Tarek Alsaied, MD, MSc FACC

  • Assistant Professor of Pediatrics

Tarek Alsaied, MD, MS, is a pediatric cardiologist and is certified in pediatrics, and pediatric cardiology by the American Board of Pediatrics. He received his medical degree from Damascus University Medical School and completed his pediatric residency at American University of Beirut Medical Center, followed by an additional pediatric residency and pediatric cardiology fellowship at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and an advanced cardiovascular imaging fellowship at Boston Children’s hospital, Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Alsaied’s clinical interests include novel therapies for Fontan physiology, imaging markers in Fontan circulation by cardiac MRI in collaboration with heart failure, hepatology, and radiology, and cardiac MRI research. He has published more than 125 peer reviewed manuscripts and has received several awards from pediatric cardiology imaging societies including an early career award from the Society of Cardiac MRI.

Education & Training

  • MD, Dascus University Medical School, Syria, 2008
  • Residency in Pediatrics, American University of Beirut Medical Center, 2011
  • Residency in Pediatrics,Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 2014
  • Fellowship in Pediatric Cardiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 2017
  • Fellowship in Advanced Cardiovascular Imaging, Boston Children's Hospital, 2018

Selected Publications

Binka E, Urbina EM, Manlhiot C, Alsaied T, Brady TM. Association of Childhood Blood Pressure Level with Left Atrial Size and Function (SHIP AHOY). J Pediatr. 2022 Dec 2:S0022-3476(22)01091-5. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2022.11.031. PMID: 36470463

Avitabile CM, McBride MG, Zhang X, Ampah S, Goldstein BH, Alsaied T, Wittekind SG, Whitehead KK, Zemel BS, Paridon SM. Peak Work Rate Increases With Lower Extremity-Focused Exercise Training in Adolescents With Fontan Circulation. J Am Heart Assoc. 2022 Dec 14:e027464. doi: 10.1161/JAHA.122.027464. PMID: 36515264

Gunsaulus M, Bueno A, Bright C, Snyder K, Das N, Dobson C, DeBrunner M, Christopher A, Hoskoppal A, Follansbee C, Arora G, Olivieri L, Alsaied T. The Use of Automated Atrial CMR Measures and a Novel Atrioventricular Coupling Index for Predicting Risk in Repaired Tetralogy of Fallot. Children. 2023 Feb 18;10(2):400. doi: 10.3390/children10020400. PMID: 36832529.

Smith KL, Gordon EB, Gunsaulus ME, Christopher A, Olivieri LJ, Tadros SS, Harris T, Saraf AP, Kreutzer J, Feingold B, Alsaied T. Surrogates of Muscle Mass on Cardiac MRI Correlate with Exercise Capacity in Patients with Fontan Circulation. J Clin Med. 2023 Apr 4;12(7):2689. doi: 10.3390/jcm12072689.PMID: 37048773

Bigelow AM, Riggs KW, Morales DLS, Opotowsky AR, Lubert AM, Dillman JR, Veldtman GR, Heydarian HC, Trout AT, Cooper DS, Goldstein SL, Chin C, Palermo JJ, Ollberding NJ, Mays WA, Alsaied T. Isosorbide DiNitrate Effect on Hemodynamic Profile, Liver Stiffness, and Exercise Tolerance in Fontan Circulation (The NEET Clinical Trial). Pediatr Cardiol. 2023 Apr 21:1-9. doi: 10.1007/s00246-023-03156-3. PMID: 37084132 

Katz DA, Gao Z, Freytag J, Mahendran A, Szugye C, Woodly S, Alvarez TCE, Lubert AM, Alsaied T, Goldstein SL, Opotowsky AR. Associations Between Characteristics of Individuals With Fontan Circulation With Blood and Urine Biomarkers of Kidney Injury and Dysfunction. J Am Heart Assoc. 2023 Jul 4;12(13):e029130. doi: 10.1161/JAHA.122.029130. Epub 2023 Jun 22.PMID: 37345835

Hickey G, Ratnayake C, Elliot A, Alsaied T, Fabio A, Cook S, Hindes M, Hoskoppal A, Saraf A. Long-Term outcomes in adult patients with congenital heart disease considered for transplantation: A single center study. Clin Transplant. 2023 Aug 17:e15101. doi: 10.1111/ctr.15101. PMID: 37589828

Gunsaulus M, Alsaied T, Tersak JM, Friehling E, Rose-Felker K. Abnormal Global Longitudinal Strain During Anthracycline Treatment Predicts Future Cardiotoxicity in Children. Pediatr Cardiol. 2023 Aug 22. doi: 10.1007/s00246-023-03275-x. PMID: 37606650

Van den Eynde J, Possner M, Alahdab F, Veldtman G, Goldstein BH, Rathod RH, Hoskoppal AK, Saraf A, Feingold B, Alsaied T. Strategies for thromboprophylaxis in Fontan circulation: A network meta-analysis. J Am Coll Cardiol.  2023 Jan 31;81(4):374-389. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2022.10.037.PMID: 36697138

Academic and Research Interests

  • Fontan
  • Congenital heart disease
  • Cardiac MRI
  • Echocardiography
  • Cardiac CT Scan