Kim Connelly

Research Synopsis

Research Interests: Dr. Kim Connelly is a Cardiologist and Scientist who is both nationally recognized as an expert in human and rodent echocardiography, cardiovascular MRI and the impact of diabetes upon cardiac function. His work has been recognized evident by winning the “Young Investigator of the Year Award” in 2012 by the Canadian Cardiovascular Society an Early Researcher Award in 2014, and a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) New Investigator award in 2014.

Dr. Connelly runs a basic research laboratory at the Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science at St. Michael’s Hospital where he focuses upon basic mechanisms of disease – primarily around the role of pathological extracellular matrix accumulation and the pro-sclerotic cytokine transforming growth factor beta, with a focus upon translating discoveries into therapies in humans. He is the Director of the Krembil Stem Cell Facility at St. Michael’s Hospital and uses stem cell based therapies to improve cardiac and renal dysfunction as a result of diabetes. He collaborates extensively not only locally in Toronto but also nationally and internationally – with research support from the Heart and Stroke Foundation (HSF) of Canada, CIHR and Canadian Foundation for Innovation along with significant research support from the pharmaceutical industry.

Locally, he sits on the executive of the University of Toronto Cardiovascular research network, and has been a reviewer for both the CIHR along with the Heart and Stroke foundation of Canada. He was the national spokesperson for the HSF of Canada “heart healthy month” in Feb 2015.

Recent Publications

1. Barthur A, Brezden-Masley C, Connelly KA, Dhir V, Chan KK, Haq R, Kirpalani A, Barfett JJ, Jimenez-Juan L, Karur GR, Deva DP, Yan AT. Longitudinal assessment of right ventricular structure and function by cardiovascular magnetic resonance in breast cancer patients treated with trastuzumab: a prospective observational study. J Cardiovasc Magn Reson. 2017 Apr 10; 19(1):44. Coauthor or Collaborator.
2. Jimenez-Juan L, Karur GR, Connelly KA, Deva D, Yan RT, Wald RM, Singh S, Leung G, Oikonomou A, Dorian P, Angaran P, Yan AT. Relationship between right and left ventricular function in candidates for implantable cardioverter defibrillator with low left ventricular ejection fraction. J Arrhythm. 2017 Apr 1; 33(2):134-138. Coauthor or Collaborator.
3. Ong G, Connelly KA, Goodman J, Leong-Poi H, Evangelista V, Levitt K, Gledhill N, Jamnik V, Gledhill S, Yan AT, Chan KL, Chow CM. Echocardiographic Assessment of Young Male Draft-Eligible Elite Hockey Players Invited to the Medical and Fitness Combine by the National Hockey League. Am J Cardiol. 2017 Mar 29. Coauthor or Collaborator.
4. Sarak B, Wald R, Goldstein MB, Deva DP, Leipsic J, Kiaii M, Leung G, Barfett JJ, Perl J, Yuen DA, Connelly KA, Yan AT. Relationship between changes in blood pressure and left ventricular mass over 1 year in end-stage renal disease. J Hypertens. 2017 Mar 17. Coauthor or Collaborator.
5. Connelly KA, Ho EC, Leong-Poi H. Controversies in quantification of mitral valve regurgitation: role of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. Curr Opin Cardiol. 2017 Mar 1; 32(2):152-160. Principal Author.
6. Mofid A, Newman NS, Lee PJ, Abbasi C, Matkar PN, Rudenko D, Kuliszewski MA, Chen HH, Afrasiabi K, Tsoporis JN, Gramolini AO, Connelly KA, Parker TG, Leong-Poi H. Cardiac Overexpression of S100A6 Attenuates Cardiomyocyte Apoptosis and Reduces Infarct Size After Myocardial Ischemia-Reperfusion. J Am Heart Assoc. 2017 Feb 7; 6(2). Coauthor or Collaborator.
7. Zhang Y, Connelly KA, Thai K, Wu X, Kapus A, Kepecs D, Gilbert RE. Sirtuin 1 Activation Reduces Transforming Growth Factor-β1-Induced Fibrogenesis and Affords Organ Protection in a Model of Progressive, Experimental Kidney and Associated Cardiac Disease. Am J Pathol. 2017 Jan 1; 187(1):80-90. Coauthor or Collaborator.
8. Verma S, Goldenberg RM, Bhatt DL, Farkouh ME, Quan A, Teoh H, Connelly KA, Leiter LA, Friedrich JO. Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors and the risk of heart failure: a systematic review and meta-analysis. CMAJ Open. 2017 Jan 1; 5(1):E152-E177. Coauthor or Collaborator.

Appointments

Cross-Appointed to Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. Primary: Medicine
Senior Scientist, Keenan Research Centre at the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael’s Hospital
Associate Professor, Department of Cardiology, Division of Medicine, Department of Physiology
Full Appointment, Institute of Medical Science