Franz Rischard, DO, MSc

Associate Dean, Clinical Research

Medical Director, Pulmonary Hypertension Program

Professor, Medicine (Clinical Scholar Track)

Member, Sarver Heart Center Member, Comprehensive Center for Pain & Addiction

Over more than 25 years at the University of Arizona, he has helped build the pulmonary hypertension program into a national center for clinical care, training, and research. He chairs the Pulmonary Vascular Research Institute (PVRI) Exercise Task Force and has published more than 100 peer-reviewed manuscripts. He has served as principal or co-principal investigator on 15 research grants, including awards from the NIH/NHLBI and American Heart Association, and as a site principal investigator or steering committee member for more than 70 clinical trials.

Selected Publications:

R.R. Vanderpool , B. Larive , E.M. Horn , F.P. Rischard , S.G. the Pulmonary Vascular Disease Phenomics (PVDOMICS). Right Ventricular Diastolic Stiffness Across the Spectrum of Pulmonary Hypertension. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care. 2021. A1183-A1183.

Waxman, AB, Risbano MG, Frantz RP, Manimaran S, Lu J and Rischard F. The SPECTRA Study: A Phase 2a Single-Arm, Open-Label, Multicenter Exploratory Study to Assess the Effects of Sotatercept for the Treatment of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH). American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. 2021. A1187-A1187.

A.B. Waxman , S. Kennedy , M. Jorge , J.M. Overhage , M.G. Risbano , S.Y. Chan , F.P. Rischard , E. Horn , R.T. Zamanian. Application of Clinical and Molecular Phenotyping to Pulmonary Hypertension Using the TriAxia Health Platform. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine 2021;203:A4203.

Insel, M, Elaini TE and Rischard FP. Invasive Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing in Patients Following Submassive and Massive Pulmonary Embolism with Post Pulmonary Embolism Dyspnea. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine 2021;203:A3719

S.D. Nathan , V.F. Tapson , J.M. Elwing , F.P. Rischard , J.P. Mehta , S. Shapiro , E. Shen , L. Edwards , P.M. Smith , A.B. Waxman. Efficacy of Inhaled Treprostinil on Multiple Disease Progression Events in Patients with Pulmonary Hypertension Due to Parenchymal Lung Disease in the INCREASE Trial. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine 2021;203:A1027.

O. Rafikova , F.P. Rischard , M. Zemskova , J.X.J. Yuan , A.A. Desai , J.G.N. Garcia , R. Rafikov. The Role of Plasma Redox Status and Gender in Cytokine Profiling in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine 2021;203:A3645.

Alexandra M Janowski, Keeley Ravellette, Joe G Garcia, Franz Rischard and Rebecca Vanderpool. Identification of Intermediate Right Ventricular Phenotypes Using Consensus Clustering in Patients With Pulmonary Hypertension. Circulation. 2021;144:A13977.

Steven Stroud, Michael Insel, Tushar Acharya and Franz Rischard. Therapeutic Improvements in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Are Related to Cardiopulmonary Function but Not Skeletal Muscle Oxygen Extraction. Circulation. 2021;144:A9677

C. Uhland , M. Insel , S.C. Stroud , S. Kubba , F.P. Rischard. Oxygen Utilization as a Primary Mediator of Age-Related Functional Decline in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine 2022. In press.

M. Insel , C. Uhland , S. Stroud , F.P. Rischard.Phenotypic Heterogeneity in WSPH Group 1 PAH Is Explained by Differences in Peripheral Oxygen Extraction. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine 2022. In press.

N. Habib , N. Sher , A. Tandon , S. Kubba , M. Insel , A. Chatterjee , M. Seckeler , F.P. Rischard.To Drain or Not to Drain: Hemodynamic Characterization of Tamponade in PAH. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine 2022. In press.

Methamphetamine and idiopathic PAH: Similar treatment, similar outcomes. Cole Uhland, Angela Gibbs, Michael Insel, Saad Kubba, Franz Rischard. European Respiratory Journal Sep 2023, 62 (suppl 67) PA1204; DOI: 10.1183/13993003.congress-2023.PA1204

G. Khludenev, F.P. Rischard, and M. Insel. The Relationship Between Respiratory Mechanics and Pulmonary Capillary Wedge Pressure in Patients With COPD-associated Pulmonary Hypertension Undergoing Invasive Cardio-pulmonary Exercise Testing (abstract). Am J Respir Crit Care Med2024;209:A4002.

R. Wig, F.P. Rischard, H. Gudi, K. Yaddanapudi, and M. Insel. The Association of Acute Pulmonary Embolism Severity With Subsequent Post-Pulmonary Embolism Dyspnea (abstract). Am J Respir Crit Care Med2024;209:A2167.

B. Call, M. Insel, and F.P. Rischard. Respiratory Variability of Pulmonary Arterial and Pulmonary Capillary Wedge Pressure as a Measure for Intrathoracic Pressure in Group I Pulmonary Hypertension Patients With Obesity (abstract). Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2024;209:A2143.

C. Uhland, A. Gibbs, M. Insel, S. Kubba, and F.P. Rischard. From Highs to Lows: Impact of Continued Methamphetamine Usage on Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (abstract). Am J Respir Crit Care Med2024;209:A7364.

Degrees

University of Idaho, 1994 (BS)
University of Idaho, 1996 (MS)
Western University of Health Sciences, 2000 (DO)
University of Arizona Health Sciences Center, 2003 (Residency)
University of Arizona Health Sciences Center, 2006 (Fellowship)

Awards

International Fellow, Royal Society of Medicine, London, England, 2019
Best Doctors list; Best Doctors USA , 2013-2019
House staff Educator of the Year; University of Arizona, 2003
The President’s Award: Awarded to the first ranking medical student in each class at graduation, 2000
Western Student Medial Research Committee Award for Excellence in Research, 1998

Teaching Interests

He is committed to mentoring residents, fellows, and junior faculty in pulmonary hypertension and clinical research.

Research Interests

His research focuses on right ventricular adaptation and disease reverse remodeling in pulmonary vascular disease, as well as health equity and the effects of social adversity in pulmonary hypertension.

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