Research Overview

Dr. Chen has focused much of her clinical research efforts on the diagnosis and amelioration of late cardiac effects in cancer survivors—attempting to understand treatment-related cardiac effects in patients currently undergoing cancer treatment. As an expert in cardiac noninvasive imaging, Dr. Chen’s approach is preventative and one of non-invasive screening to detect cardiovascular issue earlier in its course. 

Twenty years ago, Dr. Chen began investigating the genetics and clinical cardiovascular ramifications of periventricular nodular heterotopia (PVNH), as well as the filamin A mutation that has been implicated as a causal factor in this multi-system disorder. She has helped analyze mechanisms of congenital heart disease in this population along with describing its clinical association with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. To improve the lives of patients with PVNH and cardiovascular disease, she is the founder and leader of the C-BrDG (pronounced C-Bridge) (Cardiology of Brain Development in Genetics Program).

Research Background

Dr. Chen, a graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Medical School, trained as an internist and cardiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital. She also has a master’s degree in clinical investigation from Harvard Medical School. She now serves as an attending cardiologist at Boston Children’s Hospital. Dr. Chen has been on-staff at the Harvard Teaching Hospital for more than 25 years.

 

Education

Undergraduate School

Princeton University
1982 Princeton NJ

Medical School

Harvard Medical School
1987 Boston MA

Internship

Massachusetts General Hospital
1988 Boston MA

Residency

Radiology Massachusetts General Hospital
1989 Boston MA

Residency

Massachusetts General Hospital
1991 Boston MA

Fellowship

Massachusetts General Hospital
1994 Boston MA

Graduate School

Medical Science in Clinical Investigation Harvard Medical School
1997 Boston MA

Publications

  1. Somatic mutations in single human cardiomyocytes reveal age-associated DNA damage and widespread oxidative genotoxicity. Nat Aging. 2022 08; 2(8):714-725. View Abstract
  2. Nature Aging. Landscape of Somatic Mutations in Aging Heart Muscle Cells. 2022; (2). View Abstract
  3. Prognostic Value of Exercise Stress Echocardiography in Pediatric Cardiac Transplant Recipients. J Am Soc Echocardiogr. 2022 11; 35(11):1133-1138.e2. View Abstract
  4. American Heart Association Scientific Sessions. Polyvalvular Heart Disease in Children Associated with FilaminA Mutations. 2021. View Abstract
  5. American Heart Association Scientific Sessions. Prevalence of Isolated Nocturnal Hypertension in Adolescents with Use of Adult Hypertension Criteria. 2021. View Abstract
  6. Chen and De Ferranti are joint senior authors. American Heart Association Scientific Sessions. Impact of standard interventions for dyslipidemia and elevated blood pressure in childhood cancer survivors. 2021. View Abstract
  7. American Heart Association Scientific Sessions. Left Atrial Size and Function in Children and Young Adults with Obstructive vs. Nonobstructive Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. 2021. View Abstract
  8. American Heart Association Scientific Sessions. Somatic Mutations in Single Human Cardiomyocytes Reveal Rapid Age-Related DNA Damage and Cardiomyocyte Fusion. 2021. View Abstract
  9. American Heart Association Scientific Sessions. Exercise Induced Pulmonary Hypertension in Long Term Survivors of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia. 2021. View Abstract
  10. Déjà Vu: Recurrent Sudden Cardiac Arrests in a Child With an Anomalous Left Coronary Artery. JACC Case Rep. 2021 Oct 06; 3(13):1527-1530. View Abstract
  11. International Society of Pediatric Oncology Annual Scientific Meeting. Survivors of Pediatric Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Develop Diastolic Dysfunction with Increasing Years of follow-up. 2021. View Abstract
  12. Radiation-Associated Coronary Disease in Young Cancer Survivors: The Beat Goes On; We Must Preserve It. JACC CardioOncol. 2021 Sep; 3(3):393-396. View Abstract
