News Highlights - April 7, 2026
Research Report
Xu Receives AHA Career Development Award
Baijie Xu, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow in the Chen Liu Lab, has received a three-year Career Development Award from the American Heart Association. The grant will support his investigation into the genetic deficits underlying rare human obesity disorders. Chen Liu, Ph.D., an Associate Professor in the Center for Hypothalamic Research, and Joel Elmquist, D.V.M., Ph.D., a Professor in the Center for Hypothalamic Research and Vice Chair of Internal Medicine Research, will serve as Dr. Xu’s mentors for the project.
Dr. Xu holds a bachelor’s degree in molecular biology from Jilin University in Changchun, China. He received his doctoral degree in neuroscience from the University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing. In 2024, he received the Basic Science Award at the Donald W. Seldin Research Symposium. ■
Cires-Drouet Co-Authors NEJM Study on Pulmonary Embolism Treatment
Rafael Cires-Drouet, M.D., an Associate Professor in the Division of Vascular Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center, recently co-authored a major international clinical trial published in The New England Journal of Medicine examining a catheter-based approach to treating acute pulmonary embolism.
The study evaluated ultrasound-facilitated, catheter-directed fibrinolysis combined with standard anticoagulation in patients with intermediate-risk pulmonary embolism. This type of pulmonary embolism can appear stable at first but carries a significant risk of sudden clinical deterioration. In the randomized trial of 544 patients treated at centers in the United States and Europe, patients who received the catheter-based therapy experienced fewer episodes of cardiopulmonary collapse, pulmonary embolism-related death, or early recurrence of pulmonary embolism within seven days compared with those treated with anticoagulation alone. The benefit was largely driven by a reduction in early clinical decompensation, without a significant increase in major bleeding or intracranial hemorrhage.
The technique uses low-dose clot-dissolving medication delivered directly into the pulmonary arteries, aided by ultrasound energy that helps the drug penetrate the clot more effectively. By targeting treatment to the site of the blockage, the approach aims to improve outcomes while limiting the bleeding risks historically associated with systemic thrombolytic therapy. The trial provides some of the strongest evidence to date supporting catheter-directed therapy for carefully selected patients with intermediate-risk pulmonary embolism and may help inform future clinical guidelines. ■
Kumbhani Co-Authors National Guidance on Tricuspid Interventions
Dharam Kumbhani, M.D., a Professor in the Division of Cardiology and Director of Interventional Cardiology, was a co-author of new national guidance on transcatheter tricuspid valve interventions jointly published by the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology.
The consensus document outlines recommended standards for patient selection, operator expertise, multidisciplinary heart teams and institutional readiness as catheter-based tricuspid repair and replacement therapies move into wider clinical use. The guidance was developed in response to the rapid adoption of these newly approved procedures and the need to ensure patient safety, consistent quality and equitable access for people with severe tricuspid regurgitation.
“Interest in catheter-based tricuspid interventions has increased since the first devices received FDA approval, but patients with tricuspid regurgitation remain complex, with unanswered questions about who benefits most, when to intervene and how outcomes hold up over time,” Dr. Kumbhani said. “Successful treatment depends on a structured approach supported by a well-coordinated, multidisciplinary heart team, and this new guidance defines core competencies for clinicians and programs while aiming to balance high-quality care with patient access.”
Dr. Kumbhani served on the multi-society writing committee, contributing interventional cardiology expertise to recommendations that emphasize shared decision-making, rigorous imaging and coordinated care across specialties. The authors note the document is intended to support responsible program growth and will evolve as additional devices are approved and longer-term outcomes data emerge. ■
Dr. Kumbhani holds the Jim and Norma Smith Distinguished Chair for Interventional Cardiology.
Weber Contributes to New Reviews on Inflammatory Heart Disease and Thrombosis
Brittany Weber, M.D., Ph.D., an Assistant Professor in the Division of Cardiology, has co-authored two recent articles in Nature Reviews Cardiology that reflect her growing national role in cardiovascular immunology and thrombosis research.
In one article, Dr. Weber contributed to a comprehensive review on the global epidemiology of myocarditis, a clinically heterogeneous condition with infectious, immune-mediated and genetic causes. The review highlights disparities in age, sex and geography, as well as evolving diagnostic strategies and research priorities. Dr. Weber’s clinical interests include myocarditis arising from autoimmune conditions, immune-modulating therapies and systemic inflammatory disorders.
