Chih, Sharon

Dr. Sharon Chih is a heart failure-transplant cardiologist and clinician investigator at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute, and an associate professor of medicine at the University of Ottawa. She is the medical director of the Heart Transplant and Mechanical Circulatory Support Program and co-lead for the Shock Team at the UOHI.

Background

Dr. Chih attended medical school at the University of Western Australia in Perth. She undertook cardiology training at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital (Perth, Australia), followed by a PhD at the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute (Sydney, Australia), and a fellowship in advanced heart failure and transplantation at the University of Toronto. She was recruited to UOHI in 2014.

Dr. Chih serves on the Scientific Review Committee for the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, and is the research subcommittee lead for the Canadian Cardiac Transplant Network.

Dr. Chih was awarded in 2018 the Canadian Cardiovascular Society Young Investigator Award (Clinical Science), and the University of Ottawa Heart Institute Dr. Robert Roberts Award for Research Excellence.  She is also a recent recipient of the University of Ottawa Heart Institute Academic Medical Organization Dr. Martin Green Research Award for Clinical Research. Dr. Chih’s research program is funded by the Heart and Stroke Foundation, including an Emerging Research Leader Initiative Grant, a Grant-in-Aid, and a Clinician Scientist – Phase 1 Award.

Research and clinical interests

Clinical

Dr. Chih is the advanced heart failure lead for the Shock Team, a program designed to improve patient outcomes in cardiogenic shock.

Research

Dr. Chih’s research interest is in heart transplantation with a focus on cardiac allograft vasculopathy and allosensitization.

Publications

See current publications list at PubMed.

Selected publications:

  • Chih S, McDonald M, Dipchand A, Kim D, Ducharme A, Kaan A, Abbey S, Toma M, Anderson K, Davey R, Mielniczuk L, Campbell P, Zieroth S, Bourgault C, Badiwala M, Belanger E, Carrier M, Conway J, Doucette K, Giannetti N, Isaac D, MacArthur R, Senechal M, Clarke B. CCS/CCTN Position Statement on Heart Transplant Patient Eligibility, Selection, and Post-Transplant Care. Can J Cardiol. 2020 Mar; 36(3): 335-356.
  • Chih S, Chong AY, Bernick J, Wells G, deKemp RA, Davies RA, Stadnick E, So D, Overgaard C, Mielniczuk L, Beanlands R. Validation of a Multiparametric Rubidium-82 PET Myocardial Blood Flow Quantification Surveillance Algorithm for Cardiac Allograft Vasculopathy. J Nucl Cardiol. Epub 2020 Jan.
  • Almufleh A, Zhang L, Mielniczuk L, Stadnick E, Davies RA, Du Q, Nickpay M, Rayner K, Liu P, Chih S. Biomarker Discovery in Cardiac Allograft Vasculopathy Using Targeted Aptamer Proteomics. Clin Transplant. 2020 Jan; 34(1): e13765.
  • Njue F, Chih S. When to Intervene for Donor Specific Antibody After Heart Transplantation. Curr Opin Organ Transplant. 2019 Jun; 24(3): 271-278.
  • Aleksova N, Alba AC, Fan CPS, Mueller B, Mielniczuk L, Davies RA, Stadnick E, Ross HJ, Chih S. Impact of Organ Prioritization for Immunological Sensitization and Waiting Times for Heart Transplantation. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2019 Mar; 38(3): 285-294.
  • Almufleh A, Garuba H, Mielniczuk L, Davies RA, Stadnick E, Belanger E, Dick A, Kozuszko S, Ross HJ, Chih S. Diffuse Subepicardial Late Gadolinium Enhancement Post Heart Transplant: A Potentially Ominous Finding. Can J Cardiol. 2018 Dec; 34(12): 1687.e3-1687.e7.
  • Chih S, Chong AY, Erthal F, deKemp R, Davies RA, Stadnick E, So D, Overgaard C, Wells G, Mielniczuk L, Beanlands R. PET Assessment of Epicardial Intimal Disease and Microvascular Dysfunction in Cardiac Allograft Vasculopathy. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2018 Apr; 72(13): 1444-1456.
  • Almufleh A, Mielniczuk L, Zinoviev R, Moeller A, Davies RA, Stadnick E, Chan V, Chih S. Profound Vasoplegia on Saubitril/Valsartan After Heart Transplantation. Can J Cardiol. 2018 Mar; 34(3): 343.e3-343.e7.
  • Almufleh A, Marbach J, Chih S, Stadnick E, Davies RA, Liu P, Mielniczuk L. Ejection Fraction Improvement and Reverse Remodeling Achieved with Sacubitril/Valsartan in Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction Patients. Am J Cardiol. 2017 Dec; 7(6): 108-113.
  • Yip A, Chong AY, Stadnick E, Davies RA, Haddad H, Mielniczuk L, Chih S. Treatment of Coronary Artery Fistula Post Cardiac Transplantation with Covered Stent: A Case Study and Review of Literature. Int J Transplant Res Med. 2017 Aug; 3(2).
  • Chih S, Patel J. Desensitization Strategies in Adult Heart Transplantation – Will Persistence Pay Off? J Heart Lung Transplant. 2016 Aug; 35(8): 962-972.
  • Chih S, Chong AY, Mielniczuk L, Bhatt D, Beanlands R. Allograft Vasculopathy: Achilles Heel of Heart Transplantation. Am J Coll Cardiol. 2016 Jul; 68(1): 80-91.

Chih, Sharon

Chih, Sharon

MBBS, PhD, FRACP

Appointments and affiliations

Advanced Heart Failure and Cardiac Transplantation Cardiologist
Division of Cardiology

Medical Director
Heart Transplant and Mechanical Circulatory Support Program

Clinician Investigator
University of Ottawa Heart Institute

Associate Professor 
University of Ottawa

Tier 2 Research Chair in Cardiac Transplantation
University of Ottawa