Mission Statement

Our research focuses on the mechanisms of cardiac rhythm disorders and the development of new technology or therapy for those disabling arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation. Our mission is to improve the care of patients with rhythm disorders through research and education.

Research Projects

• Role of parasympathetic tone in atrial fibrillation
   
• Electrophysiology in embryonic stem cell and stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes, biopacemaker
   
• Invasive therapy of cardiac arrhythmias by radiofrequency catheter ablation, cardiac pacemaker, and AICD

Definitions

• Atrial Fibrillation: A disorder found in about 2 million Americans in which the heart's two small upper chambers (the atria) quiver instead of beating effectively. Blood isn't pumped completely out of them, so it may pool and clot. 
• Stem Cell: An unspecialized cell that has the capacity to develop highly specialized function when grown in the appropriate environment and treated with specific growth factors.

Department Staff

• Jie Cheng, MD, PhD, FACC – Director; Clin. Assoc. Prof., BCM, UTHSCH 
• Mehdi Razavi, MD - Research Scientist
• Tomohiko Ai, MD, PhD – Research Associate; Clin. Assist. Prof., BCM
• Shahrzad Abbasi, MS – Senior Research Assistant
• Yutao Xi, MD, PhD – Postdoctoral Research Fellow
• Geru Wu, MD, PhD - Postdoctoral Research Fellow
• Ali Nazeri, MD - Postdoctoral Research Fellow

• Kaveh Samani, MD - Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Recent Publications and Presentations

Levin V, Nemeth M, Colombowala I, Massumi A, Rasekh A, Cheng J, Coles JA Jr, Ujhelyi MR, Razavi M. Interatrial conduction measured during biventricular pacemaker implantation accurately predicts optimal paced atrioventricular intervals. J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2007;18:290–295

Shuraih M, Ai T, Vatta M, Sohma Y, Merkle EM, Taylor E, Li Z, Razavi M, Towbin JA, Cheng J. A common SCN5A polymorphism alters the pharmacology of the cardiac sodium channel. In press, J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2007

Razavi M, Cheng J, Rasekh A, Yang D, Delapasse S, Ai T, Maede T, Donsky A, Goodman MJ, Masumi A. Slow pathway ablation decreases vulnerability to pacing-induced atrial fibrillation: Possible role of vagal denervation. Pacing Clin Electrophysiol 2006;29:1234-9

Razavi M, Zhang S, Delapasse S, Yang D, Ai T, Kar B, Younis G, Rasekh A, Cheng J. The effects of pulmonary vein isolation on the dominant frequency and organization of coronary sinus electrical activity during permanent atrial fibrillation. Pacing Clin Electrophysiol 2006;29:1201-8

Razavi M, Zhang S, Yang D, Sanders RA, Kar B, Delapasse S, Ai T, Moreira W, Olivier B, Khoury DS, Cheng J. Effects of pulmonary vein ablation on regional atrial vagal innervation and vulnerability to atrial fibrillation in dogs. J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2005;16:879-84

Cheng J, Yang Y, Ursell PC, Lee RJ, Dorostkar PC, Boahene KA, Scheinman. Protected circumferential conduction in the posterior atrioventricular vestibule of the left atrium: electrophysiologic and anatomic correlates. Pacing Clin Electrophysiol 2005;28:692-701

Zhang SL, Younis G, Gao LJ, Yang Y, Ip J, Thakur RK, Scheinman MM, Cheng J. Lower loop reentry as a mechanism of clockwise right atrial flutter. Circulation 2004;109:1630-5

Marrouche NF, Natale A, Wazni OM, Cheng J, Yang Y, Pollack H, Verma A, Ursell P, Scheinman MM. Left septal atrial flutter: electrophysiology, anatomy, and results of ablation. Circulation 2004;109:2440-7

Scheinman MM, Yang Y, Cheng J. Atrial flutter: Part II Nomenclature. Pacing Clin Electrophysiol. 2004;27:504-6

