Overview
Research:
My primary research interest is in conduct and methodology of large randomized clinical trials in heart disease. I have led a number of large international clinical studies in heart attacks, unstable angina, heart failure, and atrial fibrillation. I have lead clinical studies of blood thinners and coronary intervention for heart attacks, stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation, and prevention of heart attack for patients with coronary artery disease. I have been co-director of the Reperfusion of Acute MI in Carolina Emergency Departments (RACE) project that is a North Carolina state-wide program to improve reperfusion care for acute myocardial infarction. I serve as the Chairman of the American Heart Association Mission: Lifeline program to improve heart attack care nationally as well as the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guideline committee for heart attack care. I have also studied the effects of genetic variation on heart disease. I work with the National Institute of Health and the Federal Drug Administration on evaluation of heart disease and of new drugs. I have developed tools to predict which patients are at risk for death, heart attack, and need for hospitalization.
My primary research interest is in conduct and methodology of large randomized clinical trials in heart disease. I have led a number of large international clinical studies in heart attacks, unstable angina, heart failure, and atrial fibrillation. I have lead clinical studies of blood thinners and coronary intervention for heart attacks, stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation, and prevention of heart attack for patients with coronary artery disease. I have been co-director of the Reperfusion of Acute MI in Carolina Emergency Departments (RACE) project that is a North Carolina state-wide program to improve reperfusion care for acute myocardial infarction. I serve as the Chairman of the American Heart Association Mission: Lifeline program to improve heart attack care nationally as well as the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guideline committee for heart attack care. I have also studied the effects of genetic variation on heart disease. I work with the National Institute of Health and the Federal Drug Administration on evaluation of heart disease and of new drugs. I have developed tools to predict which patients are at risk for death, heart attack, and need for hospitalization.
Current Duke Appointments & Affiliations
Fred Cobb, M.D. Distinguished Professor of Medicine
·
2024 - Present
Medicine, Cardiology,
Medicine
Professor of Medicine
·
2007 - Present
Medicine, Cardiology,
Medicine
Professor in the School of Nursing
·
2015 - Present
School of Nursing
Member in the Duke Clinical Research Institute
·
1988 - Present
Duke Clinical Research Institute,
Institutes and Centers
Recent Scholarly Works
Predictors of ischemic stroke and major bleeding among patients with atrial fibrillation in clinical practice.
Journal article Am Heart J · October 2026 BACKGROUND: Numerous risk scores exist to quantify the risk of ischemic stroke risk in patients with atrial fibrillation or flutter (AF/AFL). However, how these tools perform in cohorts or those already on oral anticoagulation (OAC) therapy is unclear. MET ... Full text Link to item CiteAdvancing in-hospital mortality prediction for acute myocardial infarction: An analysis from the American Heart Association Get With The Guidelines-Coronary Artery Disease Registry.
Journal article Am Heart J · August 2026 BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of mortality worldwide, with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) contributing to over 100,000 deaths annually in the United States. Accurate risk stratification for in-hospital mortality is essenti ... Full text Link to item CiteApixaban for stroke prevention in subclinical atrial fibrillation detected by an implantable cardiac monitor: A subgroup analysis of ARTESiA.
Journal article Heart Rhythm · July 2026 BACKGROUND: The ARTESiA trial randomized patients with a pacemaker (PM), implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD), or implantable cardiac monitor (ICM) and with subclinical atrial fibrillation to either apixaban or aspirin. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to explo ... Full text Link to item CiteRecent Grants
KARDIA-6 CVOT SUA
Clinical TrialPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Alnylam Pharmaceuticals · 2025 - 2031Stimulating Access to Research in Residency (StARR) - NHLBI
Inst. Training Prgm or CMEPreceptor · Awarded by National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute · 2018 - 2028MarTide DMC
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Amgen, Inc. · 2025 - 2027View All Grants
Education
University of Connecticut ·
1984
M.D.