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As part of our “Meet Yale Internal Medicine” series, today’s feature is Stephanie Thorne, associate professor of cardiology in the Yale University Translational Imaging Center (Y-TRIC), M.S., Ph.D. .

Master’s and Ph.D. student Stephanie Thorne’s first foray into research was like being thrown into the deep end. “It was the summer of my fourth year of undergrad, when I didn’t know anything about scientific research. My advisor showed me the room and said, “We’ve got the equipment, we’ve got the manuals.” Please feel free to let me know if you have any questions. “I think that’s when I fell in love with research,” Thorne said.

Thorne earned a Master of Science degree from the University of Guelph and then took a research position at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute. She said her experience made her realize that research was the right path for her and that she ultimately wanted to research her own ideas.

“As a researcher, you read all these papers and learn what others have contributed to the literature, but then you can forge your own path by investigating questions based on that knowledge. ” she said.

During defense of her dissertation, she met Albert Sinusas, MD, professor of medicine (cardiovascular medicine), who served as an external reader. Not only did she receive her Ph.D., but Sinusas also offered her a job and invited her to come to Yale as a postdoctoral fellow.

Thorne currently serves as deputy director of the Yale Translational Imaging Center (Y-TRIC), a research core within the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine that Sinusas envisioned and founded in 2010. Art imaging facilities, research space, and operating rooms for translational research.

“The lab is such a great place. We can develop techniques and methodologies here and investigate treatments. And we use the exact same cameras that are used in the clinic. So our research and methods can be very easily applied to patient studies in the clinic,” Thorne said.

Most other university research centers do not have dedicated centers like Y-TRIC, so researchers often need to use clinical equipment in the evening after patient appointments are completed. “They can’t start studying until 5 p.m., and then they work until midnight,” Thorne says. “Because he has all the equipment in one place, he can run all the different tests in succession and get more information faster.”

Having dedicated imaging equipment for research also means Thorne and other researchers can push the boundaries of technology in ways that other centers cannot. “This device is not meant to be used on patients, so we don’t need FDA approval for everything. It’s what we have to do.”

Since joining Yale, Thorne has worked with Sinus to investigate cardiac damage after a heart attack and develop new therapeutic approaches for left ventricular remodeling to prevent heart failure. Over the past few years, Thorne has begun his own research into the heart’s right ventricle. The right ventricle is also called the “forgotten” ventricle. Because there is little research or understanding about the right ventricle and its role in human health.

“The right ventricle is interesting,” Thorne said. “Until about five to 10 years ago, imaging equipment couldn’t detect it because the walls were so thin. Now cameras are more sophisticated, with better sensitivity and resolution, so we can image this part of the heart. Now we can better understand its role and function.”

It is now understood that when the right ventricle begins to fail, the mortality rate of heart failure patients increases dramatically. Right ventricular failure is also associated with increased mortality in people with pulmonary hypertension and other diseases. “Drugs used for left ventricular heart failure are not always effective, so more research is needed to understand the role of the right ventricle and how to address the problem,” Thorne said.

Thorne and her team monitor treatments using SPECT or PET to understand how they affect the right ventricle. “This is a non-invasive way to monitor the progress of these patients,” she said. “We are in a unique position to see this on camera and apply this new technology to the clinical setting very quickly.”

Thorne was recently promoted to assistant professor of cardiology and works closely with postdocs, clinical fellows, and undergraduate students who train in the lab and assist with research. “I tell undergraduates, if you like research, try it in the summer. If you still like it, get a master’s degree. So, if you really like it, get a Ph.D.” she said. “Science is hard. Most of the time it doesn’t go the way you want it to. If you’re someone who rarely does cartwheels in the hallway when things are going well, this is the career for you.” .”

The Department of Internal Medicine at Yale School of Medicine is one of the nation’s leading departments, bringing together an elite cadre of clinicians, researchers, educators, and staff from the world’s top medical schools. If you would like to learn more please visit: Internal medicine.

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