Bochoeyer A, Yang Y, Cheng J, Lee RJ, Keung EC, Marrouche NF, Natale A, Scheinman MM. Surface electrocardiographic characteristics of right and left atrial flutter. Circulation 2003;108:60-6

Mangat I, Tschopp DR Jr, Yang Y, Cheng J, Keung EC, Scheinman MM. Optimizing the detection of bidirectional block across the flutter isthmus for patients with typical isthmus-dependent atrial flutter. Am J Cardiol 2003;91:559-64

Yang Y, Mangat I, Glatter KA, Cheng J, Scheinman MM. Mechanism of conversion of atypical right atrial flutter to atrial fibrillation. Am J Cardiol 2003;91:46-52

Cheng J, Glatter KA, Yang YF, Zhang S, Lee RJ and Scheinman MM. Electrophysiological Response of the Right Atrium to Ibutilide During Typical Atrial Flutter. Circulation 2002;106:814-81

Shuraih M, Ai T, Taylor E, Li Z, Razavi M, Xi Y, Towbin JA, Cheng J, Vatta M (2007) V1344I a novel SCN5A mutation in Brugada syndrome augmenting arrhythmias induced by febrile illness. Biophysic J, Presented at the 50th Annual Meeting of Biophysical Society in Maryland, March 2007

Yang D, Razavi M, Ai T, Delapasse S, Shuraih M, Engler D, Feng X, Cheng J (2006) Direct vagal stimulation promotes electrical atrial remodeling induced by rapid pacing in dogs.
Presented at the 23rd Annual Houston Conference on Biomedical Engineering Research, February 2006

Shuraih M, Ai T, Merkle EM, Taylor E, Li Z, Yang D, Feng X, Delapasse S, Razavi M, Engler D, Towbin JA, Vatta M, Cheng J (2006) Common SCN5A polymorphism alters its sensitivity to antiarrhythmic agent quinidine. Heart Rhythm 3: Suppl S178. Presented at Heart Rhythm 2006 in Boston, May 2006

Yang D, Razavi M, Ai T, Delapasse S, Shuraih M, Cheng J (2006) Direct vagal stimulation promotes atrial remodeling induced by rapid pacing in dogs. Heart Rhythm 3: Suppl S95. Presented at Heart Rhythm 2006 in Boston, May 2006

Shuraih M, Yang D, Ai T, Delapasse S, Razavi M, Warren JM, Sparrow R, Dtil A, Cheng J (2006) Successful ablation of right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) tachycardia in dextrocardia with anomalous inferior vena cava. Heart Rhythm 3: Suppl S299. Presented at Heart Rhythm 2006 in Boston, May 2006

Maede T, Razavi M, Yang D, Delapasse S, Donsky A, Ai T, Cheng J (2005) Real-time esophageal thermal profile during posterior left atrial radiofrequency ablation. Heart Rhythm 2: Suppl S236. Presented at Heart Rhythm 2005 in New Orleans, May 2005

Zhang S, Delapasse S, Kar B, Younis G, Cheng J. Bi-atrial Distribution Of Disorganized Electrograms During Chronic Atrial Fibrillation And Implication For Ablation. Heart Rhythm 2004, 1(1, suppl). Heart Rhythm 2004

Peer-Reviewed Grants and Contracts

AHA BGIA: "Regional Vagal Denervation after Pulmonary Vein Isolation and its Effect on Atrial Vulnerability to Atrial Fibrillation"; Jie Cheng, MD, PhD, Principal Investigator

Contact Information and Location

Electrophysiology Research
Jie Cheng, MD, PhD
E-mail: jcheng@heart.thi.tmc.edu
Phone: 832-355-2573

Mailing address:
MC 2-255 
PO Box 20345
Houston, TX 77225-0345

Links

Heart Rhythm Society
www.hrsonline.org