People: Elazer R. Edelman

Bio

Elazer R. Edelman is the Edward J. Poitras Professor in Medical Engineering and Science at MIT, where he directs the Institute of Medical Engineering and Science. He is also Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, and a cardiac intensive care unit cardiologist at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) in Boston.

Edelman received Bachelor of Science degrees in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and in Applied Biology, Master of Science Bioelectrical Engineering and Ph.D. in Medical Engineering and Medical Physics from MIT, and M.D. degree from Harvard Medical School. Graduate work with Robert Langer defined the mathematics of regulated drug delivery systems. After internal medicine training and clinical fellowship in Cardiovascular Medicine at BWH he was Research Fellow in Pathology at Harvard Medical School with Morris Karnovsky investigating the biology of vascular repair.

His research interests meld medical and scientific training leveraging pathophysiologic insight to improve clinical decision-making and device design. Studies of endothelial and vascular biology led to discovery of the mutable dynamic of endothelial state and importance in regulation of vascular diseases and cancer. His group reasoned that optimal control of biologic events recapitulated natural regulation. Hence, polymeric controlled drug delivery systems should mimic natural release and vascular implants devised with intimate knowledge of injury they induce. Perivascular and stent-based drug delivery, mechanical organ support and percutaneous heart valves are examples of the former, and therapeutic tissue engineered endothelial cell constructs of the latter.

More than 350 students and fellows have passed through Edelman’s laboratory publishing over 900 scientific articles and 90 patents.

Edelman is fellow of American College of Cardiology, American Heart Association, Association of University Cardiologists, American Society of Clinical Investigation, American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, National Academy of Inventors, National Academy of Medicine, and National Academy of Engineering. As Chief Scientific Advisor of Science: Translational Medicine he has set the tone for the national debate on translational research and innovation. As co-founder of ASTM F04.03 he helped create standards for cardiovascular implants. He served on FDA’s Science Board and as ORISE fellow FDA EIR. For bringing cardiovascular translational research to an international level of excellence the Spanish Parliament and King awarded Edelman the Spanish Order of Civil Merit. Most importantly, Elazer is an avid ice hockey goalie, and with his wife Cheryl parents to comedian-writer Alexander, Olympic athlete AJ, and Austin.

Research

Dr. Edelman’s research melds his clinical and medical training and interests, focusing on understanding how tissue architecture and biochemical regulation contribute to local growth control. Edelman and his students were among the first to validate the hypothesis that proliferative vascular diseases are the sum of effects from endogenous growth promoters and suppressors. Their characterization of how heparin-like compounds serve as suppressors and heparin-binding growth factors as promoters contributed to the creation of a rigorous framework by which to appreciate how these agents interact with one another in vivo. Additional studies enabled further definition of the nomenclature and kinetics for the FGF-2 receptor complex, characterization of synergy between many growth factors, and demonstration that the mode of growth factor or inhibitor delivery determines biologic effect.

The applied aspects of their work flow from the umbrella of growth modulation. They reasoned that the optimal way to control a biologic event was by recapitulating natural means of regulation. Hence, polymeric controlled drug delivery systems should mimic natural release systems, and vascular implants should be devised with an intimate knowledge of the injury they induce. The development and mathematical characterization of perivascular and stent-based drug delivery is an example of the former, and design of an endovascular stent from first principles is an example of the latter. The basic and applied aspects of his operation are intimately joined. Work with antisense oligonucleotides, HDL receptor biology and tissue engineered endothelial implants are a few examples where these two fields come together in his laboratory. Many of his findings are now in clinical trial validation. More than 300 students and postdoctoral fellows have passed through Dr. Edelman’s laboratory enabling publications of numerous papers and patents.

Selected Awards/Societies

• American College of Cardiology
• American Heart Association
• Association of University Cardiologists
• American Society for Clinical Investigation
• American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering
• Institute of Medicine/National Academy of Medicine
• National Academy of Engineering
• National Academy of Inventors
• American Academy of Arts and Sciences
• TCT Career Achievement Award, Cardiovascular Research Foundation
• Distinguished Scientist Award 2018, American College of Cardiology
• Giulio Natta Medal in Chemical Engineering, Milan Polytechnic
• Biomedical Research Day Honoree (Investigator), Massachusetts Society for Medical Research
• Official Citation, State Senate Commonwealth of Massachusetts
• Citation, House of Representatives, Commonwealth of Massachusetts*
• Excellence in Mentoring Award, Corrigan Minehan Heart Center, Massachusetts General Hospital