Overview
John H. Alexander, MD, MHS is a cardiologist and Professor of Medicine in the Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology at Duke University School of Medicine, as well as the Vice Chief, Clinical Research in the Division of Cardiology. He is the Director of Cardiovascular Research at the Duke Clinical Research Institute where he oversees a large group of clinical research faculty and a broad portfolio of cardiovascular clinical trials and observational clinical research programs. He is a member of the American Society of Clinical Investigation.
Dr. Alexander’s clinical interests are in acute and general cardiovascular disease, valvular heart disease, and echocardiology. His research is focused on the translation of novel therapeutic concepts into clinical data through clinical trials, specifically on the therapeutics of acute coronary syndromes, chronic coronary artery disease, and cardiac surgery and on novel methodological approaches to clinical trials. He was on the Executive Committee of the ARISTOTLE trial of apixaban in patients with atrial fibrillation and was the Principal Investigator of the APPRAISE-2 trial of apixaban in patients with acute coronary syndromes.
Dr. Alexander has published extensively and has served as the principal investigator of numerous multicenter clinical trials. He currently serves as the co-chair of the Clinical Trial Transformation Initiative (CTTI).
Current Appointments & Affiliations
Recent Publications
2025 ACC/AHA/ACEP/NAEMSP/SCAI Guideline for the Management of Patients With Acute Coronary Syndromes: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines.
Journal Article J Am Coll Cardiol · June 10, 2025 AIM: The "2025 ACC/AHA/ACEP/NAEMSP/SCAI Guideline for the Management of Patients With Acute Coronary Syndromes" incorporates new evidence since the "2013 ACCF/AHA Guideline for the Management of ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction" and the corresponding "20 ... Full text Link to item CiteThe left atrial appendage exclusion for prophylactic stroke reduction (LEAAPS) trial: Rationale and design.
Journal Article Am Heart J · June 2025 INTRODUCTION: Left atrial appendage exclusion (LAAE) has been shown in randomized trials to reduce ischemic stroke risk in patients undergoing cardiac surgery with known atrial fibrillation (AF). Many patients undergoing cardiac surgery without pre-existin ... Full text Link to item CiteRestrictive or Liberal Blood Transfusion in Patients with Myocardial Infarction and CKD.
Journal Article J Am Soc Nephrol · June 1, 2025 KEY POINTS: This Myocardial Ischemia and Transfusion (MINT) trial analysis evaluated the optimal transfusion strategy for patients with CKD and anemia experiencing acute myocardial infarction. In patients with CKD, a liberal transfusion strategy overall di ... Full text Link to item CiteRecent Grants
Increasing the Quality and Efficiency of Clinical Trials (U18)
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Food and Drug Administration · 2014 - 2029Stimulating Access to Research in Residency (StARR) - NHLBI
Inst. Training Prgm or CMEPreceptor · Awarded by National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute · 2018 - 2028RECHARGE Hybrid: Revascularization of Underrepresented Groups with minimally-invasive CABG plus PCI
ResearchCo-Mentor · Awarded by Thoracic Surgery Foundation for Research and Education · 2025 - 2027View All Grants