Wai Hong Wilson Tang, MD
Photo: Wai Hong (Wilson) Tang
Elected 2013

As a clinician scientist, Dr. Tang’s research focuses on understanding the mechanisms through which inflammation, oxidation, and nitrative stress contribute to disease progression in heart failure and cardiomyopathy in humans. His translational research work provides mechanistic insights into heart failure by exploring the role of myeloperoxidase-generated oxidants, diminished arginine bioavailability, elevated methylated arginines as endogenous inhibitors of nitric oxide synthase, as well as alterations of high-density lipoprotein–associated proteome antioxidative functions. These goals are being achieved by correlating physiologic alterations or responses to therapeutic interventions with metabolites that are measured by proteomic and mass spectrometry techniques in human biospecimens. Dr. Tang’s research interests have also extended toward investigating how the heart interacts with other organs in the setting of heart failure (particularly with the kidneys, and extending into gastrointestinal and pulmonary systems). His seminal contributions include the recognition of venous congestion and intra-abdominal pressure as important determinants of cardio-renal syndrome, and novel intestinal microbiota-related metabolomic pathways in heart failure pathogenesis. Ongoing application of integrative genomic and functional metabolomic approaches investigates novel counter-regulatory pathways that are operative in providing end-organ protection in heart failure. As the principal investigator for the NIH-funded Heart Failure Clinical Trials Network, Dr. Tang led a city-wide effort in the participation of innovative translational clinical studies to investigate new therapeutic targets and strategies across the spectrum of heart failure.