Dr. Weber is also a co-author on a second review examining the role of antiphospholipid antibodies in cardiovascular thrombosis. The article synthesizes evidence linking these autoantibodies to arterial and venous thrombotic events, even in patients who do not meet traditional criteria for antiphospholipid syndrome. The review discusses clinical implications for risk assessment and management and identifies key gaps in understanding immune-driven thrombosis.
Together, these articles reflect Dr. Weber’s research program at UT Southwestern, which sits at the intersection of cardiology, immunology and thrombosis. Her work focuses on immune-mediated cardiovascular disease, including myocarditis, autoimmune-related heart involvement and the mechanisms that link inflammation to thrombotic risk, with the goal of improving diagnosis, risk stratification and patient outcomes. ■
Study Finds Automated Insulin Delivery Linked to Better Glucose Control in CFRD
A new meta-analysis led by senior author Marconi Abreu, M.D., an Associate Professor in the Division of Endocrinology and Medical Director of the Parkland General Endocrinology Clinic, found that automated insulin delivery systems (AIDs) significantly improve glycemic control in people with cystic fibrosis related diabetes (CFRD) without increasing hypoglycemia.
The researchers reviewed existing studies that examined the use of automated insulin delivery systems in people with CFRD. The analysis included four studies with a combined total of 69 participants who used these systems for at least two weeks and were monitored with continuous glucose tracking. The goal was to evaluate whether these technologies improved overall glucose control and whether benefits were sustained over time.
Across the studies, the AIDs were associated with meaningful and sustained improvements in glucose management. Participants spent more time within their target glucose range and less time with elevated blood sugar levels, both in the short term and after several months of use. Average glucose levels also declined, while rates of low blood sugar did not increase. The analysis found no significant changes in body weight or lung function, suggesting the technology improved glycemic control without introducing additional metabolic or pulmonary risks.
The analysis, published in Endocrine Practice, found no significant changes in time below range, body mass index, or lung function as measured by forced expiratory volume in one second, suggesting that improved glycemic control did not come at the expense of increased hypoglycemia or adverse metabolic or pulmonary effects.
“These findings suggest that automated insulin delivery systems can offer meaningful and sustained improvements in glucose control for people with cystic fibrosis related diabetes,” Dr. Abreu said. “While the results are encouraging, larger randomized clinical trials are still needed to confirm these benefits and better define the role of these technologies in this high-risk population.”
The study adds to growing evidence supporting the use of advanced diabetes technologies in complex and medically vulnerable patient groups.
Additional UT Southwestern researchers who contributed to the study included Jessica Abramowitz, M.D., and Sasan Mirfakhraee, M.D., both Associate Professors in the Division of Endocrinology. ■
Shiloh Lab Advances Understanding of Host Defense Against TB
Two recent studies led by Michael Shiloh, M.D., Ph.D., a Professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, underscore UT Southwestern’s continued leadership in uncovering host mechanisms that shape the immune response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium that causes tuberculosis.
In a paper published in Autophagy, Dr. Shiloh and colleagues found that USP15, an enzyme that removes molecular tags from proteins, can slow the ability of immune cells to fight M. tuberculosis. USP15 acts as a brake in macrophages by limiting a key process that helps cells recognize and target bacteria for destruction. Studies in mouse and human macrophages showed that blocking or removing USP15 allowed immune cells to recruit more of the cell’s cleanup machinery to the bacteria, reducing bacterial growth inside the cell. The findings suggest that USP15 could be a promising target for host‑directed therapies that strengthen the body’s immune response to tuberculosis rather than attacking the bacterium directly.
A second article published in ACS Infectious Diseases takes a global, discovery-driven approach to identifying host factors that influence bacterial growth. In this study, Dr. Shiloh and collaborators applied cysteine-directed activity-based protein profiling to map infection-induced changes in protein reactivity in human macrophages. The analysis uncovered previously unrecognized host proteins and pathways that regulate M. tuberculosis replication and highlighted chemically accessible sites that could be leveraged for future therapeutic development.
