Kim A. Connelly

FRACP, PhD, MBBS

Scientist

Biography

Dr. Kim Connelly is a Cardiologist and Scientist who is both nationally recognized as an expert in echocardiography, cardiovascular MRI and the impact of diabetes upon cardiac function and ventricular remodeling. His work has been recognized evident by winning the “Young Investigator of the Year Award” by the Canadian Cardiovascular Society, an Early Researcher Award in 2014, and a CIHR New Investigator award in 2014.

Dr. Connelly runs a basic research laboratory at the Keenan Research Centre at St. Michael’s Hospital where he focuses upon basic mechanisms of disease – primarily around the role of pathological extracellular matrix accumulation and the pro-sclerotic cytokine transforming growth factor beta, with a focus upon translating discoveries into therapies in humans. He developed the first hemodynamically validated model of diabetes induced HFpEF. He is the Director of the Krembil Stem Cell Facility at St. Michael’s Hospital and uses regenerative cell based therapies to improve cardiac and renal dysfunction as a result of diabetes. He has research support from the HSF of Canada, CIHR and CFI along with significant research support from the pharmaceutical industry. His work has been published in journals such as the NEJM, Circulation, Journal of the American college of Cardiology, Circulation Research, Diabetes, Cell Metabolism and Lancet Endocrinology and Diabetes.

His H index is 45, and I index of 140.

Dr Connelly is immediate past president of the Canadian Society of Cardiac Magnetic resonance imaging. He runs a translational imaging laboratory and uses hyperpolarized C13 metabolic imaging to understand metabolism in the human heart in real time, as well as CMR to understand the impact of exercise upon cardiac remodeling. He was senior author of the EMPA HEART study along with Dr Verma and Zinman to assess the mechanism by which the SGLT2i empagliflozin provided cardiac protection in patients with type 2 DM. Finally, he was past section lead of 2018 macrovascular complications section for the Diabetes Canada Clinical practice updates and is current chair of the Canadian Cardiovascular Society guidelines.

Recent Publications

  1. Puar, P, Ahmed, S, Hibino, M, Pasricha, A, Pandey, A, Bari, A et al.. The association between anthropometric indicators of obesity and cardiac reverse remodelling with empagliflozin in patients with type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease. Diabetes Obes Metab. 2023; :. doi: 10.1111/dom.15119. PubMed PMID:37246798 .
  2. Ma, X, Liang, J, Zhu, G, Bhoria, P, Shoara, AA, MacKeigan, DT et al.. SARS-CoV-2 RBD and Its Variants Can Induce Platelet Activation and Clearance: Implications for Antibody Therapy and Vaccinations against COVID-19. Research (Wash D C). 2023;6 :0124. doi: 10.34133/research.0124. PubMed PMID:37223472 PubMed Central PMC10202384.
  3. Yerra, VG, Batchu, SN, Kaur, H, Kabir, MDG, Liu, Y, Advani, SL et al.. Pressure overload induces ISG15 to facilitate adverse ventricular remodeling and promote heart failure. J Clin Invest. 2023;133 (9):. doi: 10.1172/JCI161453. PubMed PMID:37115698 PubMed Central PMC10145941.
  4. Bell, A, Andrade, JG, Macle, L, Connelly, KA, LaBine, L, Singer, AG et al.. Approach to atrial fibrillation: Essentials for primary care. Can Fam Physician. 2023;69 (4):245-256. doi: 10.46747/cfp.6904245. PubMed PMID:37072207 PubMed Central PMC10112727.
  5. Chong, A, Wahi, S, Wang, WYS, Levitt, K, Woo, A, Yan, AT et al.. Utility of Doppler Systolic Timing Intervals in Discriminating "True" Severe from "Pseudo-Severe" Stenosis in Classical Low-Flow Low-Gradient Aortic Stenosis. J Am Soc Echocardiogr. 2023; :. doi: 10.1016/j.echo.2023.04.002. PubMed PMID:37044170 .
  6. Puar, P, Mistry, N, Connelly, KA, Yan, AT, Quan, A, Teoh, H et al.. IGFBP7 and left ventricular mass regression: a sub-analysis of the EMPA-HEART CardioLink-6 randomized clinical trial. ESC Heart Fail. 2023;10 (3):2113-2119. doi: 10.1002/ehf2.14335. PubMed PMID:37038626 PubMed Central PMC10192263.
  7. Verma, R, Moroney, M, Hibino, M, Mazer, CD, Connelly, KA, Yan, AT et al.. Baseline neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and efficacy of SGLT2 inhibition with empagliflozin on cardiac remodelling. ESC Heart Fail. 2023;10 (3):2127-2133. doi: 10.1002/ehf2.14351. PubMed PMID:37038617 PubMed Central PMC10192265.
  8. Moroney, M, Verma, R, Hibino, M, Mazer, CD, Connelly, KA, Yan, AT et al.. Impact of diabetes duration on left ventricular mass regression with empagliflozin. ESC Heart Fail. 2023;10 (3):2134-2140. doi: 10.1002/ehf2.14357. PubMed PMID:37038614 PubMed Central PMC10192246.
  9. Fleshner, NE, Alibhai, SMH, Connelly, KA, Martins, I, Eigl, BJ, Lukka, H et al.. Adherence to oral hormonal therapy in advanced prostate cancer: a scoping review. Ther Adv Med Oncol. 2023;15 :17588359231152845. doi: 10.1177/17588359231152845. PubMed PMID:37007631 PubMed Central PMC10064469.
  10. Coisne, A, Scotti, A, Taramasso, M, Granada, JF, Ludwig, S, Rodés-Cabau, J et al.. Prognostic Value of Tricuspid Valve Gradient After Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Repair: Insights From the TriValve Registry. JACC Cardiovasc Interv. 2023; :. doi: 10.1016/j.jcin.2023.01.375. PubMed PMID:36948892 .
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Affiliations & Other Activities

  • Director, Krembil Stem Cell Facility, St. Michael’s Hospital
  • Staff Cardiologist, Division of Cardiology, St. Michael’s Hospital
  • Member, Richard Lewar Center, University of Toronto
  • Cardiologist, Division of Cardiology, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre