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Division Faculty


Karl T. Weber, MD

Director, Division of Cardiovascular Diseases
Neuton Stern Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine

Contact Information:
Email:    ktweber@utmem.edu
Office:  (901) 448-5750

Clinical/Research Interests:
Congestive heart failure (CHF): its pathogenesis and pathophysiologic expressions. Basic science studies focus on the neuroendocrine-immune interface gone awry, where hyperparathyroidism (HPT) in rats with aldosteronism accounts for a calcium loading and activation of diverse tissues. In the case of circulating immune cells, a resultant immunostimulatory state includes a proinflammatory phenotype with oxi/nitrosative stress, vascular invasion and wasting of soft tissue and bone. Translational studies in human CHF focus on Ca2+ & Mg2+ homeostasis, HPT, hypovitaminosis D, bone health and the role of diuretics.

Degree:  Temple University
Fellowship:  University of Alabama at Birmingham
Residency:  University of Alabama at Birmingham
Joined UT:  1999

Biographical Information:
Dr. Weber is the Neuton Stern Professor of Medicine and Director of the Division of Cardiovascular Diseases at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. He received his medical degree from Temple University School of Medicine, where he also completed his internship. After a 2-year stay at the National Institutes of Health’s Artificial Heart Program, he served his residency in internal medicine and fellowship in cardiology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Dr. Weber joined the Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular-Pulmonary Division, at the University of Pennsylvania as Assistant Professor in 1974, later becoming Associate Professor of Medicine and Director of the Cardio-Pulmonary Research Laboratories. In 1983 Dr. Weber was appointed Professor of Medicine at the University of Chicago and Director of the Cardiology Division and Cardiovascular Institute of the Michael Reese Hospital and Medical Center and in 1985 became the Harold H. Hines, Jr. Professor of Medicine. He joined the University of Missouri Health Sciences Center in 1990 serving as Chairman of the Department of Internal Medicine and Director of the Division of Cardiology through 1997. Dr. Weber’s research interests (NIH-funded since 1974) have focused on heart failure, its pathogenic origins and its pathophysiologic expressions. Among his many scientific contributions that have advanced the practice of medicine is his pioneering work into the importance of the heart’s extracellular matrix and mechanisms responsible for cardiac fibrosis. Dr. Weber is a prolific author with over 500 publications. He serves on several US and international editorial boards. He has been elected president of the Central Society for Clinical Research (1995–96) and the International Society for Heart Research, North American Section (1997–2000). Dr. Weber is the recipient of Moravian College (1987) and Temple University School of Medicine (1998) Alumni Achievement Awards. In 2002 he was elected into the International Academy of Cardiovascular Sciences and was selected as recipient of the Bowman Research Achievement Award presented by the Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences in Winnipeg, Canada. He is the 2005 recipient of the Makato Nagano Award for Distinguished Achievements in Cardiovascular Research presented by the International Academy of Cardiovascular Sciences.

