Kevin J. Whitehead,
MD
Languages Spoken: English, French, Norwegian
Dr. Kevin Whitehead is an Associate Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at the University of Utah, and Adjunct Associate Professor of Pediatric Cardiology at Primary Children's Medical Center. He also is an Attending Physician at the George E. Wahlen Veterans Affairs Medical Center. He is co-director of the Utah Adult Congenital Heart Disease Program and is board certified in Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Disease, Adult Congenital Heart Disease and Comprehensive Echocardiography. He cares for adults with congenital heart disease, heart disease in pregnancy, and other patients with cardiac complications of genetic diseases (such as muscular dystrophies). As an outgrowth of his interests in congenital and genetic cardiovascular diseases, Dr. Whitehead is also the Director of the Utah Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia (HHT) Center of Excellence, and in this role provides overall medical management and coordination of care to HHT patients seen at the University.
Dr. Whitehead received his M.D. from the University of Alberta, and did an Internal Medicine residency at the University of Western Ontario. He completed Cardiology fellowship and a Cardiovascular Research fellowship at the University of Utah, where he was named a Pfizer Cardiovascular Research Fellow in 2000. He is a fellow of the American Heart Association, and a member of the American Society of Echocardiography and the North American Vascular Biology Organization.
Clinical Locations
Primary Children's Hospital
801-213-3599
Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center
208-367-2121
Fax: (801) 581-7735
Cardiovascular Center
801-585-7676
Fax: (801) 581-7735
Utah Adult Congential Heart Clinic
801-585-7676
Fax: (801) 581-7735
HHT Center
801-581-8188
Fax: (801) 581-7735
Board Certification and Academic Information
| Academic Departments | Internal Medicine
-
Associate Professor Pediatrics - Adjunct Associate Professor |
| Academic Divisions | Cardiovascular Medicine Pediatric Cardiology |
| Board Certification | American Board of Internal Medicine (Internal Medicine) American Board of Internal Medicine (Sub: Adult Congenital Heart Disease) American Board of Internal Medicine (Sub: Cardiovascular Disease) Fellow of Royal College of Physicians of Canada National Board of Echocardiography |
Patient Rating
The Patient Rating score is an average of all responses to care provider related questions on our nationally-recognized Press Ganey Patient Satisfaction Survey.
Responses are measured on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the best score.
Likelihood of recommending care provider
4.9/ 5
Care provider's explanation of condition/problem
4.8/ 5
Care provider's effort to include me in decisions
4.7/ 5
Wait time at clinic
4.3/ 5
Care provider's concern for questions & worries
4.7/ 5
Patient Comments
Patient comments are gathered from our Press Ganey Patient Satisfaction Survery and displayed in their entirety. Patients are de-identified for confidentiality and patient privacy.
Dr. Kevin Whitehead is an Associate Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at the University of Utah, and Adjunct Associate Professor of Pediatric Cardiology at Primary Children's Medical Center. He also is an Attending Physician at the George E. Wahlen Veterans Affairs Medical Center. He is co-director of the Utah Adult Congenital Heart Disease Program and is board certified in Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Disease, Adult Congenital Heart Disease and Comprehensive Echocardiography. He cares for adults with congenital heart disease, heart disease in pregnancy, and other patients with cardiac complications of genetic diseases (such as muscular dystrophies). As an outgrowth of his interests in congenital and genetic cardiovascular diseases, Dr. Whitehead is also the Director of the Utah Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia (HHT) Center of Excellence, and in this role provides overall medical management and coordination of care to HHT patients seen at the University.
Dr. Whitehead received his M.D. from the University of Alberta, and did an Internal Medicine residency at the University of Western Ontario. He completed Cardiology fellowship and a Cardiovascular Research fellowship at the University of Utah, where he was named a Pfizer Cardiovascular Research Fellow in 2000. He is a fellow of the American Heart Association, and a member of the American Society of Echocardiography and the North American Vascular Biology Organization.
Academic Locations
Research Statement
Kevin Whitehead, MD is an Associate Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at the University of Utah, and Adjunct Associate Professor of Pediatric Cardiology at Primary Children's Medical Center. He also is an Attending Physician at the George E. Wahlen Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
His research interests are focused on cardiovascular development and vascular malformation syndromes. He began his research career as a postdoctoral fellow studying mouse models of hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT). This work blossomed into a clinical interest in HHT and he now co-directs the Utah HHT Center of Excellence that follows a large number of patients with this rare genetic disorder, having seen over 1250 patients in the 20 years since the clinic's inception. He is interested in defining outcomes, risks and biomarkers in this well-characterized population of patients, and advancing promising therapies into clinical trials.
