Stephanie Nakano, MD
Pediatric Cardiology
Locations
Practice Locations
Children's Hospital Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
720-777-1234
Provider Expertise
Clinical Interest for Patients
My clinical focus is on the care of children and young adults with decreased heart function (including those with cardiomyopathy, myocarditis, single ventricle congenital heart disease, and following heart transplantation) as well as those with general pediatric cardiology conditions.
Care Philosophy
Pediatric heart diseases are not simply adult heart problems in children. My goals are to help families navigate through this unique world of pediatric heart disease, and expand our understanding of these conditions in order to have effective pediatric-focused treatments for the future.
Specialties
- Pediatrics ( 2010 )
- Pediatric Cardiology ( 2014 )
Conditions & Treatments
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Heart and Circulation
Cardiomyopathy, Congenital Heart Disease, Heart Failure, Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Education & Training
Medical Schools
MD, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine (2007)
Undergraduate Schools
BS, University of California–Los Angeles (CA) (2003)
Residency Program
Children's Hospital-Oakland Program (2010)
Fellowships
University of Colorado (Children's Hospital Colorado) Program (2014)
Professional Memberships
American Academy of Pediatrics, Fellow
American Heart Association, FAHA
International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation, Member
International Society for Heart Research, Member
Research & Grants
Grants
Circulating Unconventional T Cells in Pediatric Heart Transplant Recipients: From Pathogenesis to Biomarker (2022)
Cardiomyocyte Autonomous Contractility Defects in Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS) (2023)
Consequences of Impaired T Cell Homeostasis in Single Ventricle Congenital Heart Disease (2024)
Research Interests for Patients
My research interests are focused on identifying why some children with single ventricle heart disease do well with surgical palliation while others are prone to heart failure. Increasing our understanding of heart failure in this population is essential to improving outcomes for the future.
information for referring providers
Referral Contact Phone
Referring Patients Link
Clinical Interests for Referring Providers
My clinical focus is on the care of children and young adults with decreased heart function (including those with cardiomyopathy, myocarditis, single ventricle congenital heart disease, and following heart transplantation) as well as those with general pediatric cardiology conditions.
Research Interest for Referring Providers
As a physician caring for children with heart failure, some of whom have required heart transplantation, I am continually faced with fundamental knowledge gaps that place limits on both quality and quantity of their lives. These barriers are particularly evident in pediatric patients with complex congenital heart disease, including single ventricle heart disease. Thus, I am motivated to improve outcomes for single ventricle patients by connecting the clinical and basic science domains as a physician-scientist. Leading a research team that works primarily with patient-derived samples, we aim to define alterations and adaptations that co-exist in single ventricle patients, extending beyond their cardiac anatomy. Our two primary goals are to understand (1) inherent cardiomyocyte abnormalities and (2) immune dysregulation in single ventricle patients, both of which may predispose a subset of single ventricle patients to early heart failure.
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