Looking for a doctor? This faculty member is affiliated with UBMD, the group comprised of practicing physicians who are also professors in the UB Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.
I care for patients with a wide variety of heart problems including congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease, valvular disease, and arrhythmias. My specialty is the diagnosis and treatment of systolic and diastolic congestive heart failure. I integrate information from multiple cardiac diagnostic studies to coordinate treatment for my patients with interventional cardiologists, heart rhythm specialists and heart surgeons. I am trained as an Advanced Heart Failure specialist and I am experienced in the treatment of patients with cardiac transplants and ventricular assist devices.
I am available to patients at the Great Lakes Cardiovascular offices in Amherst NY, the Buffalo General Medical Center Cardiology Clinic, and on the Cardiology inpatient services in the Buffalo General Medical Center (BGMC).
In the Cardiac Care Unit I oversee patients with acute congestive heart failure, most often after myocardial infarction. In the outpatient clinics I manage medical and device therapy for heart failure and perform cardiopulmonary stress testing to identify patients who need advanced heart failure therapies including left ventricular assist devices or cardiac transplantation.
I am involved in multi-center clinical trials in treatment of heart failure. I study the role of hematopoietic system and inflammation in repair of heart attacks and the failing heart via my own independent research, and in collaboration with pharmaceutical firms. I am a peer reviewer for several leading journals in Cardiology, and review research grant applications for the NIH and American Heart Association.
I teach and supervise Internal Medicine residents and Cardiology Fellows in all facets of my clinical practice: during inpatient hospital care in the Cardiac Care Unit, while interpreting cardiac imaging studies, and in my outpatient practice. I also teach and mentor young scientists involved in research.
Education and Training:
Postdoctoral Fellow, Stem Cell Biology, National Institutes of Health (2007)
Fellowship, Advanced Heart Failure and Cardiac Transplant, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine (2006)
Fellowship, Cardiovascular Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine (2006)
Residency, Internal Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Health System (2002)
PhD, Biochemistry, University at Buffalo (1999)
MD, University at Buffalo (1999)
BS, University at Buffalo, Cum Laude (1992)
Employment:
Associate Professor, Medicine, University at Buffalo (2016-present)
Adjunct Member, Cell Stress Biology-Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Roswell Park Cancer Institute (2015-present)
Assistant Professor, Medicine, University at Buffalo (2010–2016)
Research Assistant Professor, Cardiology, University at Buffalo (2007–2010)
Assistant Clinical Investigator, National Heart Lung and Blood, and Human Genome Research Institutes, National Institutes of Health, National Institutes of Health Intramural Research Program (2006–2007)
Clinical Fellow, Advanced Heart Failure and Cardiac Transplantation, Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine (2005–2006)
NIH Postdoctoral Fellow, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, National Institutes of Health (2004–2006)
Clinical Fellow, Cardiology, Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (2002–2005)
Resident, University of Pennsylvania, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (2000–2002)
Intern, Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, University of Pennsylvania (1999–2000)
Medical Scientist Training Program, University at Buffalo (1992–1999)
American Heart Association Research Administration Recognition Award (2016)
Finalist, Atherosclerosis, Thrombosis & Vascular Biology Council Award for Outstanding Research by an Early Career Investigator (2013)
University at Buffalo, Outstanding Laboratory-based Research (2013)
Fellow-American Heart Association (2011)
Most Read Articles in Circulation Journal-Molecular Cardiology (2010)