Together, the two studies reflect the broader focus of the Shiloh laboratory, which seeks to define how M. tuberculosis interacts with innate immune cells at each stage of infection, from entry into the host to long-term intracellular survival and transmission. ■
Dr. Shiloh holds the James P. Luby, M.D. Professorship in Infectious Diseases.
Study Examines Availability of Reduced Cost-Sharing for Cardiologists in Medicare Advantage Plans
A new study led by Jessica Billig, M.D., M.Sc., an Assistant Professor in the Division of General Internal Medicine, and mentored by Joshua M. Liao, M.D., M.Sc., a Professor in General Internal Medicine, found that Medicare Advantage (MA) plans offering reduced cost-sharing for cardiologists are becoming more common, though access varies widely and is not aligned with areas of greatest cardiovascular care need.
The analysis published in JAMA Network Open examined 2022–2024 Medicare Advantage data, including plan benefits, enrollment, county-level cardiologist supply, cardiovascular care infrastructure, and HEDIS quality metrics. Researchers identified 2,993 plans with reduced cardiologist cost-sharing across 3,143 U.S. counties.
The number of plans increased from 134 in 2022 to 158 in 2024, with enrollment rising from 1.4 million to 1.5 million beneficiaries. However, 35.6% of counties had no such plans, 62.1% had no cardiologists, and half had limited cardiovascular care infrastructure. In 2024, 73.4% of these plans were high quality, compared with 37.7% of other MA plans.
“As Medicare Advantage becomes the largest insurer of older adults, supplementary benefits of these plans need to align with patients’ needs,” Dr. Billig said. “In this study of Medicare Advantage plans with reduced cost-sharing for cardiologists, we find that these plans tended to be of higher quality compared to other Medicare Advantage plans, but there was persistent geographic variability in where these plans were offered and access to cardiologist supply and cardiovascular infrastructure.”
Other UT Southwestern researchers who contributed to the study included Joseph H. Joo, M.D., M.S., an Assistant Professor in the Division of General Internal Medicine. ■
Education & Training
Lee Earns Early-Career Recognition from Lipid Organization
David Lee, M.D., Chief Fellow in the Division of Endocrinology, has been awarded second place in the National Lipid Association (NLA) 2026 Young Investigators Award competition for his abstract, “Opportunistic Cardiometabolic Risk Detection in Young Blood Donors.”
The National Lipid Association, a leading nonprofit dedicated to enhancing the prevention and treatment of lipid disorders, recognizes emerging researchers each year through its Young Investigators Award program. The award is open to trainees and early‑career clinicians or scientists with fewer than five years in practice. According to the NLA, the top five awardees receive travel stipends and are honored with plaques, while the first, second, and third place winners also receive cash prizes. All presenting awardees receive complimentary registration to the NLA Scientific Sessions, where they deliver oral presentations of their work.
Dr. Lee’s recognition places him among the top early‑career researchers in lipidology nationwide. His abstract highlights an innovative approach to identifying cardiometabolic risk in younger populations by leveraging routine blood donation encounters, an area of growing interest in preventive cardiovascular medicine. UT Southwestern has partnered with Carter BloodCare for nearly a decade to develop cardiometabolic screening in blood donors.
Dr. Lee earned his medical degree from Oakland University and completed internal medicine residency training at Loyola University. ■
Nephrology Fellowship Launches AI‑Powered Learning Platform
The Nephrology Fellowship Program has deployed RenalScholar, an AI‑powered learning platform designed to tailor educational resources to each trainee’s needs.
RenalScholar integrates four core tools: A bank of approximately 4,000 questions that dynamically tracks user mastery; a lecture navigator that uses AI to search on-demand across more than 80 hours of recorded lectures; a study appraisal tool to perform preliminary structured critiques of clinical research; and a curated library of landmark nephrology studies and discoveries. Together, the tools support self‑directed learning, exam preparation, and evidence‑based practice.
The platform is now available to fellows and will continue to expand as new content and features are added. ■
Kudos
Staff Members Take on New Roles
We congratulate the following staff members who recently took on new positions within the Department:
- Kyle May – Sr. Grants & Contracts Specialist, Research Administration
- Suzette McClain – Administrative Associate, Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine
- Tara Newsom – Program Coordinator, Hematology & Oncology
- Natalie Noreen – Population Research Project Associate I, Infectious Diseases & Geographic Medicine