Current Environment: Production

Medical Services

Programs & Services

Languages

  • English

Education

Undergraduate School

Texas Tech University

2001, Lubbock, TX

Medical School

University of New Mexico

2006, Albuquerque, NM

Residency

Internal Medicine

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

2009, Boston, MA

Fellowship

Cardiovascular Medicine

University of Texas

2009, Dallas, TX

Fellowship

Research

Institute of Exercise and Environmental Medicine

2012, Dallas, TX

Fellowship

Senior Fellow, Adult Congenital Heart Disease and Pulmonary Hypertension

Boston Children's Hospital/Brigham and Women's Hospital

2014, Boston, MA

Certifications

  • American Board of Internal Medicine (Adult Congenital Heart Disease)
  • American Board of Internal Medicine (Cardiovascular Disease)
  • American Board of Internal Medicine (General)

Professional History

My current practice includes inpatient and outpatient care at caring for adults with congenital heart disease and pulmonary hypertension. In addition, I am part of the echocardiography labs at BCH and Brigham and women’s hospital focusing on adult congenital and stress cardiac imaging. As part of my goal to improve ACHD care locally, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to also collaborate with colleagues at Boston Medical Center in starting an ACHD clinic. My current and past research efforts focus on better understanding the response to exercise in those with congenital heart disease. Additionally I served on the guidelines committee for the ACC/AHA regarding sports participation in those with congenital heart disease.

Publications

  1. Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing. NEJM Evid. 2025 Feb; 4(2):EVIDra2400390. View Abstract

  2. Physiological Principles of Exercise. NEJM Evid. 2025 Jan; 4(1):EVIDra2400363. View Abstract

  3. Combined Exercise and Mindset Training During a Pediatric Cardiac Fitness and Rehabilitation Program Benefits Youth with a Range of Congenital Heart Disease. Pediatr Cardiol. 2024 Jul 10. View Abstract

  4. Home-based fitness training: chicken soup for the ACHD soul? Eur Heart J. 2024 Apr 21; 45(16):1474-1476. View Abstract

  5. Exercise-Induced Pulmonary Hypertension in Long-Term Survivors of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia. J Pediatr. 2024 Aug; 271:114034. View Abstract

  6. Participation in Competitive Sports by Patients With Congenital Heart Disease: AHA/ACC and EAPC/ESC/AEPC Guidelines Comparison. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2024 02 20; 83(7):772-782. View Abstract

  7. Exercise as Medicine: Evaluation and Prescription for Adults with Congenital Heart Disease. Curr Cardiol Rep. 2023 12; 25(12):1909-1919. View Abstract

  8. Assessment of Exercise Function in Children and Young Adults with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy and Correlation with Transthoracic Echocardiographic Parameters. Pediatr Cardiol. 2022 Jun; 43(5):1037-1045. View Abstract

  9. Activity During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Children with Cardiac Rhythm Management Devices. Pediatr Cardiol. 2022 Apr; 43(4):784-789. View Abstract

  10. Reducing radiation dose from myocardial perfusion imaging in subjects with complex congenital heart disease. J Nucl Cardiol. 2021 08; 28(4):1395-1408. View Abstract

  11. Cardiopulmonary exercise testing and sports participation in adults with congenital heart disease. Heart. 2019 11; 105(21):1670-1679. View Abstract

  12. Non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) for thromboembolic prevention, are they safe in congenital heart disease? Results of a worldwide study. Int J Cardiol. 2020 01 15; 299:123-130. View Abstract

  13. Academic Advancement in the Current Era: Integrating and Empowering Clinician Educators. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2019 02 12; 73(5):620-623. View Abstract

  14. Exercise testing and spirometry as predictors of mortality in congenital heart disease: Contrasting Fontan physiology with repaired tetralogy of Fallot. Congenit Heart Dis. 2018 Nov; 13(6):903-910. View Abstract

  15. Contrast volume to estimated glomerular filtration rate ratio for prediction of contrast-induced acute kidney injury after cardiac catheterization in adults with congenital heart disease. Catheter Cardiovasc Interv. 2018 12 01; 92(7):1301-1308. View Abstract

  16. A Pilot Study of Inspiratory Muscle Training to Improve Exercise Capacity in Patients with Fontan Physiology. Semin Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2018 Winter; 30(4):462-469. View Abstract