Fellow-American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (2009)
Finalist, Northwestern Cardiovascular Young Investigator's Forum (2008)
Fellow-American College of Cardiology (2008)
Who's Who in Medicine and Healthcare (2001)
Sigma Xi Grant-in-Aid of Research (1995)
First Place-University at Buffalo School of Medicine Research Forum (1993)
First Place-University at Buffalo School of Medicine Research Forum (1992)
Early Admission Program-University at Buffalo School of Medicine (1990)
Research Expertise:
Atherosclerosis and vascular biology
Cardiovascular Stem Cell Therapy
Heart Failure
Research Centers:
Center for Research in Cardiovascular Medicine
Grants and Sponsored Research:
November 2019–November 2020 Mobilization of Hematopoietic Progenitors with a Novel Agent Bristol Myers Squibb Role: Principal Investigator
March 2016–March 2019 The Mae Stone Goode Charitable Trust Role: Principal Investigator $100,000
April 2017–March 2018 Center for AIDS Research Pilot Grant NIH/NIAID, University of Rochester CFAR Role: Co-Principal Investigator $15,350
June 2014–January 2018 Clinical Trial: Efficacy and Safety of LCZ696 Compared to Valsartan, on Morbidity and Mortality in Heart Failure Patients With Preserved Ejection Fraction (PARAGON-HF) Novartis Pharmaceuticals Role: Co-Investigator
September 2014–August 2017 National Institutes of Health/NIDCR:Effect of COMT genetic polymorphisms on response to propranolol therapy in TMD National Institutes of Health/NIDCR Role: Co-Investigator
July 2014–July 2015 University at Buffalo Translational Studies Pilot FundSenescence As a Stimulus for Inflammation in Heart Failure University at Buffalo Role: Principal Investigator $20,776
July 2010–June 2014 American Heart Association Scientist Development Grant American Heart Association Role: Principal Investigator $231,000
September 2013–February 2014 Phosphodiesterase Type 5 Inhibition With Tadalafil Changes Outcomes in Heart Failure (PITCH-HF) National Institutes of Health/NHLBI Role: Contributor
January 2009–December 2012 NYSTEM, IDEA in Stem Cell Research. Modification of Resident Cardiac Stem Cells by Circulating Hematopoietic Stem Cells in Ischemic Cardiomyopathy NYSTEM Role: Co-Investigator
July 2007–June 2008 New York State Stem Cell Science Institutional Support Pilot Project Award NYSTEM Role: Co-Principal Investigator
September 2016 Clinical Trial: The Effect of Dapagliflozin on the Incidence of Worsening Heart Failure or Cardiovascular Death in Patients with Chronic Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction Astra Zeneca Role: Principal Investigator
Cimato TR, Tang J, Xu Y, Herschman H, Pongor S and Aletta J. NGF-mediated increases in protein methylation occur predominantly at Type I arginine methylation sites and involve protein arginine methyltransferase 1 (PRMT 1). Journal of Neuroscience Research. 2002; 67(4).
Cimato TR, Ettinger M, Zhou X and Aletta J. Nerve growth factor specific regulation of protein methylation during neuronal differentiation of PC12 cells. Journal of Cell Biology. 1997; 138(5).
Member, International Society for Stem Cell Research (2006–present)
Member, Heart Failure Society of America (2006–present)
Member, American Society of Echocardiography (2006–present)
Fellow, American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (2006–present)
Fellow, American Heart Association (2002–present)
Fellow, American College of Cardiology (2002–present)
Presentations:
"Advanced Heart Failure Management" Gates Vascular Institute Symposium, Kaleida Health (2019)
"Data Guided Management of Heart Failure" University at Buffalo Primary Care Update Conference, Primary Care (2019)
"Hematopoietic Progenitors in Cancer and Heart Disease" UB Clinical and Translational Research Colloquium, University at Buffalo, Translational Research (2016)
"Flow Cytometry Analysis of Hematopoietic Progenitors in Cancer and Cardiovascular Disease" International Society for Advancement of Cytometry, Webinar Series (2016)
"Hematopoietic Progenitors in Cancer and Heart Disease" Roswell Park Cancer Institute Immunology Research Conference, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Department of Immunology (2016)
