Joseph Cava, MD, PhD

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Specialty(ies)

  • Cardiology
  • Cardiology, Pediatric
  • Pediatrics

Board Certification(s)

  • Pediatric Cardiology
  • Pediatrics

Education

  • MD: Loyola-Stritch University (Maywood, Ill.), 1990 - 1994.
  • Internship: Medical College of Wisconsin (Milwaukee), Pediatrics, 1994 - 1995.
  • Residency: Medical College of Wisconsin (Milwaukee), Pediatrics, 1995 - 1997.
  • Fellowship: Christ Hospital & Medical Centers (Oak Lawn, Ill.), Pediatric Cardiology, 1997 - 2000.

Faculty research

  • Principal investigator: Analysis of atrial natriuretic peptide, brain natriuretic peptide, and endothelin-1 in pediatric patients undergoing total cavopulmonary repair. Children's Hospital of Wisconsin.
  • Principal investigator: A Dose Response Study of the Efficacy, Safety, and Pharmacokinetics of Intravenous Amiodarone Hydrochloride in Pediatric Patients Thirty Days of Age to Sixteen Years of Age with Critical Arrhythmias. Protocol 0585K1-100275-US. Wyeth-Ayerst Global Pharmaceuticals.
  • Co-Investigator: A study of the safety, tolerance and efficacy of Palivizumab (MEDI-493, Synagis) for prophylaxis of respiratory syncytial virus in children with congenital heart disease. Children's Hospital of Wisconsin.
  • Co-Investigator: A multi-center, placebo-controlled 8-month study of the effect of twice daily carvedilol in children with congestive heart failure due to systemic ventricular systolic dysfunction.
  • Co-investigator: Use of droperidol during cardiac anesthesia and its effects on the QT interval Ð a retrospective chart review. Children's Hospital of Wisconsin/Medical College of Wisconsin.
  • Co-investigator: A randomized, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-ranging, parallel group study of intervenous sildenafil in the treatment of children, aged 0-17 with pulmonary hypertension after cardiac surgery. Study 1481134.
  • Co-investigator: A randomized, double-blind study of regional vs. intravenous analgesia to promote early endotracheal extubation in children undergoing single ventricle palliation. Children's Hospital of Wisconsin/Medical College of Wisconsin.

Fellowship research

  • Molecular biology of cardiac gene expression. Specifically, design of an in vivo model using rats to investigate regulatory sequences affecting alpha-myosin heavy chain gene expression.
  • Co-investigator of multi-institutional study: A Phase IV Study of the Safety of Palivizumab (Synagis) for Prophylaxis of Respiratory Syncytial Virus in Children with Congenital Heart Disease.

Medical school research

  • The molecular biology of endotoxin induced septic shock in a neonatal rat model was investigated. Using cDNA probes, the mRNA isolated from pancreatic islets encoding glucose transporter proteins was identified and quantified.

Postdoctoral research

  • Experiments were designed to study the molecular biology of the E. coli chemotaxis system. Protein purification techniques were employed to isolate chemotaxis signaling protein for crystallization. Additional experience was gained in expression vector systems, a minicell expression system for protein identification, and gel retardation assays to examine specific DNA-protein interactions. Experience with DNA footprinting techniques was also obtained.

Graduate research

  • Molecular genetics and biochemistry of rhizobial lipopolysaccharide were investigated. Research techniques included recombinant DNA technology, bacterial genetics, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, immunoblotting, gas/liquid chromatography for sugar analysis, and light and electron microscopy to analyze nodule structure.

Invited lectures/Workshops/Presentations/Site visits

International

  • Cava JR., P.M. Pachori, D.A. Turowski and K.D. Noel. Rhizobial lipopolysaccharide mutants: Genetic and symbiotic characterization. 7th International Conference on Nitrogen Fixation. Cologne, West Germany. 1988

Regional

  • Cava J.R., K.D. Noel and K.A. VandenBosch. Rhizobium phaseoli mutants defective in polysaccharide and infection thread induction. 10th North American Rhizobium Conference. Wailea, Maui, Hawaii. 1985

Local

  • Cava, J.R., M. Goto, G. Leybovich, M. Sweet and W.P. Zeller. Glucose transporter isoform mRNA abundance changes in pancreatic islets of neonatal rats with endotoxic shock. St. Luke's Day Student Research Forum. Loyola University, Maywood, IL, USA. 1991
  • Cava, J.R. Causes, risk factors, and therapies for hypercholesterolemia. Caring for Children with Heart Disease in the Community. Children's Hospital of Wisconsin Milwaukee, WI. 2001
  • Cava, J.R. Cardiac Manifestations of Rheumatic Fever. Grand Rounds, Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 2001.
  • Cava, J.R. Cardiac medications. Parent Education Day. Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 2002.
  • Cava, J.R. Cardiac medications. Parent Education Day, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 2003.
  • Cava J.R.  Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Parent Education Day, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee WI. 2005.
  • Cava J.R. Cardiac Medications. Parent Education Day. Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 2006.
  • Cava J.R. Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Grand Rounds, Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI. 2007. 
    •
  • Cava J.R.  Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Adult Congenital Heart Disease. Cardiology Grand Rounds, Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital, Milwaukee, WI. 2008.