His interest in inherited vascular malformation syndromes includes models and mechanisms of disease and development for cerebral cavernous malformations, another inherited vascular malformation that predisposes to hemorrhagic stroke and seizures. He has developed mouse models for the three known genetic causes of CCM and is exploring disease mechanisms and testing therapeutic approaches for CCM with these models. This continues to include an interest in defining the role of these genes in normal cardiovascular development.
Board Certification and Academic Information
| Academic Departments | Internal Medicine
-
Associate Professor Pediatrics - Adjunct Associate Professor |
| Academic Divisions | Cardiovascular Medicine Pediatric Cardiology |
| Board Certification | American Board of Internal Medicine (Internal Medicine) American Board of Internal Medicine (Sub: Adult Congenital Heart Disease) American Board of Internal Medicine (Sub: Cardiovascular Disease) Fellow of Royal College of Physicians of Canada National Board of Echocardiography |
Research Interests
- Developmental Biology
- Adult Congenital Heart Disease
- Vascular Development
Education History
| Fellowship | University of Utah School of Medicine Cardiology Fellow, 2004 |
| Residency | University of Western Ontario Internal Medicine Resident, 1998 |
| Internship | University of Western Ontario Internal Medicine Intern, 1996 |
| Professional Medical | University of Alberta - School of Medicine Medicine M.D., 1995 |
| Undergraduate | University of Alberta Medical Science B.Med.Sci., 1993 |
| Undergraduate | University of Lethbridge Biochemistry , 1991 |
| Undergraduate | University of Lethbridge Pre-Medicine , 1987 |
Selected Publications - Journal Articles
Journal Article
- Andrade L, Hoskoppal A, Hunt Martin M, Whitehead K, Ou Z, Kuang J, Cox D (2020). Intracranial aneurysm and coarctation of the aorta: prevalence in the current era. Cardiol Young, 31(2), 229-232.
- Hart BL, Mabray MC, Morrison L, Whitehead KJ, Kim H (2021). Systemic and CNS manifestations of inherited cerebrovascular malformations. Clin Imaging, 75, 55-66.
- Faughnan ME, Mager JJ, Hetts SW, Palda VA, Lang-Robertson K, Buscarini E, Deslandres E, Kasthuri RS, Lausman A, Poetker D, Ratjen F, Chesnutt MS, Clancy M, Whitehead KJ, Al-Samkari H, Chakinala M, Conrad M, Cortes D, Crocione C, Darling J, de Gussem E, Derksen C, Dupuis-Girod S, Foy P, Geisthoff U, Gossage JR, Hammill A, Heimdal K, Henderson K, Iyer VN, Kjeldsen AD, Komiyama M, Korenblatt K, McDonald J, McMahon J, McWilliams J, Meek ME, Mei-Zahav M, Olitsky S, Palmer S, Pantalone R, Piccirillo JF, Plahn B, Porteous MEM, Post MC, Radovanovic I, Rochon PJ, Rodriguez-Lopez J, Sabba C, Serra M, Shovlin C, Sprecher D, White AJ, Winship I, Zarrabeitia R (2020). Second International Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia. Ann Intern Med, 173(12), 989-1001.
- Kilian A, Latino GA, White AJ, Clark D, Chakinala MM, Ratjen F, McDonald J, Whitehead K, Gossage JR, Lin D, Henderson K, Pollak J, McWilliams JP, Kim H, Lawton MT, Faughnan ME, the Brain Vascular Malformation Consortium HHT Investigator Group (2020). Genotype-Phenotype Correlations in Children with HHT. J Clin Med, 9(9).
- McDonald J, Bayrak-Toydemir P, DeMille D, Wooderchak-Donahue W, Whitehead K (2020). Curaçao diagnostic criteria for hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia is highly predictive of a pathogenic variant in ENG or ACVRL1 (HHT1 and HHT2). Genet Med, 22(7), 1201-1205.
