Preventive Cardiovascular Research Group 

Iwona Świątkiewicz, MD, PhD, FESC

Visiting Scholar

Dr.  Świątkiewicz is a Professor of Medicine in Nicolaus Copernicus University, Collegium Medicum, Bydgoszcz, Poland. Her medical training and specialization include internal medicine and cardiology. She has been involved in research, teaching, and clinical activities, and participated in numerous professional events, teaching courses, workshops, and scientific meetings. She published more than 100 articles in peer-reviewed journals and several book chapters. Her research interests are focused on the diagnostic and prognostic value of echocardiography and biomarkers in cardiac diseases, efficacy and safety of transcatheter structural cardiac interventions, circadian clock disruption in cardiometabolic diseases, impact of pharmacologic intervention and lifestyle changes on cardiometabolic risk, and clinical and translational research in cardiovascular diseases. Her clinical areas of activities include non-invasive cardiology, echocardiography, prevention of heart disease, management of heart defects, coronary disease and heart failure, transcatheter structural cardiac interventions, as well as evidence-based tailored approach to care of individual patients.

Antoinette S. Birs, MD

Investigator

Antoinette Birs, MD is a board-certified cardiologist specializing in advanced heart failure, mechanical circulatory support, and heart transplantation. She has particular expertise in cardiometabolic health, transplant recipient longevity, and cardiac allograft vasculopathy.

Dr. Birs is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine, where she is actively involved in teaching medical students, residents, and fellows. Her research focuses on cardiometabolic health and transplant vasculopathy, as well as completing a two-year NIH/NHLBI–funded T32 research fellowship focused on transplant vasculopathy. Her work has been published in leading medical journals, and she serves as an investigator on clinical trials involving heart failure, transplant populations, and cardiometabolic disease.

She completed her internal medicine residency training at the University of Washington, followed by fellowship training in cardiovascular disease and advanced heart failure and transplantation at UC San Diego, where she served as Chief Cardiology Fellow. Dr. Birs is board-certified in internal medicine, cardiovascular disease, and advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology.

She is a member of the American Heart Association, the American College of Cardiology, the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation, and the Heart Failure Society of America.

Edward K. Duran, MD, MSc

Investigator

Dr Duran is a clinical cardiologist, echocardiographer, and population health scientist at UC San Diego. Prior to general cardiology fellowship at the University of Minnesota, he completed 3 years of an NIH/NHLBI funded T32 post-doctoral fellowship in cardiovascular epidemiology and clinical trials at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School and a concurrent Masters of Science in epidemiology from the Harvard School of Public Health.

In his first two years as faculty at UCSD, he received the Cardiovascular Medicine Fellowship Faculty Teaching Award, was selected a scholar for both the NIH-UCSD Future Faculty of Cardiovascular Sciences (FOCUS) program and UCSD Health Sciences Center of Excellence, and has become one of the three providers in the UCSD Health Lipid Clinic.

His prior research has focused on lipid and inflammatory biomarkers as predictors of cardiometabolic events including cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes in large datasets using case-cohort and unsupervised learning methodology. He hopes to help train a new generation of cardiovascular population health scientists at UC San Diego.

Jia Shen, MD

Investigator

Jia Shen, MD, is a board-certified cardiologist who specializes in the treatment and prevention of heart disease.

As an assistant professor at UC San Diego School of Medicine, Dr. Shen's research interests include cardiac rehabilitation, global burden of cardiovascular disease and risk factors, distribution of cardiovascular health services in low-resource settings, and biomarkers in cardiovascular disease.

Dr. Shen was named outstanding fellow during her fellowship training in cardiovascular disease at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, where she also completed her residency training in internal medicine. She earned her medical degree from St. Louis University School of Medicine in Missouri. She also holds a Master of Public Health degree from Harvard School of Public Health in Boston. She is board certified in internal medicine and cardiovascular disease.

In addition to English, Dr. Shen is fluent in Mandarin.

Marissa Dzotsi

Clinical Research Coordinator

Marissa earned her MPH with a concentration in Health Policy from UCSD in 2024 and a BA in Biology with minors in Chemistry and Non-Profit Social Enterprise/Philanthropy from USD. During her time at USD, she gained hands-on experience as a Care Coordinator for high-risk Medi-Cal recipients at La Maestra Community Health Centers, deepening her commitment to health equity. She also conducted research in Dr. Jessica Bell’s Biochemistry lab, exploring the phosphorylation of the SIKE protein. As captain of USD’s women’s rowing team, Marissa developed resilience, leadership, and teamwork skills, which she now channels into mentoring first-generation student-athletes at Hoover High School in City Heights. She also founded TriumphConnected, LLC., a platform supporting collegiate athletes in building careers beyond sports. Marissa’s research focuses on metabolic disorders and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), addressing healthcare disparities and driving impactful, accessible solutions for underserved communities. 

Gavin Mclaren

Clinical Research Coordinator

Skylar Johnson

Clinical Research Coordinator

Skylar Johnson graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Madison in 2017 with a B.S. in Psychology and is currently pursuing a Master of Public Health at Indiana University – Bloomington, with an expected graduation in 2026. She joined Preventive Cardiovascular Research Group in 2024, brining a strong foundation of clinical expertise and a deep understanding of patient care gained through her experience as an ophthalmology technician and scribe. She is excited about transitioning into clinical research and dedicated to advancing innovative studies that enhance patient outcomes, particularly for individuals with cardiovascular conditions. She is committed to contributing to healthcare innovation by addressing complex health challenges through high-quality research. Outside of her professional life, Skylar enjoys reading, traveling, and spending time with her dog. She is also exploring her creative side through crochet, blending her curiosity and love for new challenges into her hobbies. 

Lauren Harris

Clinical Research Coordinator

Lauren holds degrees in Psychology and Medical Science. With a strong passion for exploring novel treatment options and improving patient care, she is dedicated to advancing healthcare through innovative research. Outside of her professional pursuits, Lauren enjoys hiking, traveling, and immersing herself in music, which allows her to recharge and stay inspired.

Mariam Marooki

Volunteer

Mariam Marooki, is a third year student at UC San Diego planning to graduate in June of 2025. She is majoring in Molecular and Cell Biology and hopes to pursue a career in medicine as a practicing physician. Mariam joined the Preventive Cardiovascular Research Group in June of 2024 with hopes of contributing to innovative approaches in preventive cardiology and understanding the different ways of enhancing patient care. Throughout her time at the lab, Mariam has been exploring the impacts of time-restricted eating on patients with type II diabetes and is excited further explore how this treatment can be integrated into clinical practice to improve the overall quality of care for patients. 

Outside of school and research, Mariam enjoys baking, taking walks on the beach, and spending quality time with family and friends.