Kalyanam Shivkumar

Kalyanam Shivkumar serves as Professor of Medicine and Professor of Radiological Sciences at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), with significant contributions to cardiac electrophysiology and neurocardiology. His work spans clinical practice, research, and editorial leadership in major cardiology journals.

His research focuses on the intersection of cardiac electrophysiology and the autonomic nervous system, particularly exploring neural mechanisms of arrhythmias and developing neuromodulation therapies. Key areas include ventricular tachycardia ablation in structural heart disease, cardiac sympathetic denervation, and anatomical studies of the heart's neural architecture. His recent publications emphasize 3D cardiac imaging, neuroanatomical mapping, and clinical applications of cardioneuroablation.

Shivkumar has contributed to numerous consensus statements and editorial directions for the JACC family of journals. His publication trends reveal a growing emphasis on anatomical precision in electrophysiological procedures, with frequent collaborations on cardiac imaging techniques and autonomic regulation studies.

• JACC: Clinical Electrophysiology Young Author Achievement Award Winner (2024)
• Co-editor of special journal issues on cardiac neurobiology
• Contributor to international consensus statements on ventricular arrhythmia management

As Director of the UCLA Cardiac Arrhythmia Center, he leads clinical and research initiatives in complex arrhythmia management. His mentorship extends through the UCLA Neuroscience Interdepartmental PhD Program and Bioscience Graduate Programs, fostering interdisciplinary research between cardiology and neuroscience. Current projects include the Amara Yad Project for cardiac anatomy education and translational studies on bioelectronic neuromodulation.

Shivkumar directs research programs investigating neural substrates of ventricular arrhythmias, with NIH-funded work on stellate ganglion modulation and cardiac innervation mapping. His laboratory employs advanced techniques including photogrammetry, neural mapping, and computational modeling to study cardiac neural control.