  13. Coronary artery disease surveillance among childhood, adolescent, and young adult cancer survivors: a systematic review and recommendations from the International Late Effects of Childhood Caner Guideline Harmonization Group. 2021. View Abstract
  14. Vo2peak in Adult Survivors of Hodgkin Lymphoma: Rate of Decline, Sex Differences, and Cardiovascular Events. J Am Coll Cardiol CardioOnc. 2021; 2(3):263-273. View Abstract
  15. American College of Cardiology, Scientific Sessions. Diastolic Dysfunction in Long-term Bone Marrow Transplant Recipients. 2021. View Abstract
  16. Clinical Syndromic Phenotypes and the Potential Role of Genetics in Pulmonary Vein Stenosis. Children (Basel). 2021 Feb 10; 8(2). View Abstract
  17. Longer Exposure to Left-to-Right Shunts Is a Risk Factor for Pulmonary Vein Stenosis in Patients with Trisomy 21. Children (Basel). 2021 Jan 01; 8(1). View Abstract
  18. Doxorubicin and subsequent risk of cardiovascular diseases among survivors of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in Hong Kong. Blood Adv. 2020 10 27; 4(20):5107-5117. View Abstract
  19. American Society of Echocardiography, Scientific Sessions. What is the value of stress echo for patients with a negative angiogram?. 2020. View Abstract
  20. Value of Exercise Stress Echocardiography in Children with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. J Am Soc Echocardiogr. 2020 07; 33(7):888-894.e2. View Abstract
  21. American College of Cardiology, Scientific Sessions. Prognostic Value of Exercise Stress Echocardiography in Pediatric Cardiac Transplant Recipients. 2020. View Abstract
  22. Guidelines for Performance, Interpretation, and Application of Stress Echocardiography in Ischemic Heart Disease: From the American Society of Echocardiography. J Am Soc Echocardiogr. 2020 01; 33(1):1-41.e8. View Abstract
  23. The landscape of cardiovascular care in pediatric cancer patients and survivors: a survey by the ACC Pediatric Cardio-Oncology Work Group. Cardiooncology. 2019; 5:16. View Abstract
  24. International Academy of Cardiology, 23rd World Congress of Heart Disease. Congenital Heart Disease in Patients with Loss of Function FilaminA mutations: Genotype-Phenotype Correlations. 2018. View Abstract
  25. American Society of Echocardiolgraphy. Structural Cardiac Anomalies in LOF FilaminA mutation patients: the Role of Echocardiography. 2018. View Abstract
  26. American Society of Clinical Oncology. Modeling Risk of Heart Failure in Survivors of Childhood Cancer: early results from the pediatric normal tissue effects in the Clinic Group (PENTEC). 2018. View Abstract
  27. De novo and inherited private variants in MAP1B in periventricular nodular heterotopia. PLoS Genet. 2018 05; 14(5):e1007281. View Abstract
  28. Thoracic aortic aneurysm in patients with loss of function Filamin A mutations: Clinical characterization, genetics, and recommendations. Am J Med Genet A. 2018 02; 176(2):337-350. View Abstract
  29. Rationale and design of the Children's Oncology Group (COG) study ALTE1621: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial to determine if low-dose carvedilol can prevent anthracycline-related left ventricular remodeling in childhood cancer survivors at high risk for developing heart failure. BMC Cardiovasc Disord. 2016 10 04; 16(1):187. View Abstract
  30. Cell-Type-Specific Alternative Splicing Governs Cell Fate in the Developing Cerebral Cortex. Cell. 2016 Aug 25; 166(5):1147-1162.e15. View Abstract
  31. Howard Hughes Medical Student Conference. Tissue Specific Intron Retention is a New Mechanism for FLNA mutation. 2016. View Abstract
  32. Exercise Performance in Patients with D-Loop Transposition of the Great Arteries After Arterial Switch Operation: Long-Term Outcomes and Longitudinal Assessment. Pediatr Cardiol. 2016 Feb; 37(2):283-9. View Abstract
  33. FLNA-Related Periventricular Nodular Heterotopia. GeneReviews. 2015. View Abstract
  34. Prospective assessment of deep inspiration breath-hold using 3-dimensional surface tracking for irradiation of left-sided breast cancer. Pract Radiat Oncol. 2015 Nov-Dec; 5(6):358-65. View Abstract
  35. Cardiovascular Health of Patients With Cancer and Cancer Survivors: A Roadmap to the Next Level. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2015 Jun 30; 65(25):2739-46. View Abstract
