Research descriptions
Dr. Gan-Xin Yan’s laboratory is the hub of basic cardiovascular research activity at Lankenau Medical Center (LMC) and Lankenau Institute for Medical Research (LIMR). The combination of roles that Dr. Yan serves—he is both a practicing electrophysiologist and a research scientist—gives him a unique perspective and contributes greatly to the success of basic cardiovascular research at LIMR.

Dr. Yan is considered a world-renowned expert for his research into sudden cardiac death and the causes behind it. He studies arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats) to determine which patients might be at highest risk for sudden death. He has held an active role on the expert consensus panel for Early Repolarization Syndrome and J wave syndromes. He also served as a co-editor, together with Drs. Peter Kowey and Charles Antzelevitch, for two textbooks on cardiac electrophysiology.

Dr. Yan’s team focuses on exploring the mechanisms responsible for sudden cardiac death under various clinical conditions, including life-threatening rapid and irregular heart beats, myocardial infarction, and enlarged and weakened heart. Those cardiovascular studies, from the organ to a single isolated cardiac cell, have contributed a great deal to our understanding of normal electrophysiology, as well as electrical disturbances in heart disease. Recently, his lab started a new project with a focus on an ionic current (late sodium current), which is involved in a variety of cardiac arrhythmias. The information obtained from this project has been successfully translated into clinical practice.

An animal atrial and ventricular wedge preparation model developed by Dr. Yan has proven to be a versatile tool in defining the cellular basis of repolarization waves and defining the mechanisms of cardiac arrhythmias in various pathophysiological states. A number of pharmaceutical companies have used this model for drug research and development.

Dr. Yan’s research team has won support from industry, the American Heart Association, and the National Institutes of Health, as well as corporate, foundation and individual donors.