Lawrence Czer, MD

Co-Medical Director, Cardiothoracic Surgery Database, Cardio-Thoracic

Medical Director, Heart Transplant Program
Email:lawrence.czer@cshs.org
Phone:(310) 423-3851
Fax:(310) 423-0127

Academic Appointments

Professor, Medicine

Awards and Activities

Board of Advisors: One Legacy2004
Review Board Member: Thoracic Organ Review Board for UNOS Region 52004

Research Focus

Mechanisms of cardiac stem (progenitor) cell differentiation and migration in normal and diseased human hearts; molecular, morphological, and functional changes in hearts after transplantation and after insertion of a ventricular assist device; molecular mechanisms of bioprosthetic and native valve calcification; and Cardiothoracic Tissue Repository. Employ molecular, cellular, transgenic and wild-type animal, and human tissue and cells to understand the biology of cardiac stem cells in normal and diseased hearts and to understand mechanisms of cardiac valve calcification. Have established and currently maintain a repository of cardiac, vascular, and thoracic tissue for research purposes.

Research Contributions

Described IVIG therapy efficacy for antibody-mediated rejection after heart transplantation; used bicaval and pulmonary venous anastomotic technique for heart transplant in US; initiated use of intra-operative Doppler color flow mapping in cardiac surgery; clinical comparison of cardiac valve replacement with St. Jude mechanical and bioprosthetic heart valves.

Current investigations include:

Animal models for growth of cardiosheres from cardiac-derived stem cells. Use of stem cells for regeneration of myocardium in human cardiomyopathies and after ventricular assist device insertion. Mechanisms of cardiac valve calcification. Maintenance of Cardiothoracic Tissue Repository.

Selected Publications

  1. Goland S, Czer LS, Siegel RJ, Tabak S, Jordan S, Luthringer D, Mirocha J, Coleman B, Kass RM, Trento A: Intravenous immunoglobulin treatment for acute fulminant inflammatory cardiomyopathy: series of six patients and review of literature. The Canadian journal of cardiology, 24(7): 571-4, 2008
  2. Sulemanjee NZ, Merla R, Lick SD, Aunon SM, Taylor M, Manson M, Czer LS, Schwarz ER: The first year post-heart transplantation: use of immunosuppressive drugs and early complications. J. Cardiovasc. Pharmacol. Ther., 13(1): 13-31, 2008
  3. Goland S, Trento A, Czer LS, Eshaghian S, Tolstrup K, Naqvi TZ, De Robertis MA, Mirocha J, Iida K, Siegel RJ: Thoracic aortic arteriosclerosis in patients with degenerative aortic stenosis with and without coexisting coronary artery disease. Ann. Thorac. Surg., 85(1): 113-9, 2008
  4. Goland S, Czer LS, Kass RM, Siegel RJ, Mirocha J, De Robertis MA, Lee J, Raissi S, Cheng W, Fontana G, Trento A: Use of cardiac allografts with mild and moderate left ventricular hypertrophy can be safely used in heart transplantation to expand the donor pool. J. Am. Coll. Cardiol., 51(12): 1214-20, 2008
  5. Goland S, Trento A, Iida K, Czer LS, De Robertis M, Naqvi TZ, Tolstrup K, Akima T, Luo H, Siegel RJ: Assessment of aortic stenosis by three-dimensional echocardiography: an accurate and novel approach. Heart, 93(7): 801-7, 2007
  6. Goland S, Czer LS, Kass RM, De Robertis MA, Mirocha J, Coleman B, Capelli C, Raissi S, Cheng W, Fontana G, Trento A: Pre-existing pulmonary hypertension in patients with end-stage heart failure: impact on clinical outcome and hemodynamic follow-up after orthotopic heart transplantation. J. Heart Lung Transplant., 26(4): 312-8, 2007
print button
WP1