Recent Publications:
  1. Weber KT, Simpson RU, Carbone LD. Vitamin D and calcium dyshomeostasis-associated heart failure. Heart. 2008;94:540-541.
  2. Weber KT, Munir A. Principles and applications of cardiopulmonary exercise testing. In: Fishman AP, Elias JA, Fishman JA, Grippi MA, Senior RM, Pack AI, eds. Fishman's Pulmonary Diseases and Disorders. 4th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill; 2008:611-628.
  3. Selektor Y, Weber KT. The salt-avid state of congestive heart failure revisited. Am J Med Sci. 2008;335:209-218.
  4. Selektor Y, Parker RB, Sun Y, Zhao W, Bhattacharya SK, Weber KT. Tissue 65zinc translocation in a rat model of chronic aldosteronism. J Cardiovasc Pharmacol. 2008;51:359-364.
  5. Selektor Y, Ahokas RA, Bhattacharya SK, Sun Y, Gerling IC, Weber KT. Cinacalcet and the prevention of secondary hyperparathyroidism in rats with aldosteronism. Am J Med Sci. 2008;335:105-110.
  6. Carbone LD, Rosenberg EW, Tolley EA, Holick MF, Hughes TA, Watsky MA, Barrow KD, Chen TC, Wilkin NK, Bhattacharya SK, Dowdy JC, Sayre RM, Weber KT. 25-Hydroxyvitamin D, cholesterol, and ultraviolet irradiation. Metabolism. 2008;57:741-748.
  7. Carbone LD, Cross JD, Raza SH, Bush AJ, Sepanski RJ, Dhawan S, Khan BQ, Gupta M, Ahmad K, Khouzam RN, Dishmon DA, Nesheiwat JP, Hajjar MA, Chishti WA, Nasser W, Khan M, Womack CR, Cho T, Haskin AR, Weber KT. Fracture risk in men with congestive heart failure. Risk reduction with spironolactone. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2008;52:135-138.
  8. Alsafwah S, LaGuardia SP, Nelson MD, Battin DL, Newman KP, Carbone LD, Weber KT. Hypovitaminosis D in African Americans residing in Memphis, Tennessee with and without heart failure. Am J Med Sci. 2008;335:292-297.
  9. Ahmad K, Gandhi MS, Smith WC, Weber KT. Bilateral pleural effusions in congestive heart failure. Am J Med Sci. 2008;335:484-488.
  10. Weber KT, Hefner LL, Rackley CE, Russell RO, Jr., Andreoli TE. In memoriam: T. Joseph Reeves, MD 1923-2007. Circulation. 2007;116:2356-2357.
  11. Weber KT. A dilemma on Orchid Island. Heart News and Views. 2007;15 (1):6-7.
  12. Weber KT. A Quebec quencher. Heart News and Views. 2007;14 (3):7-8.
  13. Thomas M, Vidal A, Bhattacharya SK, Ahokas RA, Sun Y, Gerling IC, Weber KT. Zinc dyshomeostasis in rats with aldosteronism. Response to spironolactone. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2007;293:H2361-H2366.
  14. Dockery BK, Newman KP. Exercise-induced asystole with syncope in a healthy young man. Am J Med Sci. 2007;334:145-148.
  15. Zhao W, Ahokas RA, Weber KT, Sun Y. ANG II-induced cardiac molecular and cellular events: role of aldosterone. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2006;291:H336-H343.
  16. Weber KT, Sun Y, Bhattacharya SK, Ahokas RA, Gerling IC. Remodeling of the cardiac interstitium in heart failure. In: Hosenpud JD, Greenberg BH, eds. Congestive Heart Failure. 3rd ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins; 2006:147-166.
  17. Weber KT. The stream of life. Spread the glorious news. Heart News and Views. 2006;14 (2):5-6.
  18. Weber KT. Focused issue: Macro- and micronutrients in congestive heart failure. Heart Fail Rev. 2006;11:5-6.
  19. Weber KT. The road to wasting is paved with lost minerals. Cardiology Rounds. 2006;10 (5):1-6.
  20. Weber KT. Complete with all the trimmings. Heart News and Views. 2006;14 (1):6-7.
  21. Vidal A, Sun Y, Bhattacharya SK, Ahokas RA, Gerling IC, Weber KT. The calcium paradox of aldosteronism and the role of the parathyroid glands. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2006;290:H286–H294.
  22. Sun Y, Ahokas RA, Bhattacharya SK, Gerling IC, Carbone LD, Weber KT. Oxidative stress in aldosteronism. Cardiovasc Res. 2006;71:300-309.
  23. Shirwany A, Weber KT. Extracellular matrix remodeling in hypertensive heart disease. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2006;48:97-98.
  24. Parker RB, Yates CR, Laizure SC, Weber KT. P-glycoprotein modulates aldosterone plasma disposition and tissue uptake. J Cardiovasc Pharmacol. 2006;47:55-59.
