Harrison Farber
Encyclopedia
Harrison Farber is currently Professor of Medicine and Director of the Pulmonary Hypertension
Center at Boston University
.
He attended undergraduate at Duke University
before moving to Belgium
and became a member of the Belgium cycling team. He then went on to attend medical school at George Washington University
and entered into residency at the Medical College of Virginia. He completed a fellowship in pulmonary and critical care medicine at Boston University and Boston City Hospital Program. Dr. Farber completed an additional research year at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in basic science. At present, Dr. Farber is a Professor in the Department of Medicine and attends in the Medical Intensive Care Unit and on the Pulmonary Consultation Service at Boston Medical Center
. He also oversees the care of all patients with Pulmonary Hypertension at Boston Medical Center.
Dr. Farber’s research focuses on the response of the pulmonary vasculature to injury and endothelial cell biology. He has extensive government and private funding. He is a member of several research groups both within the Pulmonary Center and in other divisions within the Department of Medicine: the Pulmonary Vascular Biology Group (Pulmonary Center); the Center for Excellence in Sickle Cell Disease (Hematology), the Scleroderma Vascular Disease Group (Rheumatology
) and Pulmonary Vascular/Left Ventricular
Study Group (Cardiology
). Dr. Farber’s laboratory is investigating the response of the pulmonary vasculature in different etiologies of pulmonary hypertension using genomic and proteomic approaches to identify unique molecules as potential targets for new therapies for pulmonary hypertension
associated.
Farber is not only a doctor. He is also a keen athlete and has covered a lot of distance in his running career. Originally a distance cyclist, he got hooked on triathlon
s about 20 years ago, completing his first marathon
in 1983 at the end of an ironman
-length triathlon on Cape Cod
. Since then he's ticked off about 45 marathons, a few ultramarathon
s (50 miles), numerous triathlons, and the Vermont
100-miler. In 2004, Farber and nine other ultradistance runners ran a combined 3,372 miles from San Francisco to Boston
in 24 days to raise money for five local children's charities.
Pulmonary hypertension
In medicine, pulmonary hypertension is an increase in blood pressure in the pulmonary artery, pulmonary vein, or pulmonary capillaries, together known as the lung vasculature, leading to shortness of breath, dizziness, fainting, and other symptoms, all of which are exacerbated by exertion...
Center at Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
.
He attended undergraduate at Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
before moving to Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
and became a member of the Belgium cycling team. He then went on to attend medical school at George Washington University
George Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
and entered into residency at the Medical College of Virginia. He completed a fellowship in pulmonary and critical care medicine at Boston University and Boston City Hospital Program. Dr. Farber completed an additional research year at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in basic science. At present, Dr. Farber is a Professor in the Department of Medicine and attends in the Medical Intensive Care Unit and on the Pulmonary Consultation Service at Boston Medical Center
Boston Medical Center
Boston Medical Center is a non-profit 639 licensed-bed medical center in Boston, Massachusetts. It was created by the formal merger of Boston City Hospital which was the first municipal hospital in the United States and Boston University Medical Center Hospital in July 1996 which was sponsored...
. He also oversees the care of all patients with Pulmonary Hypertension at Boston Medical Center.
Dr. Farber’s research focuses on the response of the pulmonary vasculature to injury and endothelial cell biology. He has extensive government and private funding. He is a member of several research groups both within the Pulmonary Center and in other divisions within the Department of Medicine: the Pulmonary Vascular Biology Group (Pulmonary Center); the Center for Excellence in Sickle Cell Disease (Hematology), the Scleroderma Vascular Disease Group (Rheumatology
Rheumatology
Rheumatology is a sub-specialty in internal medicine and pediatrics, devoted to diagnosis and therapy of rheumatic diseases. Clinicians who specialize in rheumatology are called rheumatologists...
) and Pulmonary Vascular/Left Ventricular
Ventricle (heart)
In the heart, a ventricle is one of two large chambers that collect and expel blood received from an atrium towards the peripheral beds within the body and lungs. The Atria primes the Pump...
Study Group (Cardiology
Cardiology
Cardiology is a medical specialty dealing with disorders of the heart . The field includes diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular heart disease and electrophysiology...
). Dr. Farber’s laboratory is investigating the response of the pulmonary vasculature in different etiologies of pulmonary hypertension using genomic and proteomic approaches to identify unique molecules as potential targets for new therapies for pulmonary hypertension
Hypertension
Hypertension or high blood pressure is a cardiac chronic medical condition in which the systemic arterial blood pressure is elevated. What that means is that the heart is having to work harder than it should to pump the blood around the body. Blood pressure involves two measurements, systolic and...
associated.
Farber is not only a doctor. He is also a keen athlete and has covered a lot of distance in his running career. Originally a distance cyclist, he got hooked on triathlon
Triathlon
A triathlon is a multi-sport event involving the completion of three continuous and sequential endurance events. While many variations of the sport exist, triathlon, in its most popular form, involves swimming, cycling, and running in immediate succession over various distances...
s about 20 years ago, completing his first marathon
Marathon
The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
in 1983 at the end of an ironman
Ironman Triathlon
An Ironman Triathlon is one of a series of long-distance triathlon races organized by the World Triathlon Corporation consisting of a swim, a bike and a marathon run, raced in that order and without a break...
-length triathlon on Cape Cod
Cape Cod
Cape Cod, often referred to locally as simply the Cape, is a cape in the easternmost portion of the state of Massachusetts, in the Northeastern United States...
. Since then he's ticked off about 45 marathons, a few ultramarathon
Ultramarathon
An ultramarathon is any sporting event involving running longer than the traditional marathon length of .There are two types of ultramarathon events: those that cover a specified distance, and events that take place during specified time...
s (50 miles), numerous triathlons, and the Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
100-miler. In 2004, Farber and nine other ultradistance runners ran a combined 3,372 miles from San Francisco to Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
in 24 days to raise money for five local children's charities.
Selected publications
- Fisher KA, Serlin DM, Wilson KC, Walter RE, Berman, JS, Farber HW. Sarcoidosis associated pulmonary hypertension: Outcome with long-term epoprostenol treatment (submitted).
- Klings ES, Odhiambo, A, Li, G, Adewoye AH, Ieong, MH, Leopold JA, Steinberg MH, Farber HW. Reactive oxygen species-dependent induction of VCAM-1 expression in cultured pulmonary artery endothelial cells: Effects of sickle cell plasma (submitted)
- Wilson KW, Reardon C, Theodore AC, Farber HW. Propylene glycol toxicity: A severe iatrogenic illness in intensive care unit patients receiving intravenous benzodiazepines. Chest 2005; 128: 1674-1681.
- Farber HW, Loscalzo J. Pulmonary Hypertension (Mechanisms of Disease). N Engl J Med 2004; 351:1655-1665