Hrayr Karagueuzian, PhD is Director of Basic Cardiac Electrophysiology Research at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. He also serves as Professor of Medicine in Residence at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
Dr. Karagueuzian's research focuses on the study of the mechanisms and control of cardiac tachyarrhythmias and evaluation of the cellular action of antiarrhythmic drugs. Currently, his research centers on two areas of study. The first is to determine the mechanism(s) of the age-related increase in the incidence of atrial fibrillation and evaluate the role of intracellular ionized calcium accumulation in the formation of rapid foci in the pulmonary veins that lead to atrial fibrillation. The second is to determine the influence of acute and chronic nicotine in the initiation and maintenance of atrial fibrillation in electrically remodeled hearts with sympathetic hyperinnervation (nerve sprouting). These two projects are supported by American Hospital Association's Western Affiliates and by the UC-TRDRP (Tobacco Related Disease Research Program) respectively. He has lectured and presented at conferences around the world, including Korea, France, Taiwan, Japan and Armenia.
Dr. Karagueuzian has written numerous book chapters, including contributions to Quantitative Cardiac Electrophysiology, Monophasic Actions Potentials: Bridging Cell and Bedside and The Cardiac Arrhythmias, Their Mechanisms, Diagnosis, and Management. His peer-reviewed articles have appeared in numerous scientific journals, such as American Journal of Physiology, the Journal of Cardiovascular Electrophysiology, the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Circulation and Circulation Research. He serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Cardiovascular Electrophysiology and is an editorial consultant for several journals.
As a mentor, Dr. Karagueuzian has directed the training of more than 23 international research fellows who have achieved academic positions worldwide.
Dr. Karagueuzian received his bachelor's degree from the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Damascus University in Syria and his master's degree from the College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Columbia University in New York. He received his master's and doctorate degrees from the Department of Pharmacology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University. Dr. Karagueuzian was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Paris (XII) in Orsay and at the University of California, San Francisco.
