Skip to main content
Explore URMC
menu

Jeffrey D. Alexis, M.D.

Contact Information

Phone Numbers

Appointment: (585) 273-3760

Administrative: (585) 276-9800

Office: (585) 276-9795

Fax: (585) 276-9830

URMFGA member of the University of Rochester Medical Faculty Group

groupAn Accountable Health Partner

assignmentAccepting New Patients

Faculty Appointments

Patient Care Settings

Cardiology, Hospital Medicine, Organ Transplant

Biography

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 (1998-2003) 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.

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 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.

Credentials

Education

1992
MD | Harvard Medical School

Post-doctoral Training & Residency

07/01/1995 - 06/30/1998
Fellowship in Cardiology at Mount Sinai Magnetic Resonance Imaging (USA)

07/01/1993 - 06/30/1995
Residency in Internal Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital

07/01/1992 - 06/30/1993
Internship in Internal Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital

VIEW ALL expand_more

Awards

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

2000
Robert Wood Johnson Minority Medical Faculty Development Grant

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

1992
Selection to Aesculapian Club of Harvard Medical School

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

1989
Harvard Medical School Summer Research Scholarship

VIEW ALL expand_more

Publications

Journal Articles

2009
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. "Bcr kinase activation by Angiotensin II inhibits PPARg transcriptional activity in vascular smooth muscle cells." Circulation Research. 2009; 104: 69-78.

2008
Alexis,J.D.; Pyo,R.T.; Chereshnev,I.; Katz J.; Rollins,B.J.; Charo I.F.; Taubman,M.B. "Inhibition of MCP-1/CCR2 signaling does not inhibit intimal proliferation in a mouse aortic transplant model." Journal of Vascular Research. 2008; 45: 538-546.

2002
Strain,J. J.; Karim,A.; Caliendo,G.; Alexis,J. D.; Lowe,R. S.,3rd; Fuster,V. "Cardiac drug-psychotropic drug update". General Hospital Psychiatry. 2002; 24: 283-289.

Books & Chapters

2009
Chapter Title: Systolic Heart Failure
Book Title: Manual of Heart Failure Management
Author List: Teeters, J.C.; Alexis, J.D.
Published By: Springer 2009

VIEW ALL PUBLICATIONS

Videos

play_circle_filled

Jeffrey Alexis, M.D.