2021 Secunda Family Foundation Awardee, Johns Hopkins
Dr. Nisha A. Gilotra is a cardiologist in the Johns Hopkins Medicine Division of Cardiology with expertise in advanced heart failure, including the care of heart transplant and ventricular assist device patients. She is also an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Dr. Gilotra received her medical degree from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, PA. She completed her medical residency, general cardiology fellowship and advanced heart failure fellowship at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Between fellowships, she served as an Assistant Chief of Service for the Department of Medicine. Dr. Gilotra’s research at the Gilotra Lab interests include heart failure, heart transplant, heart assist devices, myocarditis and heart failure quality improvement.
Awarded: $50,000
What is Dr. Nisha Aggarwal Gilotra studying?
Doctor Gilotra is studying the treatment of heart disease in various types of illnesses. Her research embraces work on heart transplant patients, heart assist devices, myocarditis and improvement of the lives of patients with heart failure.
Why study Heart Disease?
Heart disease is an important consequence of many diseases, and heart failure remains a major global health challenge; approximately 64 million people worldwide are affected by it. There is an increase in younger patients with the disorder because of the increasing incidence of obesity and high blood pressure. Understanding the mechanisms of heart failure and developing more targeted and effective therapies will improve patient survival.
What did Dr. Aggarwal Gilotra find?
Doctor Gilotra has studied the causes of rejection of transplanted hearts, the reasons men are less likely to survive infection with COVID-19 and the best methods of precise imaging of the heart in sarcoidosis.
How did The Foundation for Gender-Specific Medicine help Dr. Nisha Aggarwal Gilotra‘s research?
Although her award is only four years old, Doctor Gilotra has published important papers with colleagues at Johns Hopkins on cardiac disturbances in several major illnesses, including transplanted heart rejection—not only in a mouse model but also in 23 patients being followed for survival after cardiac transplantation.
What is Dr. Gilotra’s current status?
Dr. Gilotra continues her work as a cardiologist in the Johns Hopkins Medicine Division of Cardiology; the quality of her contributions to medicine is reflected not only in her publications but in the fact that she served as Assistant Chief of Service for the Department of Medicine between her fellowships (one in general cardiology and the second in advanced heart failure.)