  36. Recommendations for cardiomyopathy surveillance for survivors of childhood cancer: a report from the International Late Effects of Childhood Cancer Guideline Harmonization Group. Lancet Oncol. 2015 Mar; 16(3):e123-36. View Abstract
  37. American College of Cardiology. Longitudinal Exercise Performance in Patients with D-loop Transposition of the Great Arteries after Arterial Switch Operation. 2015. View Abstract
  38. Effects of transcatheter pulmonary valve replacement on the hemodynamic and ventricular response to exercise in patients with obstructed right ventricle-to-pulmonary artery conduits. JACC Cardiovasc Interv. 2014 May; 7(5):530-42. View Abstract
  39. Blood pressure is associated with occult cardiovascular disease in prospectively studied Hodgkin lymphoma survivors after chest radiation. Leuk Lymphoma. 2014 Nov; 55(11):2477-83. View Abstract
  40. American College of Cardiology. Clinical and Genetic Features of pulmonary vein stenosis. 2014. View Abstract
  41. ALERT—Adverse Late Effects of Cancer Treatment, Volume 2: Specific Normal Tissue Sites. Heart, Coronary Arteries, Aorta and Great Vessels, Arteries and Veins, Microcirculation. 2013. View Abstract
  42. Cardiac allograft function during the first year after transplantation in rejection-free children and young adults. Circ Cardiovasc Imaging. 2012 Nov; 5(6):756-64. View Abstract
  43. Exercise stress echocardiographic assessment of outflow tract and ventricular function in patients with an obstructed right ventricular-to-pulmonary artery conduit after repair of conotruncal heart defects. Am J Cardiol. 2012 Nov 15; 110(10):1527-33. View Abstract
  44. Utility of exercise stress echocardiography in pediatric cardiac transplant recipients: a single-center experience. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2012 May; 31(5):517-23. View Abstract
  45. Management of cardiac toxicity in patients receiving vascular endothelial growth factor signaling pathway inhibitors. Am Heart J. 2012 Feb; 163(2):156-63. View Abstract
  46. Braunwald’s Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine. Cardiotoxicity of Anti-cancer Therapeutics. 2012. View Abstract
  47. Children's Oncology Group. Long-Term Follow-Up Guidelines for Survivors of Childhood, Adolescent, and Young Adult Cancers. 2012. View Abstract
  48. Cardiovascular disease: cause of morbidity and mortality in adult survivors of childhood cancers. Circ Res. 2011 Mar 04; 108(5):619-28. View Abstract
  49. Changes in echocardiographic measures of systolic and diastolic function in children 1 year after hematopoietic SCT. Bone Marrow Transplant. 2011 Dec; 46(12):1532-9. View Abstract
  50. Cardiac Co-Morbidity Boards: Cardiotoxicity of Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors. ASCO CME Teaching Series 2011. 2011. View Abstract
  51. Late cardiovascular effects of anthracycline in childhood cancer survivors: Interview with the Expert: Dr. Ming Hui Chen. Fudan Journal of Pediatrics. 2010. View Abstract
  52. Clinically significant cardiac disease in patients with Hodgkin lymphoma treated with mediastinal irradiation. Blood. 2011 Jan 13; 117(2):412-8. View Abstract
  53. Molecular target modulation, imaging, and clinical evaluation of gastrointestinal stromal tumor patients treated with sunitinib malate after imatinib failure. Clin Cancer Res. 2009 Sep 15; 15(18):5902-9. View Abstract
  54. Cardiac dysfunction induced by novel targeted anticancer therapy: an emerging issue. Curr Cardiol Rep. 2009 May; 11(3):167-74. View Abstract
  55. Sunitinib-induced cardiotoxicity is mediated by off-target inhibition of AMP-activated protein kinase. Clin Transl Sci. 2009 Feb; 2(1):15-25. View Abstract
  56. Mechanisms of cardiac dysfunction associated with tyrosine kinase inhibitor cancer therapeutics. Circulation. 2008 Jul 01; 118(1):84-95. View Abstract
  57. Cardiotoxicity of the tyrosine kinase inhibitor- sunitinib. Lancet. 2008. View Abstract
  58. Monitoring for cardiovascular disease in survivors of childhood cancer: report from the Cardiovascular Disease Task Force of the Children's Oncology Group. Pediatrics. 2008 Feb; 121(2):e387-96. View Abstract
  59. Braunwald’s Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine. Cardiotoxicity of Anti-Cancer Therapeutics. 2008. View Abstract
