Professional Interests

Dr. Ulrich Jorde’s laboratory is focused on translational research in advanced heart failure including heart replacement therapy; i.e. durable mechanical circulatory support (left ventricular assist devices/ “artificial hearts”) or cardiac transplantation.

The basis for Dr. Jorde's work is a large clinical program with approximately 2000 heart failure admissions, 35 adult cardiac transplants, and 50 left ventricular assist devices annually. All work is done in close collaboration with cardiothoracic surgical colleagues.

Representative examples of Dr. Jorde’s research include:

1. Investigator initiated mechanistic studies:
   • Studies of the nasal mucosa vasculature in “pulseless” heart failure patients on continuous-flow LVADs
   • Hemolysis patterns in CF-LVAD patients and their association with device thrombosis (collaboration with Henny Billett, MD – Hematology)
   • Reversal of heart failure induced diabetes in CF-LVAD patients
2. Basic Science Collaborations – Myocardial recovery during mechanical circulatory support (collaboration with Nicholas Frangogiannis, MD)
3. Outcomes/epidemiology studies – Effect of center volume on survival during heart failure hospital admission
4. Multicenter studies of investigational mechanical circulatory support devices:
   • MOMENTUM Trial: A 1200-patient study of long term durable support as bridge to transplantation or destination therapy with the HM III (national PI: Daniel Goldstein, MD)
   • SHIELD 2: A 452 patient study of acute mechanical circulatory support with the Percutaneous Heart Pump. (national PI: Ulrich Jorde, MD)

Selected Publications

1. Uriel N, Naka Y, Colombo PC, Farr M, Pak SW, Cotarlan V, Albu JB, Gallagher D, Mancini D, Ginsberg HN, Jorde UP. Improved diabetic control in advanced heart failure patients treated with left ventricular assist devices. Eur J Heart Fail. 2011 Feb;13(2):195-9. 
2. Hirsh B, Mignatti A, Sims DB, Uriel N, Colombo PC, Jorde UP. Effect of beta Blocker Cessation on Chronotropic Incompetence and Exercise Tolerance in Patients with Advanced Heart Failure. Circ Heart Fail. 2012 Sep 1;5(5):560-5.
3. Uriel N, Morrison K, Garan AR, Kato T, Yuzefpolskaya M, latif F, Restaino S, Mancini DM, Flannery M, Takayama H, John R, Colombo PC, Naka Y, Jorde UP. Development of a novel echocardiography ramp test for speed optimization and diagnosis of device thrombosis in continuous flow left ventricular assist devices: The Columbia Ramp Study. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2012 Oct 30;60(18):1764-75.
4. Uriel N, Gonzalez-Costello J, Mignatti A, Morrison K, Colombo PC, Jorde UP. Adrenergic Activation Governs Fuel Substrate Availability and Insulin Resistance in Patients with Congestive Heart Failure. J JACC: Heart Failure Vol. 1, Issue 4, Pages 331-337. 
5. Jorde UP , Khushwaha SS, Tatooles AJ, Naka Y, Bhat G, Long JW, Horstmanshof D, Kormos RL, Teuteberg JJ, Slaughter MS, Birks EJ, Farrar DJ, Park SJ. Two-Year Outcomes in the Destination Therapy Post-FDA-Approval Study with a Continuous Flow Left Ventricular Assist Device: A Prospective Study Using the INTERMACS Registry. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2014 May 6;63(17):1751-7. 
6. Jorde UP, Uriel N, Nahumi N, Bejar D, Gonzalez-Costello J, Thomas SS, Han J, Morrison KA, Jones S, Kodali S, Hahn RT, Shames S, Colombo PC, Takayama H, Naka Y. Prevalence, significance, and management of aortic insufficiency in continuous flow left ventricular assist device recipients. Circ HF; Circ Heart Fail. 2014 Mar 1;7(2):310-9.