  25. LaGuardia SP, Dockery BK, Bhattacharya SK, Nelson MD, Carbone LD, Weber KT. Secondary hyperparathyroidism and hypovitaminosis D in African-Americans with decompensated heart failure. Am J Med Sci. 2006;332:112-118.
  26. Khouzam RN, Nelson MD, Klemis JE, Wall BM, Mangold TA, Weber KT. Effect of timed semi-recumbency and furosemide dosing on urinary sodium excretion in patients with compensated heart failure. Am J Med Sci. 2006;332:1-5.
  27. Khouzam RN, Dishmon DA, Farah V, Flax SD, Carbone LD, Weber KT. Secondary hyperparathyroidism in patients with untreated and treated congestive heart failure. Am J Med Sci. 2006;331:30-34.
  28. Goodwin KD, Ahokas RA, Bhattacharya SK, Sun Y, Gerling IC, Weber KT. Preventing oxidative stress in rats with aldosteronism by calcitriol and dietary calcium and magnesium supplements. Am J Med Sci. 2006;332:73-78.
  29. Bhattacharya SK, Ahokas RA, Carbone LD, Newman KP, Gerling IC, Sun Y, Weber KT. Macro- and micronutrients in African-Americans with heart failure. Heart Fail Rev. 2006;11:45-55.
  30. Arroyo M, LaGuardia SP, Bhattacharya SK, Nelson MD, Johnson PL, Carbone LD, Newman KP, Weber KT. Micronutrients in African-Americans with decompensated and compensated heart failure. Transl Res. 2006;148:301-308.
  31. Weber KT. Dark voyage of the Fearless Eagle. Heart News and Views. 2005;13 (3):9-10.
  32. Weber KT. All's well that ends well. Heart News and Views. 2005;13 (2):6-7.
  33. Weber KT. Please don't take my sunshine away. Heart News and Views. 2005;13 (1):6-7.
  34. Weber KT. Are myocardial fibrosis and diastolic dysfunction reversible in hypertensive heart disease? Congest Heart Fail. 2005;11:322-324.
  35. Weber KT. The proinflammatory heart failure phenotype: a case of integrative physiology. Am J Med Sci. 2005;330:219-226.
  36. Wang B, Ansari R, Sun Y, Postlethwaite AE, Weber KT, Kiani MF. The scar neovasculature after myocardial infarction in rats. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2005;289:H108-H113.
  37. Sun Y, Weber KT. Renin angiotensin aldosterone system and cardiac extracellular matrix. In: Villarreal FJ, ed. Interstitial Fibrosis in Heart Failure. New York: Springer; 2005:167-180 (Developments in Cardiovascular Medicine series).
  38. Sun Y, Weber KT. Animal models of cardiac fibrosis. Methods Mol Med. 2005;117:273-290.
  39. Runyan AL, Sun Y, Bhattacharya SK, Ahokas RA, Chhokar VS, Gerling IC, Weber KT. Responses in extracellular and intracellular calcium and magnesium in aldosteronism. J Lab Clin Med. 2005;146:76-84.
  40. Runyan AL, Chhokar VS, Sun Y, Bhattacharya SK, Runyan JW, Weber KT. Bone loss in rats with aldosteronism. Am J Med Sci. 2005;330:1-7.
  41. Law PH, Sun Y, Bhattacharya SK, Chhokar VS, Weber KT. Diuretics and bone loss in rats with aldosteronism. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2005;46:142-146.
  42. Kamalov G, Varma BR, Lu L, Sun Y, Weber KT, Guntaka RV. Expression of the multifunctional Y-box protein, YB-1, in myofibroblasts of the infarcted heart. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2005;334:239-244.
  43. Guntaka RV, Weber KT. Molecular strategies for the prevention of cardiac fibrosis. In: Villarreal FJ, ed. Interstitial Fibrosis in Heart Failure. New York: Springer; 2005:329-341 (Developments in Cardiovascular Medicine series).
  44. Chhokar VS, Sun Y, Bhattacharya SK, Ahokas RA, Myers LK, Xing Z, Smith RA, Gerling IC, Weber KT. Hyperparathyroidism and the calcium paradox of aldosteronism. Circulation. 2005;111:871-878.
  45. Campos PC, D'Cruz IA, Johnson LS, Malhotra A, Ramanathan KB, Weber KT. Functional valvular incompetence in decompensated heart failure. Noninvasive monitoring and response to medical management. Am J Med Sci. 2005;329:217-221.
  46. Ahokas RA, Sun Y, Bhattacharya SK, Gerling IC, Weber KT. Aldosteronism and a proinflammatory vascular phenotype. Role of Mg2+, Ca2+ and H2O2 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Circulation. 2005;111:51-57.
  47. Weber KT, Sun Y, Gerling IC, Ahokas RA. Aldosterone in congestive heart failure. In: Martini L, ed. Encyclopedia of Endocrine Diseases Encyclopedia of Endocrine Diseases. San Diego: Academic Press; 2004:151-157.
  48. Weber KT. The devil is in the details. Heart News and Views. 2004;12 (3):4-5.
