Research Information
Research Interests
The Zidar Laboratory studies the mechansisms whereby dysregulation of immunohematologic homeostasis leads to cardiovascular disease, and vice versa. Current research is informed by pragmatic population-level observations, and focuses on the role of prevalent sterile (e.g. neuro-endocrine dysregulation, pro-inflammatory lipoproteins, metabolic stimuli, radiation) and infectious (i.e. HIV, SARS-COV2, CMV, HPV, etc.) processes on vascular and cardiac function. Comparative studies of immunohematologic and cardiovascular characteristics among those with and without inflammatory disorders (HIV, rheumatoid arthritis, COVID-19, aortic stenosis) provides an experimental platform and a global health context to these translational studies. Particular emphasis is placed on the use of individual biomarker measurements (platelet aggregates, erythrocyte phenotypes, pro-thrombotic monocytes, and vascular homing T cell subsets) and multi-omic profiles thereof to identify patient endotypes expected to have precise and outsized responses to disease prevention applications. Dr. Zidar has won several teaching awards and remains clinically active as an Interventional Cardiologist. He is a member of the executive scientific board of the Harrington Discovery Institute, the Emerging Leaders Mentorship Program of the American College of Cardiology and the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Intervention, and a former associate editor of Science-Translational Medicine. He has authored over 100 original manuscripts. In his spare time, he enjoys keeping up with his wife and kids, preferably on the slopes or in the fairway.