Susan C. Gilchrist, M.D., M.S.
Department of Cardiology, Division of Internal Medicine - Clinical
About Dr. Gilchrist
My research program focuses on epidemiological studies relating cardiorespiratory fitness to cancer outcomes and clinical studies to assess the optimal intensity, duration, and timing of exercise training in the chemoprevention setting as well as during and after cancer treatment. Other projects involve the study of cardiovascular risk in cancer patients as well as characterizing the loss of cardiorespiratory fitness in cancer. Clinically, I serve as the cardiologist within the Department of Clinical Cancer Prevention at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. I have a VO2 testing lab within my clinical practice, providing objective fitness assessment and personalized exercise prescriptions for patients. This is the first cardiovascular prevention program in the U.S. focused exclusively on improving fitness and mitigating existing cardiovascular risk factors in patients at high-risk for cancer and/or patients treated for cancer.
Present Title & Affiliation
Primary Appointment
Professor, Department of Clinical Cancer Prevention and Department of Cardiology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Education & Training
Degree-Granting Education
| 2005 | Wake Forest University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Winston-Salem, NC, USA, MS, Epidemiology and Clinical Research |
| 2000 | University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA, MD, Medicine |
| 1993 | University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA, BA, Sociology/Pre-Med |
Postgraduate Training
| 2005-2008 | Clinical Fellowship, Cardiology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC |
| 2003-2005 | Research Fellowship, Cardiology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC |
| 2001-2003 | Clinical Residency, Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, San Antonio, TX |
| 2000-2001 | Clinical Internship, Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, San Antonio, TX |
Board Certifications
| 2009 | American Board of Internal Medicine, Cardiology |
| 2003 | American Board of Internal Medicine, Internal Medicine |
Honors & Awards
| 2012 | International Award for Excellence in Published Clinical Research, Endocrine Society - Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism |
| 2006 | Women in Cardiology Trainee Award for Excellence Award, American College of Cardiology |
| 2004 | Recipient, T32 CVD Epidemiology Training Program, Wake Forest University, NHLBI T32 HL076132-01, National, Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute |
| 2003 | Selected Attendee, 29th American Heart Association, Ten-Day Seminar on the Epidemiology and Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, American Heart Association |
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Articles
- Berkman AM, Brewster AM, Jones LW, Yu J, Lee JJ, Peng SA, Crocker A, Ater JL, Gilchrist SG. Racial Differences in 20-Year Cardiovascular Mortality Risk Among Childhood and Young Adult Cancer Survivors. J Adolesc Young Adult Oncol. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 28530506.
- Berkman AM, Lakoski SG. A Review of Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Adolescent and Young Adult Survivors of Childhood Cancer: Factors that Affect its Decline and Opportunities for Intervention. J Adolesc Young Adult Oncol 5(1):8-15, 2016. e-Pub 2015. PMID: 26812453.
- Peel AB, Barlow CE, Leonard D, DeFina LF, Jones LW, Lakoski SG. Cardiorespiratory fitness in survivors of cervical, endometrial, and ovarian cancers: The Cooper Center Longitudinal Study. Gynecol Oncol 138(2):394-7, 2015. e-Pub 2015. PMID: 26026734.
- Lakoski SG, Jones LW, Krone RJ, Stein PK, Scott JM. Autonomic dysfunction in early breast cancer: Incidence, clinical importance, and underlying mechanisms. Am Heart J 170(2):231-41, 2015. e-Pub 2015. PMID: 26299219.
- Lakoski SG, Savage PD, Berkman AM, Penalosa L, Crocker A, Ades PA, Kahn SR, Cushman M. The safety and efficacy of early-initiation exercise training after acute venous thromboembolism: a randomized clinical trial. J Thromb Haemost 13(7):1238-44, 2015. e-Pub 2015. PMID: 25912176.
- Beg MS, Saleem S, Turer A, Ayers C, de Lemos JA, Khera A, Scherer PE, Lakoski SG. A Prospective Analysis of Plasma Adiponectin and Risk of Incident Cancer: The Dallas Heart Study. J Natl Compr Canc Netw 13(7):873-8, 2015. PMID: 26150581.
