Flora Sam, MD

Professor, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine

Biography

Dr. Sam is the present Director, ad interim, of the Whitaker Cardiovascular Institute. She is an advanced heart failure clinical cardiologist and a physician-scientist. She is a translational researcher and the PI of her NIH funded lab. She is an expert in cardiac myocyte biology and in mechanisms of myocardial remodeling in cardiomyopathy, both in humans and animal models. She is a recognized expert in "heart failure with preserved ejection fraction" (HFpEF) /diastolic heart failure and "heart failure with reduced ejection fraction" (HFrEF)/systolic heart failure and cardiomyopathies.

The Sam lab is focused on three major areas of investigation:
1) Pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrotic mechanisms that mediate cardiac remodeling in heart failure, cardiac hypertrophy and hypertension.
2) Investigating the relationship between matrix markers and heart failure in humans with cardiac amyloid and scleroderma.
3) Investigating cross talk between adipocyte-derived factors, myokines and cardiokines in heart failure.

Publications

  • Published 12/31/2025

    Valero-Muñoz M, Saw EL, Pimentel DR, Gower AC, Srinivasa S, Zanni MV, Toribio M, Grinspoon SK, Sam F. Molecular insights in HIV-associated cardiac dysfunction. Commun Med (Lond). 2025 Dec 31; 6(1):87. PMID: 41476135.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 9/26/2025

    Valero-Muñoz M, Cooper HL, Li S, Saw EL, Wilson RM, Kusminski CM, Scherer PE, Sam F. Metabolic dysregulation in the heart in obesity-associated HFpEF. Front Cardiovasc Med. 2025; 12:1678992. PMID: 41079580.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 9/11/2025

    Yu Z, Chen Y, Miranda O, Qi M, Zhang M, Feng N, Ryan TP, Schloot NC, Chen Y, Sam F, Wang L. Association of Long-Term Body Mass Index Variability With the Development of Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction and Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction Across Patterns of Weight Change. J Am Heart Assoc. 2025 Sep 16; 14(18):e039976. PMID: 40932106.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 8/31/2025

    Borlaug BA, Testani JM, Petrie MC, Wang Z, Cunningham J, Adams KF, Amir O, Belohlávek J, Bocchi E, Freitas A, Hominal M, Kadokami T, Merkely B, Miller CA, Nuñez J, Verma S, Yilmaz MB, Oru E, Sam F. Effects of volenrelaxin in worsening heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: a phase 2 randomized trial. Nat Med. 2025 Nov; 31(11):3853-3861. PMID: 40887551.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 5/13/2025

    Saw EL, Werner LD, Cooper HL, Pimental DR, Zamani P, Chirinos JA, Valero-Muñoz M, Sam F. Musclin Counteracts Skeletal Muscle Dysfunction and Exercise Intolerance in Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction. Circ Heart Fail. 2025 Jun; 18(6):e012350. PMID: 40358602.

    Read at: PubMed

View All 92 Publications:   View Full Profile in BUMC

Other Positions

  • Member, Whitaker Cardiovascular Institute
    Boston University
  • Graduate Medical Sciences Educator and Mentor (Primary Mentor of Graduate Students)
    Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Graduate Medical Sciences

Websites

Education

  • University of the Witwatersrand, MD

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