Harvard Catalyst Profiles

Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health , Boston, MA	MPH (GPA 4.0)	5/24/24	Master of Public Health in Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Harvard Medical School- Massachusetts General Hospital , Boston, MA		10/2021	Nuclear Cardiology-Research Fellowship
American Society of Nuclear Cardiology, Boston, MA		07/2023	ASNC's Leadership Development Training Program
Mass General Brigham Hospital , Boston, MA		03/2021	Clinical Process Improvement Leadership Program (CPIP) for GME, Certificate Course
Harvard Medical School- Massachusetts General Hospital , Boston, MA		06/2018	Cardiovacular Research Fellowship
University of Texas- MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas.		09/2016	Research Internship
Baylor College of Medicine- St. Luke's Medical Center/Cardiovacular Stem Cell Research, Houston, Texas		09/2016	Cardiovascualr Stem Cell Research Training
University of Alabama- Birmingham , Birmingham, Alabama		02/2016	Cardiology- Student Elective Training
Baylor College of Medicine-Texas Heart Institute , Houston, TX.		12/2015	Cardiothoracic Surgery- Student Elective Training
Zagazig University - Faculty of Medicine , Egypt	MBBCH( Summa Cum Laude)	02/2015	Bachelor of Surgery and Medicine
Cardiovascular Imaging Research Center of MassGeneral Hospital- Harvard Medical School , Boston, MA			Cardiovascular Imaging

I am a cardiovascular researcher dedicated to studying the intersection of advanced imaging and
cardiovascular medicine to enhance risk stratification and deepen our understanding of underlying disease
mechanisms. As an investigator in cardiovascular imaging at Massachusetts General Hospital and an
instructor in Radiology at Harvard Medical School, my research centers on the biopsychosocial aspects of
heart disease. Leveraging an integrative systems biology approach, I investigate the complex interplay
between exosomes, psychosocial stress, health behaviors, inflammation, and cardiovascular disorders
(CVD). My work integrates imaging, socio-environmental, clinical, genetic, and behavioral phenotypes to
uncover mechanisms underlying heart disease.

Additionally, I use real-world data alongside advanced
statistical and epidemiological methods to explore the brain-heart axis and its impact on cardiovascular
outcomes. This multidisciplinary focus aims to provide a deeper understanding of the intricate relationship
between mental and cardiac health, in various populations, including those with stress related conditions
(e.g. anxiety and depression) or chronic inflammatory conditions (rheumatoid arthritis and HIV). For
instance, through 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging, we identified a pathway involving heightened activity in the
bone marrow and spleen as well as arterial inflammation among individuals exposed to high levels of air
pollution. We also discovered stress-related neurobiological and arterial pathways linking chronic psychosocial and environmental stressors to CVD risk and thrombotic diseases. Furthermore, our findings
reveal that combined exposure to environmental factors, such as air and noise pollution, has a synergistic
impact on inflammatory atherosclerosis, leading to an elevated risk of CVD. Recently, we demonstrated that chronically heightened stress-related neurobiological activity primes individuals to develop stress-induced cardiomyopathy, commonly known as "broken-heart syndrome." This neurobiological activity was found to be modifiable by lifestyle behaviors, such as exercise and alcohol
consumption.

Through my research, I am committed to bridging gaps in preventive care and reducing
health disparities. By advancing the use of multimodal imaging in conjunction with genetic medicine, I aim
to provide novel insights into disease mechanisms to improve cardiovascular and cerebrovascular
outcomes across diverse populations.

• Socio-environmental stressors, Inflammation, Chronic Stress, CVD, Cardiovascular Imaging