Dr. Douglas Mann is a distinguished cardiologist and leader in cardiovascular medicine at Washington University School of Medicine. He currently serves as the Lewin Professor of Cardiovascular Disease and Professor of Medicine, Cell Biology and Physiology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. After earning his undergraduate degree in Biology from Lafayette College in 1974, he completed his medical degree at Temple University School of Medicine in 1979. His extensive training included an internal medicine residency at Temple University Hospital, a cardiology fellowship at the University of California San Diego, and clinical research fellowships at Massachusetts General Hospital and Temple University.
Dr. Mann's pioneering research has fundamentally transformed our understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying heart failure, with particular emphasis on the role of innate immunity in disease progression. His laboratory's seminal work demonstrated that the heart expresses pro-inflammatory cytokines following cardiac injury, and that these inflammatory pathways contribute significantly to cardiac remodeling and the progression of heart failure. This groundbreaking research established the foundation for the field of cardio-immunology and has catalyzed a paradigm shift in how the medical community understands heart failure pathophysiology. Dr. Mann has successfully translated these basic science discoveries into clinical applications through leadership of multiple phase II and phase III clinical trials targeting inflammatory pathways in heart failure patients.
As a highly respected leader in cardiovascular medicine, Dr. Mann previously served as Chief of the Cardiovascular Division at Washington University School of Medicine from 2009 to 2019 and as President of the Heart Failure Society of America from 2008 to 2010. He has received numerous prestigious honors including the Simon Dack Award for Outstanding Scholarship from the American College of Cardiology and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Heart Failure Society of America. Dr. Mann has mentored countless physicians and scientists throughout his career, earning the Distinguished Mentor Award from the American College of Cardiology in 2015. His ongoing research continues to focus on elucidating the cellular and molecular mechanisms of cardiac remodeling and reverse remodeling, with the goal of developing novel therapeutic approaches to improve outcomes for patients with heart failure.