  49. Weber KT. A case of the swooning housewife. Heart News and Views. 2004;12 (2):5-6.
  50. Weber KT. The neuroendocrine-immune interface gone awry in aldosteronism. Cardiovasc Res. 2004;64:381-383.
  51. Weber KT. Moratorium on mayhem lest there be a requiem. Heart News and Views. 2004;12 (1):4-5.
  52. Weber KT. Furosemide in the long-term management of heart failure. The good, the bad and the uncertain. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2004;44:1308-1310.
  53. Weber KT. Efficacy of aldosterone receptor antagonism in heart failure: potential mechanisms. Curr Heart Fail Rep. 2004;1:51-56.
  54. Weber KT. From inflammation to fibrosis: a stiff stretch of highway. Hypertension. 2004;43:716-719.
  55. Weber KT. Fibrosis in hypertensive heart disease: focus on cardiac fibroblasts. J Hypertens. 2004;22:47-50.
  56. Sun Y, Zhang J, Lu L, Bedigian MP, Robinson AD, Weber KT. Tissue angiotensin II in the regulation of inflammatory and fibrogenic components of repair in the rat heart. J Lab Clin Med. 2004;143:41-51.
  57. Sun Y, Weber KT. Tissue renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. Its role in tissue repair. In: Martini L, ed. Encyclopedia of Endocrine Diseases. San Diego: Academic Press; 2004:586-593.
  58. Sun Y, Weber KT. Wound healing and the tissue renin angiotensin aldosterone system. In: De Mello WC, ed. Renin Angiotensin System and the Heart. London: John Wiley & Sons; 2004:137-160.
  59. Chhokar VS, Sun Y, Bhattacharya SK, Ahokas RA, Myers LK, Xing Z, Smith RA, Gerling IC, Weber KT. Loss of bone minerals and strength in rats with aldosteronism. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2004;287:H2023-H2026.
  60. Weber KT, Sun Y, Wodi LA, Munir A, Jahangir E, Ahokas RA, Gerling IC, Postlethwaite AE, Warrington KJ. Toward a broader understanding of aldosterone in congestive heart failure. J Renin Angiotensin Aldosterone Syst. 2003;4:155-163.
  61. Weber KT, Singh KD, Hey JC. Idiopathic intracranial hypertension with primary aldosteronism: report of two cases. Review Series Neurology. 2003;1 (1):18-19.
  62. Weber KT, Gerling IC, Kiani MF, Guntaka RV, Sun Y, Ahokas RA, Postlethwaite AE, Warrington KJ. Aldosteronism in heart failure: a proinflammatory/fibrogenic cardiac phenotype. Search for biomarkers and potential drug targets. Curr Drug Targets. 2003;4:505-516.
  63. Weber KT. Biting encounters. Mahogany Flats and a cascade of characters. Heart News and Views. 2003;11 (3):5.
  64. Weber KT. A neuroendocrine-immune interface. The immunostimulatory state of aldosteronism. Herz. 2003;28:692-701.
  65. Weber KT. Infarct scar. Living tissue. In: Singal PK, Dixon IM, Kirshenbaum LA, Dhalla NS, eds. Cardiac Remodeling and Failure. Boston: Kluwer; 2003:334-343 (Progress in Experimental Cardiology series).
  66. Weber KT. Aldosteronism revisited. Perspectives on less well-recognized actions of aldosterone. J Lab Clin Med. 2003;142:71-82.
  67. Sun Y, Weber KT. Cardiac repair following infarction. In: Dhalla NS, Chockalingam A, Berkowitz HI, Singal PK, eds. Frontiers in Cardiovascular Health. Boston: Kluwer; 2003:29-35.
  68. Sun Y, Weber KT. RAS and connective tissue in the heart. Int J Biochem Cell Biol. 2003;35:919-931.
  69. Slight SH, Lamparter S, Ganjam VK, Weber KT. Subcutaneous pouch: a model for studying corticosteroid-modulation of tissue repair. Recent Res Develop Mol Cell Biochem. 2003;1:11-29.
  70. Guntaka RV, Varma BR, Weber KT. Triplex-forming oligonucleotides as modulators of gene expression. Int J Biochem Cell Biol. 2003;35:22-31.
  71. Gerling IC, Sun Y, Ahokas RA, Wodi LA, Bhattacharya SK, Warrington KJ, Postlethwaite AE, Weber KT. Aldosteronism: an immunostimulatory state precedes the proinflammatory/fibrogenic cardiac phenotype. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2003;285:H813-H821.
  72. Ahokas RA, Warrington KJ, Gerling IC, Sun Y, Wodi LA, Herring PA, Lu L, Bhattacharya SK, Postlethwaite AE, Weber KT. Aldosteronism and peripheral blood mononuclear cell activation. A neuroendocrine-immune interface. Circ Res. 2003;93:e124-e135.
Revised: July 22, 2008
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