  60. Children's Oncology Group. Long-Term Follow-Up Guidelines for Survivors of Childhood, Adolescent, and Young Adult Cancers. 2008. View Abstract
  61. Cardiotoxicity associated with tyrosine kinase inhibitor sunitinib. Lancet. 2007 Dec 15; 370(9604):2011-9. View Abstract
  62. Encephalopathy, stroke and myocardial infarction as complications of dimethyl sulfoxide use in stem cell transplantation. Neurology. 2007; 68:859-861.. View Abstract
  63. Stress Echocardiography: Indications and Protocols. Essential Echocardiography; a Practical Handbook with DVD (solomon and bulwer). 2007; 149-160. View Abstract
  64. Filamin A is required for cell-cell contact in vascular development and cardiac morphogenesis. Proc Nat Acad Sci. 2006; 103(52):19836-19841.. View Abstract
  65. Hypothyroidism after sunitinib treatment for patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors. Ann Intern Med. 2006 Nov 07; 145(9):660-4. View Abstract
  66. Cardiac irradiation during mediastinal radiation for Hodgkin’s Disease. NCI Conference for Cancer Survivors. 2006. View Abstract
  67. Primary hypothyroidism is a common complication of sunitinib therapy in patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors. Ann Int Med. 2006; 145(9):660-664.. View Abstract
  68. Atrial endocarditis--the importance of the regurgitant jet lesion. Echocardiography. 2005 May; 22(5):426-30. View Abstract
  69. FLNA mutations cause a variant Ehlers-Danlos syndrome associated with periventricular heterotopia. Neurology 2005;64(2)254-62. Neurology. 2005; 64(2):254-262. View Abstract
  70. Echoquest. 2003. View Abstract
  71. Incidence and prognosis of syncope. N Engl J Med. 2002 Sep 19; 347(12):878-85. View Abstract
  72. Respiratory maneuvers decrease irradiated cardiac volume in patients with left-sided breast cancer. J Mag Reson Imag. 2002; 4(2):265-271. View Abstract
  73. Post-surgical left ventricular pseudoaneurysm. Texas Heart Institute Journal. 2002; 29(3):220-21. View Abstract
  74. Cardiac effects of propofol for transesophageal-guided cardioversion. Heart Dis. 2002; 4(6):355-7. View Abstract
  75. Cardiac Ultrasound Curriculum for First Year Cardiac Fellows (Brigham and Women's Hospital). 2001. View Abstract
  76. Reduction of cardiac volume in left-breast treatment fields by respiratory maneuvers: a CT study. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2000 Jul 01; 47(4):895-904. View Abstract
  77. Risk factors for syncope in a community-based sample (the Framingham Heart Study). Am J Cardiol. 2000 May 15; 85(10):1189-93. View Abstract
  78. Integration of Managed Care into Clinical Practice. 2000. View Abstract
  79. Hypertrophic remodeling: gender differences in the early response to left ventricular pressure overload. J Am Coll Cardiol. 1998 Oct; 32(4):1118-25. View Abstract
  80. Impact of respiratory maneuvers on cardiac volume within left-breast radiation portals. Circulation. 1997 Nov 18; 96(10):3269-72. View Abstract
  81. Antecedent hypertension confers increased risk for adverse outcomes after initial myocardial infarction. Hypertension. 1997 Nov; 30(5):1020-4. View Abstract
  82. Echocardiographic assessment of mitral stenosis and its associated valvular lesions in 205 patients and lack of association with mitral valve prolapse. J Am Soc Echocardiogr. 1997 Mar; 10(2):141-8. View Abstract
  83. Prospective adaptive navigator correction for breath-hold MR coronary angiography. Magn Reson Med. 1997 Jan; 37(1):148-52. View Abstract
  84. Adaptive correction of imaging plane position in segmented K-space cine cardiac MR imaging. J Mag Reson Imag. 1997; Magn Res Med 37:811-814. View Abstract
  85. Magnetic resonance coronary angiography during free breathing: comparison of navigator locations and respiratory suppression methods. Am J Roentgenol. 1997; 168:1369-1375. View Abstract
  86. Effects of beta-blockade and atropine on ischemic responses in left ventricular regions subtending coronary stenosis during dobutamine stress echocardiography. J Am Coll Cardiol. 1996 Dec; 28(7):1866-76. View Abstract
  87. Intracardiac echocardiography: in vitro and in vivo validation for right ventricular volume and function. Am Heart J. 1996 Feb; 131(2):320-8. View Abstract