- Berkman AM, Lakoski SG. The Potential of Aerobic Exercise Training in Mitigating Cardiovascular Side-Effects of Cancer Therapy. Future Cardiol 11(4)(407-11), 2015. e-Pub 2015. PMID: 26237999.
- Berkman AM, Lakoski SG. The Potential of Aerobic Exercise Training in Mitigating Cardiovascular Side-Effects of Cancer Therapy. Future Cardiol 11(4):407-11, 2015. e-Pub 2015. PMID: 26237999.
- Lakoski SG, Willis BL, Barlow CE, Leonard D, Gao A, Radford NB, Farrell SW, Douglas PS, Berry JD, DeFina LF, Jones LW. Midlife Cardiorespiratory Fitness, Incident Cancer, and Survival After Cancer in Men: The Cooper Center Longitudinal Study. JAMA Oncol 1(2):231-7, 2015. PMID: 26181028.
- Berkman AM, Lakoski SG. Treatment, behavioral, and psychosocial components of cardiovascular disease risk among survivors of childhood and young adult cancer. J Am Heart Assoc 4(4), 2015. e-Pub 2015. PMID: 25836057.
- O'Neal WT, Lakoski SG, Qureshi W, Judd SE, Howard G, Howard VJ, Cushman M, Soliman EZ. Relation between cancer and atrial fibrillation (from the REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke Study). Am J Cardiol 115(8):1090-4, 2015. e-Pub 2015. PMID: 25711434.
- Dittus KL, Lakoski SG, Savage PD, Kokinda N, Toth M, Stevens D, Woods K, O'Brien P, Ades PA. Exercise-based oncology rehabilitation: leveraging the cardiac rehabilitation model. J Cardiopulm Rehabil Prev 35(2):130-9, 2015. PMID: 25407596.
- Thompson HJ, Sedlacek SM, Playdon MC, Wolfe P, McGinley JN, Paul D, Lakoski SG. Weight loss interventions for breast cancer survivors: impact of dietary pattern. PLoS One 10(5):e0127366, 2015. e-Pub 2015. PMID: 26010254.
- Berkman A, F Cole B, Ades PA, Dickey S, Higgins ST, Trentham-Dietz A, Sprague BL, Lakoski SG. Racial differences in breast cancer, cardiovascular disease, and all-cause mortality among women with ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast. Breast Cancer Res Treat 148(2):407-13, 2014. e-Pub 2014. PMID: 25326349.
- Lakoski SG, Kozlitina J. Ethnic differences in physical activity and metabolic risk: the Dallas Heart Study. Med Sci Sports Exerc 46(6):1124-32, 2014. PMID: 24576860.
- Scott JM, Jones LW, Hornsby WE, Koelwyn GJ, Khouri MG, Joy AA, Douglas PS, Lakoski SG. Cancer therapy-induced autonomic dysfunction in early breast cancer: implications for aerobic exercise training. Int J Cardiol 171(2):e50-1, 2014. e-Pub 2013. PMID: 24365613.
- Peel AB, Thomas SM, Dittus K, Jones LW, Lakoski SG. Cardiorespiratory fitness in breast cancer patients: a call for normative values. J Am Heart Assoc 3(1):e000432, 2014. e-Pub 2014. PMID: 24419734.
- Lakoski SG, Barlow CE, Koelwyn GJ, Hornsby WE, Hernandez J, Defina LF, Radford NB, Thomas SM, Herndon JE, Peppercorn J, Douglas PS, Jones LW. The influence of adjuvant therapy on cardiorespiratory fitness in early-stage breast cancer seven years after diagnosis: the Cooper Center Longitudinal Study. Breast Cancer Res Treat 138(3):909-16, 2013. e-Pub 2013. PMID: 23504137.
- Scott JM, Lakoski SG, Mackey JR, Douglas PS, Haykowsky MJ, Jones LW. The potential role of aerobic exercise to modulate cardiotoxicity of molecularly targeted cancer therapeutics. Oncologist 18(2):221-31, 2013. e-Pub 2013. PMID: 23335619.
