Wang to lead Division of Cardiovascular Medicine
Thomas Wang, M.D., has joined Vanderbilt as director of the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine and the physician-in-chief of the Vanderbilt Heart and Vascular Institute.
Wang comes to Vanderbilt from Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, where he directed the heart failure disease management program and served as the associate director of the heart failure/transplantation section. Since 2011 he has directed the Program in Human Cardiovascular Physiology and Metabolism.
Wang said there are compelling reasons to make the move to Vanderbilt.
“There were several attractions. One was the strength of the clinical enterprise in cardiology. VHVI has been a very successful model for the development of a robust cardiovascular service line. Also, Vanderbilt has been a very forward-thinking institution when it comes to personalized medicine in both research and clinical implementation. It’s one of the premier places in the country for doing patient-oriented research, which is my area of investigation.” Wang said.
As director of the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Wang, professor of Medicine, will oversee basic and translational research, the clinical program and fellowship training. In addition, he will continue to pursue his study of pre-clinical cardiovascular disease, obesity and metabolism.
His specific areas of research interest include the role of the natriuretic peptides in cardiovascular health, mechanisms of obesity-related cardiac dysfunction, the effects of vitamin D on the heart and identification of novel cardiometabolic biomarkers.
“Vanderbilt has a longstanding tradition of excellence in cardiovascular research,” said Nancy Brown, M.D., chair of the Department of Medicine. “Over the last several years the Vanderbilt Heart and Vascular Institute has grown to be a regional and national center. Under Dr. Wang’s leadership, the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine can truly have an impact on the burden of cardiovascular disease.”
Wang holds national leadership roles in the American Heart Association and serves on advisory committees and study sections for the National Institutes of Health as well as the Food and Drug Administration.
He serves as senior associate editor for the Journal of the American Heart Association and is a member of the American Society of Clinical Investigation.