Dr. David G. Harrison is a distinguished cardiologist and influential leader in cardiovascular research at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. He currently holds the prestigious Betty and Jack Bailey Professorship of Medicine and Pharmacology while serving as Director of Clinical Pharmacology and Director of the Center for Vascular Biology. Dr. Harrison earned his MD from the University of Oklahoma in 1974 followed by clinical cardiology training at Duke University and a cardiovascular research fellowship at the University of Iowa. His distinguished career spans multiple institutions, including faculty positions at the University of Iowa where he rose to Associate Professor, a significant tenure at Emory University where he served as Director of Cardiology from 2000 to 2009, and his current leadership role at Vanderbilt University since 2011.
Dr. Harrison's pioneering research has fundamentally transformed our understanding of hypertension by revealing the critical role of the immune system, particularly the adaptive immune response, in blood pressure regulation. His laboratory made the groundbreaking discovery that T cells are essential for the development of hypertension, demonstrating how various hypertensive stimuli including angiotensin II, norepinephrine, and DOCA-salt cause T cell activation and accumulation in perivascular fat and kidneys. His work has elucidated how T cell-derived cytokines such as IL-17 and TNF-a enhance vasoconstriction and sodium retention, directly contributing to the hypertensive phenotype. Most recently, his laboratory has identified gamma-ketoaldehydes or isolevuglandins that adduct to proteins in hypertensive conditions, revealing these modified proteins function as auto-antigens that promote dendritic cell and T cell activation in hypertension.
Beyond his own research, Dr. Harrison has profoundly shaped the field of cardiovascular medicine through extensive mentorship and professional leadership, having trained over fifty post-doctoral fellows many of whom have established successful independent research careers. He has held significant positions within the American Heart Association including service on the Scientific Sessions Planning Committee, Research Committee, and as Chairman of the Council on Circulation. His election to both the American Society of Clinical Investigation in 1992 and the Association of American Physicians in 2002 underscores his standing as a preeminent figure in medical research. Currently, Dr. Harrison continues to push the boundaries of hypertension research by investigating mechanisms of T cell activation and identifying candidate renal-derived peptides that act as antigens in hypertension, work that promises to open new therapeutic avenues for managing this widespread cardiovascular condition.
