Research

The UF Health Congenital Heart Center has achieved distinction by being highly competitive and adaptable, and by focusing on performance, quality, and value in selected innovative research that will have a high impact on the health of children and adults with congenital heart disease.

As an academic medical center, the UF Health Congenital Heart Center is committed to advancing medical knowledge through research and education. Clinical and basic scientific innovations separate our center from others in the region. From the laboratory to the bedside, our faculty and clinical staff are involved in numerous basic and clinical trials at the cutting edge.

Research programs include:

  • Pulmonary hypertension program
  • Adult with congenital heart disease support and outcomes
  • Biomedical engineering of novel devices
  • Advanced arrhythmia management including radiofrequency ablation, pacemaker implantation, and implantable cardiac defibrillators

Recent Publications

  • Bleiweis, M. S., Philip, J., Peek, G. J., Fudge, J. C., Sullivan, K. J., Co-Vu, J., Gupta, D., Fricker, F. J., Vyas, H. V., Ebraheem, M., Powers, E. R., Falasa, M., & Jacobs, J. P. (2022). Combined Hybrid Procedure and VAD Insertion in 9 High-Risk Neonates and Infants With HLHS. The Annals of thoracic surgery114(3), 809–816. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.athoracsur.2021.05.073
  • Jacobs, J. P., Quintessenza, J. A., van Gelder, H. M., Staples, E. D., Martin, T. D., Arnaoutakis, G. J., Beaver, T. M., Peek, G. J., Nixon, C. S., Bleiweis, M. S., & Mavroudis, C. (2022). George Daicoff: A Pioneering Surgeon and Humanitarian of The Southern Thoracic Surgical Association. The Annals of thoracic surgery113(5), 1743–1749. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.athoracsur.2022.01.002
  • Bleiweis, M. S., Philip, J., Peek, G. J., Fudge, J. C., Sullivan, K. J., Co-Vu, J., Gupta, D., Shih, R., Pietra, B. B. A., Fricker, F. J., Vyas, H. V., Hernandez-Rivera, J. F., Powers, E. R., Nixon, C. S., Falasa, M., & Jacobs, J. P. (2022). Palliation Plus Ventricular Assist Device Insertion in 15 Neonates and Infants With Functionally Univentricular Circulation. The Annals of thoracic surgery114(4), 1412–1418. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.athoracsur.2022.02.051
  • Anderson, R. H., Bleiweis, M. S., Fricker, F. J., Saidi, A., Chandran, A., Fudge, J. C., Gupta, D., Peek, G. J., Spicer, D. E., & Jacobs, J. P. (2022). Lodewyk H.S. van Mierop (March 31, 1927-October 17, 2021): a true giant. Cardiology in the young, 1–11. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1047951121005266
  • Bleiweis, M. S., Peek, G. J., Philip, J., Fudge, J. C., Sullivan, K. J., Co-Vu, J., DeGroff, C., Vyas, H. V., Gupta, D., Shih, R., Pietra, B. B. A., Fricker, F. J., Cruz Beltran, S. C., Arnold, M. A., Wesley, M. C., Pitkin, A. D., Hernandez-Rivera, J. F., Lopez-Colon, D., Barras, W. E., Stukov, Y., … Jacobs, J. P. (2022). A Comprehensive Approach to the Management of Patients With HLHS and Related Malformations: An Analysis of 83 Patients (2015-2021). World journal for pediatric & congenital heart surgery13(5), 664–675. https://doi.org/10.1177/21501351221088030
  • Bleiweis, M. S., Stukov, Y., Philip, J., Peek, G. J., Pitkin, A. D., Sullivan, K. J., Neal, D., & Jacobs, J. P. (2023). Analysis of 82 Children Supported With Pulsatile Paracorporeal Ventricular Assist Device: Comparison of Patients With Biventricular Versus Univentricular Circulation. Seminars in thoracic and cardiovascular surgery35(2), 367–376. https://doi.org/10.1053/j.semtcvs.2022.05.002
  • Bleiweis, M. S., Fudge, J. C., Peek, G. J., Vyas, H. V., Cruz Beltran, S., Pitkin, A. D., Sullivan, K. J., Hernandez-Rivera, J. F., Philip, J., & Jacobs, J. P. (2021). Ventricular assist device support in neonates and infants with a failing functionally univentricular circulation. JTCVS techniques13, 194–204. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xjtc.2021.09.056
