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Leonardo F Ferreira

Associate Professor in Orthopaedic Surgery
Orthopaedic Surgery, Physical Therapy
308 Research Dr, LSRC B330B, Durham, NC 27708

Research Interests


  • Skeletal and cardiac muscle contractile function in health, aging, and disease
  • Redox biology and metabolism
  • Heart Failure with reduced (HFrEF) or preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF)
  • Muscle prehabilitation and rehabilitation strategies for surgery and frailty

Selected Grants


Dissecting the Ketone Metabolic Axis in Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction

ResearchCollaborator · Awarded by National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute · 2022 - 2027

Ischemia reperfusion injury protection from high intensity exercise

FellowshipPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by American Heart Association · 2025 - 2026

Systemic antioxidant treatment for cardiomyopathy, muscle weakness, and exercise intolerance in postmenopausal HFpEF

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2023 - 2026

Cardiac and Skeletal Muscle Myofilament Activators for the Treatment of Barth Syndrome

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Barth Syndrome Foundation · 2024 - 2026

Reactive Oxygen Species and Respiratory Muscle Dysfunction in Heart Failure

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute · 2024 - 2026

Remodeled airway irritant reflexes as a cause of serious cardiovascular events

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by University of South Florida · 2024 - 2024

External Relationships


  • LSU Health Shreveport
  • University of Florida
  • University of Torino
  • Wake Forest University School of Medicine

This faculty member (or a member of their immediate family) has reported outside activities with the companies, institutions, or organizations listed above. This information is available to institutional leadership and, when appropriate, management plans are in place to address potential conflicts of interest.