Cardiovascular Diseases among Patients with Cancer and Patients living with HIV

Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston MA

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT: Tom Neilan is a cardiologist in the Division of Cardiology at MGH and an Associate Professor of Medicine at HMS and the Associate PD of the BWH T32 in CV Imaging. Over the last 10 years, his research has focused on two areas, the cardiovascular toxicities associated with cancer therapies and heart failure among persons with HIV. This is a renewal application. Since 2020, Dr. Neilan has mentored 10 mentees to 11 career development awards in POR (7 K awards alone). Three of his mentees have been awarded four R01’s as a PI focused on POR with a 4th mentee achieving a 10th percentile. Additionally, Dr. Neilan has also mentored 6 successful foundation funding applications. A focus of Dr. Neilan has been on increasing the research opportunities for those under-represented in medicine and, since 2020, Dr. Neilan has mentored 8 successful funding applications for those under-represented in medicine. Since 2020, Dr. Neilan has published > 65 original papers, most in a senior author position, in many premier journals for internal medicine (NEJM, JAMA), cardiology (JACC, Circulation, European Heart Journal, Circulation Research), HIV (Clinical Infectious Diseases, Journal of Infectious Disease, JAIDS), Cancer (JCO, JITC, Blood), and cardiac imaging (JACC Imaging, Circulation Imaging). He is the PI on industry and NIH funding with funding to 2029, with several planned applications during the next few years. Thus, Dr. Neilan’s productivity as a mentor and continued publication and funding record demonstrate his commitment and passion for POR and provide an excellent foundation to accomplish the goals of the K24 award renewal. The purpose of the K24 renewal proposal is to continue to enable Dr. Neilan to remain highly productive as a mentor and to continue to dedicate 25% of his time to mentor junior clinical investigators based on funded NIH and industry projects. The research aims are based on on-going or completed projects, except aim 5 which is new research supported by this grant: 1) ATRIUM: An ongoing industry-funded randomized multicenter clinical trial testing the effect of abatacept in immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) myocarditis. This study has randomized > 90 participants, total n=400. 2) ICI Athero: An ongoing NIH-funded observational study characterizing the drivers of atherosclerosis with ICI therapy. The study has enrolled > 90 participants, total final n=135. 3) STOP-CA: A completed NIH-funded randomized trial where statins prevented the decline in LVEF with anthracyclines. This study (n=300) is complete, and databases are available for sub-analyses. 4) REPRIEVE-MR: A completed NIH-funded study testing statins on progression of myocardial fibrosis and steatosis in HIV. This study (n=130) is complete, and databases are available for sub-analyses. 5) SGLT2i and intramyocardial fat in HIV: There is an increase in intramyocardial fat among persons with HIV, associated with diastolic dysfunction and heart failure. There are no therapies to reduce intramyocardial fat in HIV with plausibility to examine the effects of SGLT2i. Aim 5 is a pilot observational study.