Dr. Christine Seidman

Biography

Christine Edry Seidman is the Thomas W. Smith Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, where her research focuses on the genetic basis of inherited human disorders. Her laboratory employs genetic techniques to investigate various cardiovascular diseases, primarily Familial Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (FHC), revealing disease-causing mutations in genes responsible for sarcomere proteins. Seidman’s work includes the development of murine models to study gene mutations' phenotypic consequences and the role of environmental factors in disease expression. She has made significant contributions to understanding the genetic etiologies behind late-onset cardiac hypertrophy and sudden cardiac death. Furthermore, her research extends to congenital heart disease, where she has identified transcription factor gene mutations linked to conditions such as Holt-Oram syndrome and atrial septal defects. Currently, she is determining the genetic factors involved in heart embryogenesis and how their alteration can lead to congenital defects.

Research Interests