  17. Association of Albuminuria With Major Adverse Outcomes in Adults With Congenital Heart Disease: Results From the Boston Adult Congenital Heart Biobank. JAMA Cardiol. 2018 04 01; 3(4):308-316. View Abstract

  18. A Randomized Trial Comparing Cardiac Rehabilitation to Standard of Care for Adults With Congenital Heart Disease. World J Pediatr Congenit Heart Surg. 2018 03; 9(2):185-193. View Abstract

  19. Decline in peak oxygen consumption over time predicts death or transplantation in adults with a Fontan circulation. Am Heart J. 2017 Jul; 189:184-192. View Abstract

  20. Feasibility of exercise stress echocardiography and myocardial response in patients with repaired congenital heart disease. Am Heart J. 2017 Jun; 188:1-10. View Abstract

  21. The effect of 1 year of Alagebrium and moderate-intensity exercise training on left ventricular function during exercise in seniors: a randomized controlled trial. J Appl Physiol (1985). 2016 08 01; 121(2):528-36. View Abstract

  22. Eligibility and Disqualification Recommendations for Competitive Athletes With Cardiovascular Abnormalities: Task Force 4: Congenital Heart Disease: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2015 Dec 01; 66(21):2372-2384. View Abstract

  23. Eligibility and Disqualification Recommendations for Competitive Athletes With Cardiovascular Abnormalities: Task Force 4: Congenital Heart Disease: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology. Circulation. 2015 Dec 01; 132(22):e281-91. View Abstract

  24. Evaluation of Health Care Quality in Adults with Congenital Heart Disease. Cardiol Clin. 2015 Nov; 33(4):635-41, ix-x. View Abstract

  25. Cardiovascular response to exercise training in the systemic right ventricle of adults with transposition of the great arteries. J Physiol. 2015 Jun 01; 593(11):2447-58. View Abstract

  26. Relationship between Exercise Parameters and Noninvasive Indices of Right Ventricular Function in Patients with Biventricular Circulation and Systemic Right Ventricle. Congenit Heart Dis. 2015 Sep-Oct; 10(5):457-65. View Abstract

  27. Exercise oscillatory ventilation in patients with Fontan physiology. Circ Heart Fail. 2015 Mar; 8(2):304-11. View Abstract

  28. Purulent pericarditis after transbronchial biopsy. Can J Cardiol. 2014 Oct; 30(10):1250.e19-21. View Abstract

  29. Cardiovascular effects of 1 year of alagebrium and endurance exercise training in healthy older individuals. Circ Heart Fail. 2013 Nov; 6(6):1155-64. View Abstract

  30. Effects of age and aerobic fitness on myocardial lipid content. Circ Cardiovasc Imaging. 2013 Nov; 6(6):1048-55. View Abstract

  31. Reply: To PMID 23083785. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2013 Jun 04; 61(22):2314-5. View Abstract

  32. Hemodynamic responses to rapid saline loading: the impact of age, sex, and heart failure. Circulation. 2013 Jan 01; 127(1):55-62. View Abstract

  33. The importance of the muscle and ventilatory blood pumps during exercise in patients without a subpulmonary ventricle (Fontan operation). J Am Coll Cardiol. 2012 Nov 13; 60(20):2115-21. View Abstract

From medical school in home state of New Mexico to finishing my training here at Boston Children’s Hospital, each segment of my training was profoundly useful and important to learning comprehensive, evidence based care. My goal is to provide care to my patients as if they were my family. One of the biggest parts of that is thinking about each patient as a whole person. Each aspect of their care is important, not just congenital heart disease or pulmonary hypertension. I enjoy being a physician the most when I can spend time getting to know my patients and helping to keep their heart disease as only a small part of their life. For that reason, I often focus on the importance of staying active and incorporating exercise into daily life.

Medicine is the perfect combination of meaningful work and science. I love cardiology- the heart is a beautifully designed system that is a source of endless fascination for me. However, I stay in medicine because I love patient care. There is nothing more rewarding than to take a patient through critical illness and then to see them live a life without limitation from their heart disease. I also enjoy teaching my patients about ways to lead healthy lives and how to understand their heart disease.

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