Gan-Xin Yan

About

• Director, Basic Cardiovascular Research Lab, Lankenau Institute for Medical Research
• Professor of Medicine, Sidney Kimmel College of Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia
• 2008-Present: Professor, Lankenau Institute for Medical Research
• Professor of Medicine, Xi’an Jiaotong University, China

Research descriptions

Dr. Gan-Xin Yan’s laboratory is the hub of basic cardiovascular research activity at Lankenau Medical Center (LMC) and Lankenau Institute for Medical Research (LIMR). The combination of roles that Dr. Yan serves—he is both a practicing electrophysiologist and a research scientist—gives him a unique perspective and contributes greatly to the success of basic cardiovascular research at LIMR.

Dr. Yan is considered a world-renowned expert for his research into sudden cardiac death and the causes behind it. He studies arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats) to determine which patients might be at highest risk for sudden death. He has held an active role on the expert consensus panel for Early Repolarization Syndrome and J wave syndromes. He also served as a co-editor, together with Drs. Peter Kowey and Charles Antzelevitch, for two textbooks on cardiac electrophysiology.

Dr. Yan’s team focuses on exploring the mechanisms responsible for sudden cardiac death under various clinical conditions, including life-threatening rapid and irregular heart beats, myocardial infarction, and enlarged and weakened heart. Those cardiovascular studies, from the organ to a single isolated cardiac cell, have contributed a great deal to our understanding of normal electrophysiology, as well as electrical disturbances in heart disease. Recently, his lab started a new project with a focus on an ionic current (late sodium current), which is involved in a variety of cardiac arrhythmias. The information obtained from this project has been successfully translated into clinical practice.

An animal atrial and ventricular wedge preparation model developed by Dr. Yan has proven to be a versatile tool in defining the cellular basis of repolarization waves and defining the mechanisms of cardiac arrhythmias in various pathophysiological states. A number of pharmaceutical companies have used this model for drug research and development.

Dr. Yan’s research team has won support from industry, the American Heart Association, and the National Institutes of Health, as well as corporate, foundation and individual donors.

Publications

Books

• Management of Cardiac Arrythmias. Yan G-X, Kowey PR, Antzelevitch C, eds. Springer; 2020.
• J Wave Syndromes: Brugada and Early Repolarization Syndromes. Antzelevitch C, Yan G-X, eds. Springer; 2016.

