Hector I. Michelena, M.D.

Location

SUMMARY

Hector I. Michelena, M.D., studies valvular heart disease from clinical outcomes and pathophysiology perspectives. Dr. Michelena utilizes clinical and echocardiographic databases as well as echocardiographic and computerized tomography imaging data in his valvular research. He has a keen interest in the aortic valve, specifically the bicuspid aortic valve condition and its related aortopathy. Mitral and tricuspid valve diseases also are areas of research for Dr. Michelena. He is working to expand his bicuspid aortic valve clinical research to include biomarkers.

Focus areas

• Sex-related differences and survival in patients with bicuspid aortic valves. With the use of very large clinical and echocardiographic databases at Mayo Clinic, Dr. Michelena is exploring sex-related differences in morbidity and mortality in patients with bicuspid aortic valves, and their predictors.
• Aortic complications in bicuspid aortic valve patients during pregnancy. Dr. Michelena has begun a large multicenter clinical study to determine the incidence and predictors of aortic complications during pregnancy in women with bicuspid aortic valves.
• Biological markers in mitral and aortic valvular heart diseases. Dr. Michelena conducts prospective studies into the biological and clinical significance of specific biomarkers in patients with degenerative mitral valve regurgitation and aortic stenosis, including bicuspid aortic valve patients.
• Clinical trial phase of new drugs for treatment of aortic stenosis. Dr. Michelena is part of a Mayo multidisciplinary team evaluating new drugs for treatment of aortic stenosis.
• Genetics in mitral and aortic valvular diseases. Dr. Michelena is a contributor for two large ongoing multicenter efforts in the genetic study of bicuspid aortic valve and aortopathy, as well as mitral valve prolapse.

Significance to patient care

Through his research and research collaborations across the United States and Europe, Dr. Michelena hopes to contribute to the clinical decision-making in patients with aortic valve disease and mitral valve disease. This may potentially be accomplished through identifying markers of prognosis, understanding surgical timings of intervention and implementing new treatments.

Professional highlights

• Chair, Education committee, Heart Valve Society, 2015-present.
• Member, Steering committee, International Bicuspid Aortic Valve Consortium (BAVCon), 2013-present.
• Artificial Intelligence-Machine Learning Award, Mayo Clinic Center for Digital Health in partnership with Mayo Clinic Office of Equity, Inclusion and Diversity with support from Dalio Philanthropies, 2023.