Refereed journal publications/Original papers

  • Noel, K.D., R.J. Diebold, J.R. Cava and B.A. Brink. Rhizobial purine and pyrimidine auxotrophs: Nutrient supplementation, genetic analysis, and the symbiotic requirement for de novo purine biosynthesis. Arch. Microbiol. 149:499-506. 1988
  • Cava, J.R., P.M. Elias, D.A. Turowski and K.D. Noel. Rhizobium leguminosarum CFN42 genetic regions encoding lipopolysaccharide structures essential for complete nodule development of bean. J. Bacteriol. 171:8-15. 1989
  • Cava, J.R., H. Tao and K.D. Noel. Mapping of complementation groups within a Rhizobium leguminosarum CFN42 chromosomal region required for lipopolysaccharide synthesis. Mol. Gen. Genet. 221:125-128. 1990
  • Zeller, W.P., M. Goto, J. Parker, J.R. Cava, M.E. Gottschalk, J.P. Filkins and C. Hofmann. 1994. Glucose transporters (GLUT1,2,&4) in fat, muscle and liver in a rat model of endotoxic shock. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Comm. 198:923-927. 1994
  • Ghanayem NS, Hoffman GM, Mussatto KA, Cava JR, Frommelt PC et al. Home surveillance program prevents interstage mortality following the Norwood procedure. J of Thorac and Cardiovasc Surg. 126(5): 1367-77. 2003
  • Jaquiss RD, Ghanayem NS, Hoffman GM, Fedderly RT, Cava JR, Mussatto KA, Tweddell JS (2004) Early cavopulmonary anastomosis in very young infants after the Norwood procedure: impact on oxygenation, resource utilization, and mortality. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 127: 982-989
  • Stuth EAE, Stucke AG, Cava JR, Hoffman GM, Berens RJ (2004) Droperidol for perioperative sedation causes a transient prolongation of the QTc time in children under volatile anesthesia. Pediatric Anesthesia 14: 831-837
  • Cava J, Bevandic S, Steltzer M, Tweddell J (2005) A Medical Strategy to Reduce Persistent Chest Tube Drainage After the Fontan Operation. Am J Cardiol 96: 130-133
  • Berens RJ, Stuth EA, Robertson FA, Jaquiss RD, Hoffman GM, Troshynski TJ, Staudt SR, Cava JR, Tweddell JS, Bert Litwin S (2006) Near infrared spectroscopy monitoring during pediatric aortic coarctation repair. Paediatr Anaesth 16: 777-781
  • Zangwill SD, Brown MD, Bryke CR, Cava JR, Segura AD (2006) Marfan syndrome type II: there is more to Marfan syndrome than fibrillin 1. Congenit heart dis 1: 229-232
  • Jaquiss RD, Siehr SL, Ghanayem NS, Hoffman GM, Fedderly RT, Cava JR, Mussatto KA, Tweddell JS (2006) Early cavopulmonary anastomosis after Norwood procedure results in excellent Fontan outcome. Ann Thorac Surg 82: 1260-1265
  • Ghanayem NS, Jaquiss RD, Cava JR, Frommelt PC, Mussatto KA, Hoffman GM, Tweddell JS (2006) Right ventricle-to-pulmonary artery conduit versus Blalock-Taussig shunt: a hemodynamic comparison. Ann Thorac Surg 82: 1603-1609
  • Sachdeva R, Fiser R, Morrow W, Cava J, Ghanayem N, Jaquiss R (2007) Ruptured Tricuspid Valve Papillary Muscle: A Treatable Cause of Neonatal Cyanosis. Ann Thorac Surg 83: 680-682
  • Johnson BA, Hoffman GM, Tweddell JS, Cava JR, Basir M, Mitchell ME, Scanlon MC, Mussatto KA, Ghanayem NS (2009) Near-Infrared Spectroscopy in Neonates Before Palliation of Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. Ann Thorac Surg 87: 571-579
  • Kutty S, Cava JR, Frommelt MA (2009) Idiopathic Infantile Arterial Calcification: A Case Report of Prenatal and Postnatal Echocardiographic Diagnosis. Echocardiography
  • LaDisa J, Cava J, Dholakia R, Wendell D, Krolikowski M, Samyn M (2009) Computational simulations from cardiac magnetic resonance imaging reveal altered hemodynamics in coarctation patients previously treated by patch aortoplasty. J Cardiovasc Magn Reson 11: P211
  • Ghanayem NS, Hoffman GM, Mussatto KA, Frommelt MA, Cava JR, Mitchell ME, Tweddell JS (2010) Perioperative monitoring in high-risk infants after stage 1 palliation of univentricular congenital heart disease. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg

Book chapters

  • Cava JR, Danduran MJ, Fedderly RT and Sayger PL. Exercise recommendations and risk factors for sudden cardiac death. Pediatric Clinics of North America. 51(5), 1401-1420. 2004.
  • Ghanayem NS, Cava JR, Jaquiss RDB and Tweddell JS. Home monitoring of infants after stage one palliation for hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Seminars in Thorac. and Cardiovasc. Surg. 7, 32-38. 2004.
  • Cava JR, and Sayger PL. Chest pain in children and adolescents. Pediatric Clinics of North America. In press.