  • Jacobs, J. P., Franklin, R. C. G., Béland, M. J., Spicer, D. E., Colan, S. D., Walters, H. L., Bailliard, F., Houyel, L., St Louis, J. D., Lopez, L., Aiello, V. D., Gaynor, J. W., Krogmann, O. N., Kurosawa, H., Maruszewski, B. J., Stellin, G., Weinberg, P. M., Jacobs, M. L., Boris, J. R., Cohen, M. S., … Tchervenkov, C. I. (2021). Nomenclature for Pediatric and Congenital Cardiac Care: Unification of Clinical and Administrative Nomenclature – The 2021 International Paediatric and Congenital Cardiac Code (IPCCC) and the Eleventh Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11). Cardiology in the young31(7), 1057–1188. https://doi.org/10.1017/S104795112100281X
  • Jacobs, J. P., Krasemann, T., Herbst, C., Tobota, Z., Maruszewski, B., Fragata, J., Ebels, T., Vida, V. L., Mattila, I., Kansy, A., Asfour, B., Hörer, J., Lotto, A. A., Sertaç Çiçek, M., Liuba, P., Dittrich, S., Chessa, M., Bökenkamp, R., Sharland, G., Hanséus, K., … Sarris, G. E. (2023). Combining Congenital Heart Surgical and Interventional Cardiology Outcome Data in a Single Database: The Development of a Patient-Centered Collaboration of the European Congenital Heart Surgeons Association (ECHSA) and the Association for European Paediatric and Congenital Cardiology (AEPC). Cardiology in the young33(7), 1043–1059. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1047951123001427
  • Jacobs, J. P., Tchervenkov, C. I., Stellin, G., Kurosawa, H., Mavroudis, C., Jatene, M. B., Al-Halees, Z., Cicek, S. M., Sandoval, N. F., Backer, C. L., Cervantes, J., Dearani, J. A., Ebels, T., Edwin, F., Finucane, K., Fragata, J., Iyer, K. S., Kinsley, R. H., Kirklin, J. K., Kreutzer, C., … Jonas, R. A. (2018). History of the World Society for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery: The First Decade. World journal for pediatric & congenital heart surgery9(4), 392–406. https://doi.org/10.1177/2150135118775962
  • Methylprednisolone for Heart Surgery in Infants – A Randomized, Controlled Trial
  • Bleiweis, M. S., Fricker, F. J., Peek, G. J., Gupta, D., Shih, R., Pietra, B. B., Bobba, C., Brennan, Z., Mackie, P., Stukov, Y., Purlee, M., Brown, C., Kugler, L., Sharaf, O. M., Neal, D., Goldstein, S. S., & Jacobs, J. P. (2023). An Analysis of 183 Heart Transplants for Pediatric or Congenital Heart Disease-Impact of High Panel Reactive Antibody. The Annals of thoracic surgery115(3), 733–741. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.athoracsur.2022.10.038
  • Bleiweis, M. S., Fricker, F. J., Upchurch, G. R., Jr, Peek, G. J., Stukov, Y., Gupta, D., Shih, R., Pietra, B., Sharaf, O. M., & Jacobs, J. P. (2023). Heart Transplantation in Patients Less Than 18 Years of Age: Comparison of 2 Eras Over 36 Years and 323 Transplants at a Single Institution. Journal of the American College of Surgeons236(4), 898–909. https://doi.org/10.1097/XCS.0000000000000604
  • Bleiweis, M. S., Philip, J., Peek, G. J., Stukov, Y., Janelle, G. M., Pitkin, A. D., Sullivan, K. J., Nixon, C. S., Sharaf, O. M., Neal, D., & Jacobs, J. P. (2023). A Single-Institutional Experience with 36 Children Smaller Than 5 Kilograms Supported with the Berlin Heart Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) over 12 Years: Comparison of Patients with Biventricular versus Functionally Univentricular Circulation. World journal for pediatric & congenital heart surgery14(2), 117–124. https://doi.org/10.1177/21501351221146150
  • Bleiweis, M. S., Philip, J., Fudge, J. C., Vyas, H. V., Peek, G. J., Pitkin, A. D., Janelle, G. M., Sullivan, K. J., Stukov, Y., Nixon, C. S., Sharaf, O. M., Neal, D., & Jacobs, J. P. (2023). Support with Single Ventricle-Ventricular Assist Device (sVAD) in Patients with Functionally Univentricular Circulation Prior to Fontan Operation. Seminars in thoracic and cardiovascular surgery. Pediatric cardiac surgery annual26, 26–39. https://doi.org/10.1053/j.pcsu.2022.12.002
  • Bleiweis, M. S., Peek, G. J., & Jacobs, J. P. (2022). Reply: Rationale and outcomes of single ventricle-ventricular assist device (sVAD). JTCVS techniques18, 110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xjtc.2022.12.004
  • Bleiweis, M. S., Beduschi, T., De Faria, W., Peek, G. J., & Jacobs, J. P. (2023). The Evolution of Combined Heart+Liver Transplantation. The Annals of thoracic surgery116(6), 1268–1269. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.athoracsur.2023.05.026