"Prevention of Heart Attack: Overview of the New Cholesterol Guidelines" SUNY at Buffalo-Dept Family Medicine, SUNY at Buffalo Sch of Medicine, Medical Grand Rounds (2013)
"Diagnosis and Management of Congestive Heart Failure" SUNY at Buffalo-Dept Medicine, SUNY at Buffalo Sch of Medicine, Medical Grand Rounds (2013)
"Master Cardiac Transcription Factor MESP1 is Highly Expressed in Adult Human CD34+ Hematopoietic Stem Cells and Its Levels are Modulated by Body Mass Index" American Heart Association Scientific Sessions, American Heart Assocation, ATVB/Stem and Progenitor Cells (2013)
"The Interaction of Cholesterol and Inflammation with Hematopoietic Stem Cells: A Potential Target For Therapy in Atherosclerosis" SUNY at Buffalo-Dept Medicine, SUNY at Buffalo Sch of Medicine, Research Grand Rounds (2013)
"Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor Increases the Angiogenic Properties of Human Pluirpotent Stem Cell Derived Neuropilin-1+ CD34+ Nascent Endothelial Cells Via a Jak2 Dependent Pathway" American Heart Association Scientific Sessions, American Heart Association, ATVB (2012)
"Component currents of cardiac myocytes derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells" Biophysical Society, Biophysical Society (2012)
"Intracoronary infusion of cardiosphere-derived cells (icCDCs) improves cardiac function by stimulating myocyte-proliferation in non-infarcted hibernating myocardium with no effect on normal myocardium" American Heart Association Scientific Sessions, American Heart Association (2011)
"Simplified Monolayer Differentiation of Human-Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells to Functional Cardiac Myocytes" Basic Cardiovascular Sciences (BCVS) Scientific Sessions 2011, American Heart Association (2011)
"Transcriptonal Profiling of Pluripotent Stem-Cell Derived Neuropilin-1+ CD34- Vascular Precursors Reveals Significant Overlap with Ventral Mesoderm and Identifies Signaling Pathways in Differentiation to Vascular Cells" Basic Cardiovascular Sciences (BCVS) Scientific Sessions 2011, American Heart Association (2011)
"Genomic analysis of early endothelial differentiation from human stem cells identifies novel growth factor signaling pathways involved in vasculogenesis" Atherosclerosis Thrombosis and Vascular Biology (2011)
"Drug therapy for Heart Failure and Heart Failure with Normal LV systolic function" University at Buffalo School of Medicine, Update for Primary Care Providers (2011)
"Neuropilins in Cardiac and Vascular Differentiation of Pluripotent Stem Cells" Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Cellular and Molecular Biology (2010)
"Pravastatin Increases Clonogenic Growth of Late Outrowth Endothelial Progenitor Cells (LOEPCs) and Increases Myocardial Capillary Density in Swine with Chronic Coronary Occlusion and Hibernating Myocardium" Northwestern University Cardiovascular Young Investigators Forum (2009)
"Vascular Precursors from Adult and Embryonic Stem Cells" Upstate New York Cardiovascular Research Symposium, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry (2008)
"Chronic stenosis of the proximal left anterior descending artery in juvenile rats results in a critical impairment in coronary flow reserve and leads to the development of hibernating myocardium without necrosis" American Heart Association Scientific Sessions (2008)
"Neuropilin 1 identifies endothelial precursors in murine and human embryonic stem cells prior to CD34 expression." American Heart Association Scientific Sessions (2007)
"NHLBI Symposium on Cardiovascular Regenerative Medicine" NHLBI Symposium on Cardiovascular Regenerative Medicine, National Institutes of Health, National Institutes of Health (2007)
"Identification of Vascular Precursors from Human Stem Cells" University of Miami School of Medicine, Medicine Grand Rounds (2006)
"Identification of Vascular Precursors from Human Stem Cells" Cornell University-Weill School of Medicine, Cardiology Grand Rounds (2006)
Looking for a doctor? This faculty member is affiliated with UBMD, the group comprised of practicing physicians who are also professors in the UB Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.