Daniel Forman, M.D., F.A.C.C., F.A.H.A. recently moved to University of Pittsburgh where his appointment as Professor of Medicine is pending. At University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, he is Chair of a new Section of Geriatric Cardiology, a new program linking Geriatrics and Cardiology. He is also a Physician Scientist in the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System’s Geriatric, Research, and Clinical Center, and Director of a new Cardiac Rehabilitation at the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System that he initiated. He has written over 200 publications centered on aging and cardiovascular disease, exercise testing, and exercise training, and has a long track record of extramural funding, and extensive experience as editor, reviewer, and academic leadership in these fields. Since arriving in Pittsburgh, Dr. Forman has initiated a pilot study focused on functional gains and underlying skeletal muscle mitochondrial bioenergetics benefits derived from oral nitrite therapy in older heart failure patients. He also continues multiple studies at the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System focused on exercise training for older cardiac patients (particularly in respect to exercise effects impact on skeletal muscle gene expression patterns and their bearing on physical function) and benefits for improving function and quality of life, and diminishing frailty. He is also a national leader in Cardiac Rehabilitation and has completed studies oriented to exercise for cardiac patients, process of cardiac rehabilitation care, and utility of telehealth. Dr. Forman completed both Geriatrics and Cardiology fellowships at Harvard. Before moving to Pittsburgh, he was Director of the Exercise Testing Laboratory at Brigham and Women’s Hospital where he developed extensive expertise in cardiopulmonary exercise testing. He was also the inaugural Chair of the American College of Cardiology’s Section on Geriatric Cardiology.

Investigator Research Interests

Affiliations:

• Physician Scientist, GRECC, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System
• Director, Cardiac Rehabilitation, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System
• Professor of Medicine (Geriatrics) And Chair of Geriatric Cardiology, University of Pittsburgh

What are the 3 most important questions that define your research program?

1. Does nitrite supplementation increase skeletal muscle bioenergetics in older HFPEF patients with related changes in cardiorespiratory fitness?
2. How do different modes of exercise training (strength, aerobic, and inspiratory muscle training) affect skeletal muscle gene expression in older heart failure patients?
3. What is the effectiveness of different program designs (Hospital-based, Home-based, and Hybrid between hospital and home) for in cardiac rehabilitation programs?

What are five key words that best describe your areas of interest?

1. Heart Failure
2. Cardiac rehabilitation
3. Cardiopulmonary exercise testing
4. Gene expression
5. Bioenergetics

What are up to 5 technologies, models, methods, analytical approaches or other forms of expertise that characterize your research program?

1. Frailty assessment
2. Functional assessment (cardiopulmonary exercise testing, strength assessment)
3. Sarcopenia: Skeletal muscle gene expression, bioenergetics
4. Exercise Training
5. Cardiac rehabilitation