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Jeffrey D. Alexis, M.D.

Jeffrey D. Alexis, M.D.

Cardiology

UR Medicine Faculty The University of Rochester Medical Faculty Group (URMFG) consists of over 900 specialist and primary care providers spanning 19 departments. URMFG is certified by the National Committee for Quality Assurance.
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Contact

Locations

Paul N. Yu Heart Center

601 Elmwood Avenue, Ground Floor
Rochester, NY 14626

About Me

Dr. Alexis is a cardiologist who takes care of patients with heart failure and patients who have received heart transplants and artificial hearts (VAD). Dr. Alexis' research focuses on left ventricular assist devices. His research is aimed at improving outcomes for patients with mechanical circulat...
Dr. Alexis is a cardiologist who takes care of patients with heart failure and patients who have received heart transplants and artificial hearts (VAD). Dr. Alexis' research focuses on left ventricular assist devices. His research is aimed at improving outcomes for patients with mechanical circulatory assist devices. He is board certified in Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Disease and Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology.

Professional Background

Dr. Alexis earned his M.D. from Harvard University in 1992. He was an intern and resident from 1992- 1995 at the Massachusetts General Hospital and completed his cardiology fellowship in 1998 at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. He served on the faculty of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine (1998-...
Dr. Alexis earned his M.D. from Harvard University in 1992. He was an intern and resident from 1992- 1995 at the Massachusetts General Hospital and completed his cardiology fellowship in 1998 at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. He served on the faculty of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine (1998-2003) and joined the faculty of the University of Rochester in 2003 as an Assistant Professor of Medicine. He is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Cardiovascular Disease. Dr. Alexis is a member of the heart failure/transplant section and his research focuses on left ventricular assist devices.

Certified Specialties

Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology - American Board of Internal Medicine

Cardiovascular Disease - American Board of Internal Medicine

Faculty Appointments

Professor - Department of Medicine, Cardiology (SMD)

Credentials

Residency & Fellowship

Fellowship, Cardiology, Mount Sinai Magnetic Resonance Imaging (USA). 1995 - 1998

Residency, Internal Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital. 1993 - 1995

Internship, Internal Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital. 1992 - 1993

Education

MD | Harvard Medical School. 1992

Awards

Teaching Award: Institute for Medical Education Mount Sinai School of Medicine 2003

Robert Wood Johnson Minority Medical Faculty Development Grant 2000

John C. Sable Memorial Heart Fund, Inc. Award 1998

Selection to Aesculapian Club of Harvard Medical School 1992

Harvard Medical School-Hewlett-Packard Top Medical Graduate Award 1992

Harvard Medical School Summer Research Scholarship 1989

Research

Research in Dr. Alexis' lab focuses on signaling pathways that regulate intimal proliferation. Intimal proliferation occurs in several pathologic states including transplant arteriopathy and restenosis following angioplasty. Smooth muscle cell inflammation and proliferation are important aspects o...
Research in Dr. Alexis' lab focuses on signaling pathways that regulate intimal proliferation. Intimal proliferation occurs in several pathologic states including transplant arteriopathy and restenosis following angioplasty. Smooth muscle cell inflammation and proliferation are important aspects of this pathology. Our research focuses on the role of breakpoint cluster region (Bcr) in the development of intimal proliferation. Bcr was first identified for its role as part of the Philadelphia chromosome in chronic myelogenous leukemia. Bcr is also a serine/threonine kinase. We have demonstrated that Bcr plays a role in vascular wall intimal proliferation. We have shown that Bcr regulates both inflammation and proliferation in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC). Specifically, we have shown that dominant negative Bcr reversed Angiotensin II-mediated inhibition of the transcription factor PPAR gamma. We have found that Angiotensin II increases Bcr expression and kinase activation. We have shown that Bcr is present in the nucleus of smooth muscle cells and phosphorylates PPAR gamma. We have also shown that Bcr inhibits PPAR gamma transcriptional activation. This inhibition is via phosphorylation of PPAR gamma at S82, the site at which ERK 1/2 phosphorylates PPAR gamma (also leading to inhibition of PPAR gamma). Our data also demonstrate that Bcr enhances NF-kB transcriptional activity at least in part via inhibition of PPAR gamma. Intimal proliferation in low-flow carotid arteries was reduced in Bcr knockout mice compared with controls, demonstrating a critical role of Bcr on VSMC proliferation in vivo. Our current work focuses on Bcr signaling independent of PPAR gamma. We have identified the splicing factor UAP56 as another Bcr kinase substrate and we are now investigating the role of UAP56 in cellular proliferation.