- Shanmugam G, Wang D, Gounder SS, Fernandes J, Litovsky SH, Whitehead K, Radhakrishnan RK, Franklin S, Hoidal JR, Kensler TW, DellItalia L, Darley-Usmar V, Abel ED, Jones DP, Ping P, Rajasekaran NS (2021). Reductive Stress Causes Pathological Cardiac Remodeling and Diastolic Dysfunction. Antioxid Redox Signal, 32(18), 1293-1312.
- Flemming KD, Kumar S, Brown RD Jr, Singh RJ, Whitehead K, McCreath L, Lanzino G (2020). Cavernous Malformation Hemorrhagic Presentation at Diagnosis Associated with Low 25-Hydroxy-Vitamin D Level. Cerebrovasc Dis, 49(2), 216-222.
- Polster SP, Stadnik A, Akers AL, Cao Y, Christoforidis GA, Fam MD, Flemming KD, Girard R, Hobson N, Koenig JI, Koskimki J, Lane K, Liao JK, Lee C, Lyne SB, McBee N, Morrison L, Piedad K, Shenkar R, Sorrentino M, Thompson RE, Whitehead KJ, Zeineddine HA, Hanley DF, Awad IA (2018). Atorvastatin Treatment of Cavernous Angiomas with Symptomatic Hemorrhage Exploratory Proof of Concept (AT CASH EPOC) Trial. Neurosurgery, 85(6), 843-853.
- Tang AT, Sullivan KR, Hong CC, Goddard LM, Mahadevan A, Ren A, Pardo H, Peiper A, Griffin E, Tanes C, Mattei LM, Yang J, Li L, Mericko-Ishizuka P, Shen L, Hobson N, Girard R, Lightle R, Moore T, Shenkar R, Polster SP, Roedel CJ, Li N, Zhu Q, Whitehead KJ, Zheng X, Akers A, Morrison L, Kim H, Bittinger K, Lengner CJ, Schwaninger M, Velcich A, Augenlicht L, Abdelilah-Seyfried S, Min W, Marchuk DA, Awad IA, Kahn ML (2018). Distinct cellular roles for PDCD10 define a gut-brain axis in cerebral cavernous malformation. Sci Transl Med, 11(520).
- Gonzalez CD, Cipriano SD, Topham CA, Stevenson DA, Whitehead KJ, Vanderhooft S, Presson AP, McDonald J (2019). Localization and age distribution of telangiectases in children and adolescents with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia: A retrospective cohort study. J Am Acad Dermatol, 81(4), 950-955.
- Wooderchak-Donahue WL, Akay G, Whitehead K, Briggs E, Stevenson DA, OFallon B, Velinder M, Farrell A, Shen W, Bedoukian E, Skrabann CM, Antaya RJ, Henderson K, Pollak J, Treat J, Day R, Jacher JE, Hannibal M, Bontempo K, Marth G, Bayrak-Toydemir P, McDonald J (2019). Phenotype of CM-AVM2 caused by variants in EPHB4: how much overlap with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT)? Genet Med, 21(9), 2007-2014.
- Balakrishnan B, Verheijen J, Lupo A, Raymond K, Turgeon C, Yang Y, Carter KL, Whitehead KJ, Kozicz T, Morava E, Lai K (2019). A novel phosphoglucomutase-deficient mouse model reveals aberrant glycosylation and early embryonic lethality. J Inherit Metab Dis, 42(5), 998-1007.
- Lyne SB, Girard R, Koskimki J, Zeineddine HA, Zhang D, Cao Y, Li Y, Stadnik A, Moore T, Lightle R, Shi C, Shenkar R, Carrin-Penagos J, Polster SP, Romanos S, Akers A, Lopez-Ramirez M, Whitehead KJ, Kahn ML, Ginsberg MH, Marchuk DA, Awad IA (2019). Biomarkers of cavernous angioma with symptomatic hemorrhage. JCI Insight, 4(12).
- Wooderchak-Donahue WL, McDonald J, Farrell A, Akay G, Velinder M, Johnson P, VanSant-Webb C, Margraf R, Briggs E, Whitehead KJ, Thomson J, Lin AE, Pyeritz RE, Marth G, Bayrak-Toydemir P (2018). Genome sequencing reveals a deep intronic splicing ACVRL1 mutation hotspot in Hereditary Haemorrhagic Telangiectasia. J Med Genet, 55(12), 824-830.