- Barlow CE, Defina LF, Radford NB, Berry JD, Cooper KH, Haskell WL, Jones LW, Lakoski SG. Cardiorespiratory fitness and long-term survival in "low-risk" adults. J Am Heart Assoc 1(4):e001354, 2012. e-Pub 2012. PMID: 23130161.
- Lakoski SG, Eves ND, Douglas PS, Jones LW. Exercise rehabilitation in patients with cancer. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 9(5):288-96, 2012. e-Pub 2012. PMID: 22392097.
- Lakoski SG, Lagace TA, Cohen JC, Horton JD, Hobbs HH. Genetic and metabolic determinants of plasma PCSK9 levels. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 94(7):2537-43, 2009. e-Pub 2009. PMID: 19351729.
- Lakoski SG, Greenland P, Wong ND, Schreiner PJ, Herrington DM, Kronmal RA, Liu K, Blumenthal RS. Coronary artery calcium scores and risk for cardiovascular events in women classified as "low risk" based on Framingham risk score: the multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis (MESA). Arch Intern Med 167(22):2437-42, 2007. PMID: 18071165.
Grant & Contract Support
| Title: | High-intensity Interval Training for Women at Heightened Risk for Breast Cancer |
| Funding Source: | Energy Balance Assessment Supplemental Funding, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center |
| Role: | Principal Investigator |
| Title: | Research Initiation Funds |
| Funding Source: | University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center |
| Role: | Principal Investigator |
| Title: | Body Composition, Diet, Physical Activity & Fitness in Houston-area Women at Risk for Breast Cancer |
| Funding Source: | DFI Seed Funding Research Award, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center |
| Role: | Co-Principal Investigator |
| Title: | M.D. Anderson Healthy Heart Program Initiative |
| Funding Source: | Jason's Deli Research Award |
| Role: | Principal Investigator |
| Title: | PRedictors Of The Ejection fraction in Cancer patients during Treatment: PROTECT |
| Funding Source: | Department of Cardiology Research Award, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center |
| Role: | Principal Investigator |
| Title: | High-Intensity Interval Training in Women at Heightened Risk for Breast Cancer: HIIT BC |
| Funding Source: | IRG |
| Role: | Principal Investigator |
| Title: | CYCling Lynch patients for Exercise and Prevention: CYCLE-P |
| Funding Source: | Ginn Family Foundation |
| Role: | Principal Investigator |
| Title: | Doxorubicin-induced Cardiotoxicity: Defining Blood and Echocardiogram Biomarkers in a Mouse Model and AYA Sarcoma Patients for Evaluating Exercise Interventions |
| Funding Source: | Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) |
| Role: | Collaborator |
| Title: | Reducing breast cancer risk through modifying body composition and decreasing inflammation in normal weight women |
| Funding Source: | National Institutes of Health |
| Role: | Co-Investigator |
| Title: | Proton Therapy to Reduce Heart Damage for Lung Cancer Patients |
| Funding Source: | National Institutes of Health |
| Role: | Co-Investigator |
| Title: | A Virtual Exercise Intervention to Improve and Sustain Cardiometabolic Health in Survivors of Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer: The ASCEND |
| Funding Source: | NIH/Dana-Farber Cancer Institute |
| Role: | Principal Investigator |
| Title: | HYbrid cardiac rehabilitation in BReast cancer to reduce cardiovascular Disease (HYBRD) |
| Funding Source: | NIH/Dana-Farber Cancer Institute |
| Role: | Principal Investigator |
| Title: | A digital phenotype of skeletal muscle loss and recovery in adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer patients during anthracycline-based therapy |
| Funding Source: | DOD |
| Role: | Principal Investigator |
| Title: | Risk prediction and longitudinal assessment of cardiotoxicity and functional capacity trajectory in NSCLC patients |
| Funding Source: | National Institutes of Health |
| Role: | Co-Investigator |
Patient Reviews
CV information above last modified August 30, 2024