Publications

Journal Articles

Bcr kinase activation by Angiotensin II inhibits PPARg transcriptional activity in vascular smooth muscle cells.

Alexis, J.D.; Wang, N.; Che, W.; Lerner-Marmarosh, N.; Sahni, A.; Korshunov, V.A.; Zou, Y.; Ding, B.; Yan, C.; Berk, B.C.; Abe, J.

Circulation Research. 2009; 104: 69-78.

Inhibition of MCP-1/CCR2 signaling does not inhibit intimal proliferation in a mouse aortic transplant model.

Alexis,J.D.; Pyo,R.T.; Chereshnev,I.; Katz J.; Rollins,B.J.; Charo I.F.; Taubman,M.B.

Journal of Vascular Research. 2008; 45: 538-546.

Cardiac drug-psychotropic drug update

Strain,J. J.; Karim,A.; Caliendo,G.; Alexis,J. D.; Lowe,R. S.,3rd; Fuster,V.

General Hospital Psychiatry. 2002; 24: 283-289.

Cardiac drug-psychotropic drug update.

Strain JJ, Karim A, Caliendo G, Alexis JD, Lowe RS, Fuster V

General hospital psychiatry.. 2002 24 (5):283-9. Epub 1900 01 01.

Antithrombotic effect of FK506 vs cyclosporine in cardiac transplant recipients: potential implications in transplant arteriopathy.

Freudenberger R, Alexis J, Gass A, Fuster V, Badimon J

The Journal of heart and lung transplantation : the official publication of the International Society for Heart Transplantation.. 1999 December 18 (12):1228-31. Epub 1900 01 01.

Cardiac drug and psychotropic drug interactions: significance and recommendations.

Strain,J. J.; Caliendo,G.; Alexis,J. D.; Lowe,R. S.,3rd; Karim,A.; Loigman,M.

General Hospital Psychiatry. 1999; 21: 408-429.

Antithrombotic effect of FK 506 versus cyclosporine in cardiac transplant recipients: potential implications in transplant arteriopathy.

*Freudenberger,R.; *Alexis,J.; Gass,A.; Fuster,V.; Badimon,J.

The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation: the official publication of the International Society for Heart Transplantation. 1999; 18: 1228-31. *Contributed equally to this work.

Cardiac drug and psychotropic drug interactions: significance and recommendations.

Strain JJ, Caliendo G, Alexis JD, Lowe RS, Karim A, Loigman M

General hospital psychiatry.. 1999 21 (6):408-29. Epub 1900 01 01.

Elderly patients receive less aggressive medical and invasive management of unstable angina: potential impact of practice guidelines.

Giugliano RP, Camargo CA, Lloyd-Jones DM, Zagrodsky JD, Alexis JD, Eagle KA, Fuster V, O'Donnell CJ

Archives of internal medicine.. 1998 May 25158 (10):1113-20. Epub 1900 01 01.

Cardiac troponin T: a noninvasive marker for heart transplant rejection?

Alexis JD, Lao CD, Selter JG, Courtney MC, Correa DK, Lansman SL, Kushwaha SS, Gass AL

The Journal of heart and lung transplantation : the official publication of the International Society for Heart Transplantation.. 1998 April 17 (4):395-8. Epub 1900 01 01.

Cardiac troponin T: a noninvasive marker for heart transplant rejection?

Alexis, J. D.; Lao, C. D.; Selter, J. G.; Courtney, M. C.; Correa, D. K.; Lansman, S. L.; Kushwaha, S. S.; Gass, A. L.

The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation : the official publication of the International Society for Heart Transplantation. 1998; 17: 395-398.

Books

Manual of Heart Failure Management (2009)

Chapter: Systolic Heart Failure

Authors: Teeters, J.C.; Alexis, J.D.

Publisher: Springer 2009

Ratings & Reviews

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