Journal articles

• Distinct electrocardiographic findings of a drug-drug interaction. Zhang Y, Liu T, Yan GX. BMJ. 2024 Mar 28;384:e077088. doi: 10.1136/bmj-2023-077088
• Electrophysiological Changes in the Rabbit Ventricular Wedge and Human-Induced Pluripotent Stem-Cell Derived (IPSC) Cardiomyocytes Translate to Severe Arrhythmia Observed in a Canine Toxicology Study, Not Predicted by Standard In Vitro Ion Channel Assays. Brown AP, Friedrichs GS, ... Yan GX. Int J Toxicol. 2024 Feb 8:10915818241230900
• A Rare Trigger for Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia. Zhang N, Wu N, Yan GX, et al. JACC Clin Electrophysiol. 2024 Jan;10(1):185-187. doi: 10.1016/j.jacep.2023.09.016
• Mexiletine: Antiarrhythmic mechanisms, emerging clinical applications and mortality. Olleik F, Kamareddine MH, Spears J, … Yan GX. Pacing Clin Electrophysiol. 2023 Nov;46(11):1348-1356.
• A Rare Trigger for Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia. Zhang N, Wu N, Yan GX, et al. JACC Clin Electrophysiol. 2023 Oct 14:S2405-500X(23)00737-5. doi: 10.1016/j.jacep.2023.09.016
• Mexiletine: Antiarrhythmic mechanisms, emerging clinical applications and mortality. Olleik F, Kamareddine MH, Spears J, … Yan GX. Pacing Clin Electrophysiol. 2023 Oct 17. doi: 10.1111/pace.14846x
• Wandering Bundles With Sinus Arrhythmia. Yan S, Wei L, Yan GX. JACC Case Rep. 2023 Apr 27;15:101856. doi: 10.1016/j.jaccas.2023.101856
• Pseudotachycardia in a Teenager With Recurrent Syncope. Hu J, Hong K, Yan GX. JAMA Intern Med. 2023 Apr 1;183(4):370-371.
• Marked QTc Reduction Immediately Following Direct Current Cardioversion of Atrial Fibrillation: Clinical Implications and Mechanisms. Omondi A, Sirinvaravong N, Spears J, Sauerwein S, Taoutel R, Liskov S, …. Kowey PR, Yan GX. JACC Clin Electrophysiol. 2022 Nov 16:S2405-500X(22)00948-3. doi: 10.1016/j.jacep.2022.10.031
• Alternating Early Afterdepolarizations Underlying Bradycardia-Dependent Macroscopic T Wave and Discordant Mechanical Alternans. Qi D, Li W, … Yan GX. Circ Arrhythm Electrophysiol. 2023 Jan;16(1):e011453. doi: 10.1161/CIRCEP.122.011453
• Characteristics of Patients with Spontaneous Versus Drug-Induced Brugada Electrocardiogram: Sub-Analysis From the SABRUS. Milman A, Sabbag A, … Yan GX, et al. Circ Arrhythm Electrophysiol. 2023 Jan 3:e011360. doi: 10.1161/CIRCEP.122.011360.
• One Beat Is All It Takes-Wide Complex Tachycardia in a Middle-aged Man. Sauerwein S, Spears J, Yan GX. JAMA Cardiol. 2023 Mar 1;8(3):296-297.
• Unusual Electrocardiographic Findings in an Elderly Patient With Syncope. Zhang Y, Liu T, Yan GX. JAMA Intern Med. 2022 Feb 21. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2021.8528
• Genotype-Phenotype Correlation of SCN5A Genotype in Patients With Brugada Syndrome and Arrhythmic Events: Insights From the SABRUS in 392 Probands. Milman A, Behr ER, … Yan GX, et al. Circ Genom Precis Med. 2021 Oct;14(5):e003222. doi: 10.1161/CIRCGEN.120.003222
• Dual atrial rhythms: a case report of an unusual cause of pacemaker syndrome. Sirinvaravong N, Heimann M, Liskov S, Yan GX. Eur Heart J Case Rep. 2022 Jan 9;6(1):ytab531.
• Inverse decremental conduction heralds complete atrioventricular block following transcatheter aortic valve replacement. Yan GX. HeartRhythm Case Rep. 2021 Sep 14;7(12):820-824.
• Delta QRS Distinguishes I_to -mediated J waves from Pseudo J waves Produced by Conduction Delay on Body Surface ECG. Ooi YS, Amer M, … Yan GX. Pacing Clin Electrophysiol. 2021 Nov;44(11):1832-1841.
• Beat-to-Beat Variation in QRS Morphology Following Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement. Sirinvaravong N, Qi D, Yan GX. JAMA Intern Med. 2021 May 28. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2021.1997
• Sustained Postural Wide QRS Complex Tachycardia in an Intensive Care Unit Patient. Ooi YS, Drosou ME, Yan GX. JAMA Intern Med. 2021 May 1;181(5):693-694.
• Arrhythmogenic Mechanisms in Hypokalaemia: Insights From Pre-clinical Models. Tse G, Li KHC, … Yan GX, et al. Front Cardiovasc Med. 2021 Feb 3;8:620539.
• Utility of Normalized TdP Score System in Drug Proarrhythmic Potential Assessment: A Blinded in vitro Study of CiPA Drugs. Liu T, Liu J, Lu HR, …Yan GX, et al. Clin Pharmacol Ther. 2020 Dec 7. doi: 10.1002/cpt.2133.
• Wenxin Keli Regulates Mitochondrial Oxidative Stress and Homeostasis and Improves Atrial Remodeling in Diabetic Rats. Gong M, Yuan M, Meng L, … Yan GX, et al. Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2020 Feb 13;2020:2468031.
• Brugada syndrome: A comprehensive review of pathophysiological mechanisms and risk stratification strategies. Li KHC, Lee S, Yin C, … Yan GX, et al. Int J Cardiol Heart Vasc. 2020 Jan 21;26:100468.
• Ethnic Differences in Patients with Brugada Syndrome and Arrhythmic Events: New Insights from SABRUS. Milman A, Andorin A, Postema PG, … Yan GX, et al. Heart Rhythm. 2019 Jul 5.
• Electrocardiographic J wave: Early repolarization, Brugada wave, and conduction delay. Qi D, Gao Y, Yan GX. Heart Rhythm. 2018 Aug 14.
• My Approach to early repolarization syndrome. Yan GX. Trends Cardiovasc Med. 2016 Jan 29. pii: S1050-1738(16)00019-0.
• The Early Repolarization Pattern: A Consensus Paper. Macfarlane PW, Antzelevitch C, Haissaguerre M, ..., Yan GX, et al. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2015 Jul 28;66(4):470-7.
• How to determine cardiac ion channels targeted by drugs using the isolated rabbit ventricular wedge model. Liu G, Liu T, Cohen D, Liu T, Yan GX. J Pharmacol Toxicol Methods. 2016 May 17. [Epub ahead of print]
• J-Wave syndromes expert consensus conference report: Emerging concepts and gaps in knowledge: Endorsed by the Asia Pacific Heart Rhythm Society (APHRS), the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA), the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS), and the Latin American Society of Cardiac Pacing and Electrophysiology (Sociedad Latinoamericana de Estimulación Cardíaca y Electrofisiología [SOLAECE]). Antzelevitch C, Yan GX, Ackerman MJ, et al. Heart Rhythm. 2016 Jul 11.
• Assessment of drug-induced proarrhythmia: The importance of study design in the rabbit left ventricular wedge model. Lu HR, Gallacher DJ, Yan GX. J Pharmacol Toxicol Methods. 2016 Jun 29. pii: S1056-8719(16)30062-4.
• J Wave Syndromes: History and Current Controversies. Liu T, Zheng J, Yan GX. Korean Circ J. 2016 Sep;46(5):601-609.
• Cellular Basis of J Wave Syndromes (Invited Review). Badri M, Patel A, Yan GX. Trends in Cardiovascular Medicine 2015; 25:12-21.
• J Wave Syndromes: A Decade of Progress. Li GL, Yang L, Cui CC, Sun CF, Yan GX. Chinese Medical Journal 2015;128:969.
• Heterogeneous distribution of I Na-L determines interregional differences in rate adaptation of repolarization. Qi D, Yang Z, Robinson VM, ..., Kowey PR, Yan GX. Heart Rhythm 2015;12:1295-1303.
• J-wave syndromes: Brugada and early repolarization syndromes. Antzelevitch C and Yan GX. Heart Rhythm 2015;12:1852-1866.
• Mexiletine Prevents Recurrent Torsades de Pointes in Acquired Long QT Syndrome Refractory to Conventional Measures. Badri M, Patel A, Patel C, ... Robinson VM, Kowey PR, Yan GX, et al. JACC EP 2015;1:315-322.