- Girard R, Zeineddine HA, Koskimki J, Fam MD, Cao Y, Shi C, Moore T, Lightle R, Stadnik A, Chaudagar K, Polster S, Shenkar R, Duggan R, Leclerc D, Whitehead KJ, Li DY, Awad IA (2018). Plasma Biomarkers of Inflammation and Angiogenesis Predict Cerebral Cavernous Malformation Symptomatic Hemorrhage or Lesional Growth. Circ Res, 122(12), 1716-1721.
- Thomson RS, Molin NL, Whitehead KJ, Ashby S, Johnson L, Ward PD, McRae BR, Wilson KF, McDonald J (2018). The effects of nasal closure on quality of life in patients with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia. Laryngoscope Investig Otolaryngol, 3(3), 178-181.
- Weber LM, McDonald J, Whitehead K (2018). Vitamin D levels are associated with epistaxis severity and bleeding duration in hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia. Biomark Med, 12(4), 365-371.
- Girard R, Zeineddine HA, Fam MD, Mayampurath A, Cao Y, Shi C, Shenkar R, Polster SP, Jesselson M, Duggan R, Mikati AG, Christoforidis G, Andrade J, Whitehead KJ, Li DY, Awad IA (2017). Plasma Biomarkers of Inflammation Reflect Seizures and Hemorrhagic Activity of Cerebral Cavernous Malformations. Transl Stroke Res, 9(1), 34-43.
- Akers A, Al-Shahi Salman R, A Awad I, Dahlem K, Flemming K, Hart B, Kim H, Jusue-Torres I, Kondziolka D, Lee C, Morrison L, Rigamonti D, Rebeiz T, Tournier-Lasserve E, Waggoner D, Whitehead K (2016). Synopsis of Guidelines for the Clinical Management of Cerebral Cavernous Malformations: Consensus Recommendations Based on Systematic Literature Review by the Angioma Alliance Scientific Advisory Board Clinical Experts Panel. Neurosurgery, 80(5), 665-680.
- Whitehead KJ, Sautter NB, McWilliams JP, Chakinala MM, Merlo CA, Johnson MH, James M, Everett EM, Clancy MS, Faughnan ME, Oh SP, Olitsky SE, Pyeritz RE, Gossage JR (2016). Effect of Topical Intranasal Therapy on Epistaxis Frequency in Patients With Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA, 316(9), 943-51.
- Hunter BN, Timmins BH, McDonald J, Whitehead KJ, Ward PD, Wilson KF (2016). An evaluation of the severity and progression of epistaxis in hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia 1 versus hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia 2. Laryngoscope, 126(4), 786-90.
- McDonald J, Wooderchak-Donahue W, VanSant Webb C, Whitehead K, Stevenson DA, Bayrak-Toydemir P (2015). Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia: genetics and molecular diagnostics in a new era. Front Genet, 6, 1.
- Gibson CC, Zhu W, Davis CT, Bowman-Kirigin JA, Chan AC, Ling J, Walker AE, Goitre L, Delle Monache S, Retta SF, Shiu YT, Grossmann AH, Thomas KR, Donato AJ, Lesniewski LA, Whitehead KJ, Li DY (2015). Strategy for identifying repurposed drugs for the treatment of cerebral cavernous malformation. Circulation, 131(3), 289-99.
- Mleynek TM, Chan AC, Redd M, Gibson CC, Davis CT, Shi DS, Chen T, Carter KL, Ling J, Blanco R, Gerhardt H, Whitehead K, Li DY (2014). Lack of CCM1 induces hypersprouting and impairs response to flow. Hum Mol Genet, 23(23), 6223-34.
Video/Film/CD/Web/Podcast
- Cure HHT (2019). Dr Whitehead's Interview Highlighting Utah HHT Center [Video]. Pompano Beach, Florida: Cure HHT.
Global Impact
Education History
| Residency | University of Western Ontario Internal Medicine Resident |
| Internship | University of Western Ontario Internal Medicine Intern |
| Professional Medical | University of Alberta - School of Medicine Medicine M.D. |
| Undergraduate | University of Alberta Medical Science B.Med.Sci. |
| Undergraduate | University of Lethbridge Biochemistry |
| Undergraduate | University of Lethbridge Pre-Medicine |