Professional Bio
Cheryl L Laffer, MD, PhD, FAHA, is a Professor of Medicine in the Division of Genetic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology within the Department of Medicine at Vanderbilt Medical Center. She is a clinician-scientist, and Specialist in Clinical Hypertension (American Heart Association).
Dr. Laffer graduated with honors from Cal Tech, did her PhD in genetics at the University of Wisconsin and a post doc in neuroscience before pivoting to medicine. She completed her MD at the University of Miami School of Medicine and Internal Medicine Residency at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, where she joined the faculty. Dr. Laffer reached the rank of full professor at Vanderbilt in 2012; she directed the Hypertension Service (AHA-certified Comprehensive Hypertension Center clinic and inpatient consultation service) until mid-2017.
Dr. Laffer's research has investigated the mechanisms underlying human salt-sensitivity of blood pressure, including the roles of endothelin and 20-HETE (both vasoconstrictors and natriuretic agents) and the eicosanoids. Her work on this cardiovascular risk factor with as-of-yet no proven therapy culminated in chairing the writing committee of the American Heart Association scientific statement on salt-sensitivity of blood pressure (Hypertension 68:e7-e46;2016). She continues studies on the role of inflammation in salt sensitive hypertension in collaboration with other members of her division.
Dr. Laffer has over 60 peer-reviewed publications listed in PubMed and a total of 87 including book chapters, published in high impact journals such as Circulation, Circulation Research, Hypertension, Journal of Clinical Investigation, Kidney International and The Lancet. She has been a Fellow of the AHA since 1999 and has been appointed to leadership positions in its Council for Hypertension (member of the Hypertension Science Committee). She has chaired many sessions in meetings of national and international societies and has taught extensively on hypertension, including more than 100 lectures in the community and academic institutions.
Publications
Education
Residency - Internal Medicine - Mount Sinai School of Medicine
PhD - Genetics - University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1981
Fellowship - Neuroscience - University of California, Berkeley, 1983
MD - University of Miami, 1985
Contact
Email
Kimryn.Rathmell@Vumc.Org
Address
777 Preston Research Building
2220 Pierce Ave
Nashville, TN 37232-6307