2016 M. Irené Ferrer Awardee, Columbia University
Dr. Emily J. Tsai is the Florence Irving Associate Professor of Medicine at Columbia University Vagelos Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons and an attending physician at the Center for Advanced Cardiac Care of New York-Presbyterian Hospital at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Board-certified in Cardiovascular Medicine and Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology, Dr. Tsai specializes in caring for heart failure patients who require, or who have received, a ventricular assist device or heart transplant.
What is Dr. Emily Tsai studying?
Dr. Tsai is studying congestive heart failure (CHF) and how it affects men and women differently, focusing on a critical and often overlooked issue: that heart failure manifests differently in each sex and that many women with heart failure do not benefit from current medications. Her research aims to uncover the biological basis of these gender differences in heart dysfunction. This award has supported her research in understanding the biology of gender-differences in heart dysfunction. With its support, Dr. Tsai has advanced her efforts to pave the way for personalized, precision medicine that can improve outcomes and survival for all heart failure patients—including the nearly 3 million women in the U.S. currently living with this condition.
Why study Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)?
In 2019, over 56 million people worldwide suffered from CHF; this was a 30% increase over the previous decade. Almost half of the cases were due to coronary artery disease, and high blood pressure was present in 75-90% of cases. Diabetes doubles the risk of developing CHF. The global cost is estimated to be $346 billion, with hospitalizations accounting for 75-80% of the cost. Obesity and hypertension drive 60% of cases.
What did Doctor Tsai find?
Sex Differences in Heart Failure Response
Dr. Tsai is studying heart failure in both sexes and focused on cardiac overload in the right pumping chamber of the heart (right ventricle) in mice. She found that males were less able to adapt to the stress than females, showing more inflammation of the myocardium. This finding suggests that exploring the extracellular matrix—the environment surrounding heart cells—could lead to promising treatment strategies, particularly for males.
Advancing Diagnostic and COVID-19 Research
Dr. Tsai was also part of a research team that demonstrated how genetic analysis of blood could serve as a noninvasive method to detect rejection in transplanted hearts. Additionally, she studied the unique characteristics of heart failure and respiratory-related deaths in COVID-19 patients. Her work contributes to our understanding of long COVID and may help guide the development of new treatments for this complex disorder.
How did The Foundation for Gender-Specific Medicine’s grant help Dr. Tsai’s research?
Dr. Tsai received her award in 2016; since then, she has published five important papers in peer reviewed journals including the most prestigious two in her field, Circulation and Circulation Research: Cell-Specific Mechanisms in the Heart of COVID-19 patients.
Why does publishing papers matter?
When doctors publish papers, they’re contributing to the collective knowledge that other healthcare professionals rely on. This research can lead to:
- New treatments or medications
- Improved diagnostic methods
- Better patient care protocols
So even if we never read the papers ourselves, our doctors do — and it influences the way they treat us.
What is Dr. Tsai’s current status?
Dr. Tsai continues to work in the Department of Cardiology in the Department of Medicine at the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University.