Dr. Antonio Abbate is a cardiologist researcher with focused interest and expertise in cardioimmunology and cardio-oncology. He joined University of Virginia as the Ruth C. Heede Professor of Cardiology in the Robert M. Berne Cardiovascular Research Center in July 2022, where he leads a team of researchers exploring the role of innate immunity on the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of various cardiovascular diseases and injury. His research has been supported by funds from the NIH, AHA, internal funding sources, and Industry partnerships. As a clinician, Dr. Abbate cares for patients with acute and critical cardiovascular conditions in the UVA University Hospital Coronary Care Unit, and he sees patients with acute and chronic cardiac disease in the Fontaine Heart and Vascular Center, with a special interest in pericarditis, myocarditis, and complications of cancer treatments. In addition to his research and clinical duties, Dr. Abbate serves as the Medical Director for UVA’s Exercise Physiology Core Lab, associated faculty for iPrecision Immunomedicine (iPRIME), a faculty mentor for the NIH Basic and Translational Cardiovascular Research Training Grant (CVTG), and a member of the University’s Comprehensive Cancer Center (UVACCC).

Prior to his arrival at UVA, Dr. Abbate spent 15 years as an attending physician at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) where he was promoted to the rank of Professor of Medicine as the James C. Roberts, Esq. Professor of Cardiology in the VCU Pauley Heart Center. During his time at VCU, Dr. Abbate served as Vice Chair of the Division of Cardiology, Medical Director of the Clinical Research Unit, Associate Chair for Research in the Department of Internal Medicine, Associate Director of the Wright Center for Clinical and Translational Research and received the inaugural Thames-Kontos Distinguished Mentor Award from the School of Medicine at VCU.

Named among the Top Cardiologists in the country by Forbes Magazine, Dr. Abbate is board certified in Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Medicine, and Cardio-Oncology, and is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology, American Heart Association, and European Society of Cardiology. Dr. Abbate has contributed to hundreds of peer-reviewed publications related to his investigator-initiated research on Interleukin-1 and inflammation in cardiovascular diseases, and shares over 150 publications with his current and previous mentees.

Complete list of publications here.

Anna Priday serves as the Research Program Manager for the Abbate Lab in the Robert M. Berne Cardiovascular Research Center at the University of Virginia. She brings over 15 years’ experience in the development, execution, and oversight of human subjects’ research to her role, and shares more than 10 years of research collaborations with Dr. Abbate. Throughout her career, Anna has developed and managed an interdisciplinary biomedical research center at Virginia Commonwealth University, provided operational support, guidance, and mentorship for investigators and research teams, and executed regulatory oversight for hundreds of research studies and Phase 1-3 clinical trials. Her knowledge of pre- and post-award clinical trial operations and oversight extends from small, unfunded, single-center studies to the management of complex, multi-center trials. She has demonstrated leadership in the execution of human subjects’ research from concept development to publication, spanning various sponsor and funding agencies inclusive of government, industry, and investigator-sponsored IND, device, and biologics trials. As a long-term Institutional Review Board member, Anna is dedicated to the execution of quality and ethical research. She completed her Master of Science degree in Addiction Studies and is completing her PhD in Public Policy in the Wilder School at Virginia Commonwealth University. Her research interests are in health policy, equitability in clinical trial eligibility criteria, and exploring the disproportionate impacts of understudied cardiovascular diseases in marginalized populations.

Complete list of publications here.

Austin Hogwood is a postdoctoral fellow for the Abbate Lab in the Robert M. Berne Cardiovascular Research Center at the University of Virginia. Austin completed his PhD in Exercise Physiology from the University of Virginia where his researched focused on studying exogenously consumed vasoactive compounds to improve exercise capacity and cardiovascular disease risk in under-studied populations, earning him the Bruce Gansneder Outstanding Quantitative Dissertation Award. Austin has trained in various labs focused on the crossroads of exercise physiology and non-invasive vascular imaging in human participants for nearly a decade. While Austin is a new addition to the Abbate Lab, his dedication to conducting rigorous scientific research and championing the importance of exercise testing and training in the field of cardiology makes him a welcomed addition to the team.

Complete list of publications here.

James Mbualungu is a second-year medical student at the University of Virginia and researcher for the Robert M. Berne Cardiovascular Center who enjoys working on the complex problems of cardioimmunology. James has worked with Dr. Antonio Abbate both at the University of Virginia and Virginia Commonwealth University assisting in a number of projects including REDHART2, VA-ART4, and many more. James has a passion for the intersection between scientific exploration and clinical care, and working with the Abbate Research Team has given him the chance to further explore his research interests.

Gerardina (Geri) Abbate is a senior in the International Baccalaurate highschool program at Trinity Episcopal School, and a volunteer researcher in the Robert M. Berne Cardiovascular Center. Geri assists the team in multiple projects including the Virginia-ART4 clinical trial of patients with heart attack. Geri is particularly intrigued how viral illnesses, like COVID-19, can cause cardiovascular diseases like Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS).

Abbate G, De Iulio B, Thomas G, Priday A, Biondi-Zoccai G, Markley R, Abbate A. Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome After COVID-19: A Systematic Review of Therapeutic Interventions. J Cardiovasc Pharmacol. 2023 Jul 1;82(1):23-31. doi: 10.1097/FJC.0000000000001432. PMID: 37094584. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37094584/