  88. Incremental doses of dobutamine induce a biphasic response in dysfunctional left ventricular regions subtending coronary stenoses. Circulation. 1995 Aug 15; 92(4):756-66. View Abstract
  89. Intracardiac ultrasonographic assessment of atrial septal defect area: in vitro validation and technical considerations. Am Heart J. 1995 Aug; 130(2):302-6. View Abstract
  90. Pulsatile pressure affects the velocity of decay of echocardiographic contrast agents. J Am Soc Echocardiogr. 1995; 8:285-292.. View Abstract
  91. Intracardiac ultrasound measurement of volumes and ejection fraction in normal, infarcted, and aneurysmal left ventricles using a 10-MHz ultrasound catheter. Circulation. 1994 Sep; 90(3):1481-91. View Abstract
  92. Gender differences in clinical markers and dipyridimole-thallium imaging in the prediction of perioperative and long-term cardiac events after vascular surgery. Circulation. 1994; 91:1044-1051.. View Abstract
  93. Echo-doppler assessment of prosthetic heart valves: what is the meaning for the clinician?. ACC Curr. Jour. Rev. 1994; (Nov-Dec). View Abstract
  94. FLNA-Related Periventricular Nodular Heterotopia. GeneReviews®. 1993. View Abstract
  95. Transfer function analysis of the circulation: unique insights into cardiovascular regulation. Am J Physiol. 1991 Oct; 261(4 Pt 2):H1231-45. View Abstract
  96. Transfer function analysis of the autonomic response to respiratory activity druing random interval breathing: II. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia. Am. J. Physiol. 1989; 25:H153-H161.. View Abstract
  97. Transfer function analysis of the autonomic response to respiratory activity during random interval breathing. Comput Cardiol. 1987; 13:149-52. View Abstract
  98. Method and Apparatus for the Assessment of Autonomic Response by Broad-band Excitation. 1986. View Abstract
  99. Folate deficiency in chronic inflammatory bowel diseases. Scand J Gastroenterol. 1979; 14(8):1019-24. View Abstract
  100. Maintenance antipsychotic therapy: is the cure worse than the disease? Am J Psychiatry. 1976 Jan; 133(1):32-6. View Abstract
  101. Beef liver L-Glutamate dehydrogenase mechanism: presteady state study of the catalytic reduction of 2.oxoglutarate by NADPH. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1975 Dec 15; 67(4):1527-36. View Abstract
  102. A comparison of the substrate specificities of endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidases from Streptomyces griseus and Diplococcus Pneumoniae. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1975 Nov 03; 67(1):455-62. View Abstract
  103. Studies of oxygen binding energy to hemoglobin molecule. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1975 Oct 27; 66(4):1424-31. View Abstract
  104. Atomic models for the polypeptide backbones of myohemerythrin and hemerythrin. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1975 Oct 27; 66(4):1349-56. View Abstract
  105. Delineation of the intimate details of the backbone conformation of pyridine nucleotide coenzymes in aqueous solution. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1975 Oct 27; 66(4):1173-9. View Abstract
  106. [Biochemical studies on camomile components/III. In vitro studies about the antipeptic activity of (--)-alpha-bisabolol (author's transl)]. Arzneimittelforschung. 1975 Sep; 25(9):1352-4. View Abstract
  107. Digitoxin metabolism by rat liver microsomes. Biochem Pharmacol. 1975 Sep 01; 24(17):1639-41. View Abstract
  108. [Demonstration of tumor inhibiting properties of a strongly immunostimulating low-molecular weight substance. Comparative studies with ifosfamide on the immuno-labile DS carcinosarcoma. Stimulation of the autoimmune activity for approx. 20 days by BA 1, a N-(2-cyanoethylene)-urea. Novel prophylactic possibilities]. Arzneimittelforschung. 1975 Sep; 25(9):1369-79. View Abstract
  109. Comparison between procaine and isocarboxazid metabolism in vitro by a liver microsomal amidase-esterase. Biochem Pharmacol. 1975 Aug 15; 24(16):1517-21. View Abstract
  110. The binding of substrates and inhibitors to dihydrofolate reductase. Biochem Soc Trans. 1975; 3(5):630-1. View Abstract
  111. 5-Carbamoylmethyluridine: a new minor nucleoside of transfer ribonucleic acid. Biochem Soc Trans. 1975; 3(5):656-9. View Abstract

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