Welcome to the Section of Cardiovascular Research
We are glad you’re interested in our clinical, research, and educational programs. Whether you are a prospective patient, trainee, or collaborator, we invite you to explore all that the Section of Cardiovascular Research at Baylor College of Medicine has to offer in advancing heart and vascular health.
Our mission is to improve the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of atherothrombotic cardiovascular and cardiometabolic diseases through innovative basic, translational, and clinical research. We are committed to training future leaders in cardiovascular science and medicine. Our vision is to advance precision medicine by integrating biomarker, imaging, and genetic tools with emerging cellular and molecular insights into cardiovascular disease.
Our faculty are recognized leaders in the field. I, Dr. Christie Ballantyne, was elected President of the National Lipid Association and named one of the Best Doctors in America. Our team was ranked the #1 expert group in LDL-C in the U.S. and #3 in the world by Expertscape. Dr. Na Li was named Chair of the Heart Rhythm Society Research Fellowship Committee, and Dr. Vijay Nambi was appointed to the ACC Prevention Council and the board of the American Society for Preventive Cardiology.
Our research is both productive and impactful. Last year, our faculty published 194 peer-reviewed articles, 50 in high-impact journals such as New England Journal of Medicine, Lancet, Nature Medicine, Circulation, and JACC. Several late-breaking clinical trials conducted in our Center for Cardiometabolic Disease Prevention were presented at major scientific meetings with simultaneous publication in leading journals. We also secured new funding, including NIH R01s, a Department of Defense grant, and the competitive renewal of our NHLBI-funded postdoctoral T32 training program.
We offer patient care through the Lipid Metabolism and Atherosclerosis Clinic, part of the Center for Cardiometabolic Disease Prevention, located in the Travis Building and at the Jamail Specialty Care Center on the McNair Campus. This clinic is the only one in Houston to provide comprehensive genetic testing, including polygenic risk scores for cardiometabolic conditions. We also provide care through our affiliates: Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center/Texas Heart Institute, Ben Taub Hospital, and the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center.
Education and mentorship are central to our mission. Our section trains medical students, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and clinical trainees. Programs include the Texas Heart Institute Cardiology Fellowship, the Preventive Cardiology Fellowship, and graduate-level coursework. Our faculty are active mentors for summer undergraduate researchers and NIH- and ADA-supported postdoctoral fellows. We also host a robust weekly conference series featuring guest speakers, journal clubs, and presentations on emerging science.
Thank you for visiting, and we hope you’ll learn more about our work by exploring our website.
Christie M. Ballantyne, M.D.
Chief, Section of Cardiovascular Research