Dr. David Schmidtke was granted $2,281,878 from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for his research on Deciphering Links between Leukocyte Activation and Infections in VAD patients, which supports impactful research targeted to improve outcomes for heart conditions. Dr. Schmidtke’s research project centers on understanding why individuals with ventricular assist devices (VADs) experience elevated infection rates despite signs of an immune response.

As existing research has reported that ongoing inflammation following the insertion of a VAD, this project seeks to reveal why these individuals remain vulnerable to infection. This research project will use an analysis of the immune system, new microfluidic technologies, and immune-restoring lipid therapies to discover and possibly correct immune dysfunction in individuals with VAD.

The primary goal of this project is to classify immune signatures that predict post-implant infections and design precision therapies to repair immune balance. The long-term goals of this project include reducing the elevated infection rates, personalizing VAD therapy, and advancing both cardiovascular and immune system research in medical settings. Dr. Schmidtke’s research will also contribute to Bioengineering research.