BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
Provide the following information for the Senior/key personnel and other significant contributors.
Follow this format for each person. DO NOT EXCEED FOUR PAGES.
NAME
Levit, Rebecca Diane
eRA COMMONS USER NAME (credential, e.g., agency login)
POSITION TITLE
Assistant Professor, Division of Cardiology
RDIANE
EDUCATION/TRAINING (Begin with baccalaureate or other initial professional education, such as nursing, include postdoctoral training and
residency training if applicable.)
DEGREE
INSTITUTION AND LOCATION
MM/YY
FIELD OF STUDY
(if applicable)
BS
05/02
Biology
--
06/03
Fulbright Fellow
MD
05/07
Medicine
Emory University, Atlanta, GA
Resident
06/09
Internal Medicine
Emory University, Atlanta, GA
Research
Fellow
Cardiology
Fellow
06/12
Cardiovascular Disease
06/14
Cardiovascular Disease
Dickinson College, Carlisle, PA
University of Wollongong, NSW, Australia
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Emory University, Atlanta, GA
A. Positions and Honors
Positions and Employment
2002-2003
Fulbright Fellow, Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong, NSW, Australia
2003-2007
Medical Student, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA
2007-2009
Resident, Internal Medicine Research Track, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
2009-2012
Research Fellow, Cardiology Research Track, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
2012-2014
Clinical Fellow, Cardiovascular Diseases, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
2014-Present Assistant Professor, Division of Cardiology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
Other Experience and Professional Memberships
2006Member, American Heart Association
2009Member, American College of Cardiology
2010
Scientific Writer, NIH working committee, New Dimensions and Strategies for Women’s Health
2010-2014
American Heart Association Working Committee on Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke in
Women and Special Populations
Board Certification
2010-2020
Certified, American Board of Internal Medicine, Internal Medicine
2014
Candidate, American Board of Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Disease
2014-2024
Certified, National Board of Echocardiography, Adult Echocardiography
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Honors
2013
2012
2012
2012
2011
2009
2006
2003
Featured Research, Emory University Department of Medicine Research Day, Atlanta, GA
Finalist, Early Career Investigator Award, American Heart Association’s Council on
Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology, Los Angeles, CA
1st place, Basic Science Prize, Northwestern Cardiovascular Young Investigators' Forum,
Chicago, IL
2nd place, Emory University Cardiology Research Symposium, Atlanta, GA
1st place, Emory University Cardiology Research Symposium, Atlanta, GA
American Heart Association Women in Cardiology Trainee Award for Excellence, Orlando, FL
George W. Householder, III Memorial Prize for medical student research, University of
Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA
Fulbright Fellow, University of Wollongong, NSW, Australia
B. Selected Peer-reviewed Publications
Most relevant
1. Levit RD, Landázuri N, Phelps EA, Brown ME, García AJ et al. Cellular encapsulation enhances cardiac
repair. Journal of the American Heart Association. 2013; 2(5):e000367. PMID: PMC3835246.
2. Landázuri N*, Levit RD*, Joseph G, Ortega-Legaspi JM, Flores CA, Weiss D, et al. Alginate
microencapsulation of human mesenchymal stem cells as a strategy to enhance paracrine-mediated
vascular recovery after hindlimb ischaemia. Journal of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine.
2012. PMCID: PMC23281223. *Shared first co-authorship
3. Han JW, Levit RD, Yoon Y-s. Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells. In: Kong HJ, Putnam AJ, Schook LB,
editors. Stem Cells and Revascularization Therapies. 1 ed. Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press; December
13, 2011. p. 55-105.
4. Kim S-W, Kim H, Cho H-J, Lee J-U, Levit RD, Yoon Y-s. Human Peripheral Blood-Derived CD31+ Cells
Have Robust Angiogenic and Vasculogenic Properties and Are Effective for Treating Ischemic Vascular
Disease. Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 2010;56(7):593-607. PMCID: 2917842.
5. Hiesinger W, Perez-Aguilar JM, Atluri P, Marotta NA, Frederick JR, Fitzpatrick JR, McCormick RC,
Muenzer JR, Yang EC, Levit RD et al. Computational Protein Design to Reengineer Stromal Cell–Derived
Factor-1α Generates an Effective and Translatable Angiogenic Polypeptide Analog. Circulation.
2011;124(11 suppl 1):S18-S26. PMCID: PMC21911811.
6. Atluri P, Panlilio CM, Liao GP, Hiesinger W, Harris DA, McCormick RC, Cohen JE, Jin T, Feng W, Levit
RD et al. Acute Myocardial Rescue with Endogenous Endothelial Progenitor Cell Therapy. Heart, Lung and
Circulation. 2010;19(11):644-54. PMCID: PMC3235678.
7. Hiesinger W, Vinogradov SA, Atluri P, Fitzpatrick JR, Frederick JR, Levit RD, et al. Oxygen-dependent
quenching of phosphorescence used to characterize improved myocardial oxygenation resulting from
vasculogenic cytokine therapy. Journal of Applied Physiology. 2011;110(5):1460-5. PMCID: PMC3098666.
Additional recent publications (in chronological order)
1. Levit RD, Levit RD, Polomsky M, Vega JD, Martin DR, Kumar G. An unusual cause of a non-ST segment
elevation myocardial infarction. Heart. 2014; PMID: 24855318
2. Levit RD, Titterington JS, Wenger NK. Stable Ischemic Heart Disease in Women. In press.
3. Levit RD and Wenger NK. High Risk, High Stakes: Optimizing Cardiovascular Risk Assessment in
Women. Cur Cardiol Risk Report. 2012; 6 (2): 176-184.
4. Levit RD, Taylor WR. A Clinical Commentary on the Article “N-acetylglucosamine Conjugated to
Nanoparticles Enhances Myocyte Uptake and Improves Delivery of a Small Molecule p38 Inhibitor for Postinfarct Healing”. Journal of Cardiovascular Translational Research. 2011;4(5):644-5. PMCID: 21850557.
5. Levit RD, Reynolds HR, Hochman JS. Cardiovascular Disease in Young Women: A Population at Risk.
Cardiology in Review. 2011;19(2):60-5 10.1097/CRD.0b013e31820987b5. PMCID: 21285664.
6. Levit RD, Cohen RM, Kwak A, Shlansky-Goldberg RD, Clark TWI, Patel AA, et al. Asymptomatic Central
Venous Stenosis in Hemodialysis Patients1. Radiology. 2006;238(3):1051-6. PMCID: 16424248.
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C. Research Support
Emory Office of Technology Transfer Proof of Concept Fund
A purpose built device to deliver stem cells in biomaterials to the heart
Role: PI
07/25/14 – present
14SDG18530001
01/01/14 - present
AHA Scientist Development Grant (Percentile 1.43%, Average priority score 1.21)
Encapsulated mesenchymal stem cells as therapy for ischemia-reperfusion via neutrophil regulation
Role: PI
T32 5T32HL007745-18
07/01/09-06/29/12
Research Training in Academic Cardiology
While a research fellow I developed encapsulation technology to improve retention of viable stem cells in the
heart post-myocardial infarction in animal models.
Role: Trainee
T35 DK060441
10/01/06-02/01/07
NIH/NIDDK Medical Student Training Grant
Gene therapy for myocardial infarction using an adenoviral vector to over-express cell cycle genes in periinfarct cardiomyocytes in animal models.
Role: Trainee
Fulbright Fellowship
07/01/02-06/29/03
Role of polyunsaturated fatty acids in lifespan and metabolism of aging vertebrates
Role: PI
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