About Farouc Jaffer, MD, PhD

Clinical Interests:

Treats:

Locations

Mass General Heart Center
55 Fruit St.
Boston, MA 02114
Phone: 866-644-8910

Medical Education

  • MD, Univ of Penn/School of Medicine
  • Residency, Brigham and Women's Hospital
  • Fellowship, Massachusetts General Hospital

American Board Certifications

  • Cardiovascular Disease, American Board of Internal Medicine
  • Interventional Cardiology, American Board of Internal Medicine

Note: This provider may accept more insurance plans than shown; please call the practice to find out if your plan is accepted.


Research

We are developing new approaches to image high-risk plaques (narrowings, blockages) that cause myocardial infarction (heart attacks). Imaging of high-risk ("vulnerable") coronary plaques could ultimately help prevent heart attacks from occurring.

Specifically, we are developing new intravascular optical (near-infrared fluorescence) imaging catheters to visualize inflammation in plaques. Inflammation is a key driver of plaque ruptures and heart attacks. Novel molecular imaging catheters are undergoing bench and experimental testing. Our goal is to translate these technologies to patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), with the goal of identifying inflamed high-risk plaques. Eventually identifying these plaques may allow us to pre-emptively treat them prior to rupture and heart attack.

 

Publications

  • Select Publications:

    • Jaffer FA, et al. Real-time Catheter Molecular Sensing of Inflammation in Proteolytically Active Atherosclerosis. Circulation 2008; 118:1802-9.
    • Calfon MA, Vinegoni C, Ntziachristos V, Jaffer FA. Intravascular Near-infrared Fluorescence Molecular Imaging of Atherosclerosis: Towards Coronary Arterial Visualization of Biologically High-Risk Plaques. Journal of Biomedical Optics (Jan. 14, 2010).
    • Sabatine MS, Jaffer FA, et al. A 32-Year-Old Woman, 3 Weeks Postpartum, with Substernal Chest Pain. New England Journal of Medicine 2010; 363:1164-1173.