary hypertension using animal models. This group has also identified targets for the development of novel biomarkers and treatments. The research of the Pulmonary Hypertension Program is currently supported by sources including the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Veterans Affairs as well as industry and private foundation funds.