Kalyanam Shivkumar

Dr. Kalyanam Shivkumar is a distinguished Professor of Medicine (Cardiology), Radiology, and Bioengineering at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He serves as the Director of the UCLA Neurocardiology Research Program of Excellence and previously directed the UCLA Cardiac Arrhythmia Center & EP Programs from 2002-2025. Dr. Shivkumar is also the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology: Clinical Electrophysiology and leads multiple NIH-funded research initiatives.

• University of Madras, Kilpauk Medical College (MD, 1991)
• UCLA (PhD in Physiology, 2000)
• Henry Ford Hospital (Internal Medicine Residency & Chief Residency)
• UCLA/Cedars Sinai Medical Center (Cardiology & Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology Fellowships)

Dr. Shivkumar specializes in interventional cardiac electrophysiology with research focusing on the mechanisms of cardiac arrhythmias, particularly the role of the autonomic nervous system in sudden cardiac death. His work bridges basic/translational and clinical research, developing innovative techniques like epicardial ablation and neuromodulation for cardiac arrhythmia management. His research transcends single-organ perspectives, contributing significantly to neurovisceral sciences. The UCLA Neurocardiology Research Program, which he established in 2014, serves as the specialized research arm of the Arrhythmia Center.

Analysis of Dr. Shivkumar's recent publications reveals a strong focus on neurocardiology, with particular emphasis on cardiac innervation, autonomic nervous system regulation, and innovative ablation techniques. His work spans from fundamental anatomical studies to clinical consensus statements and therapeutic innovations, demonstrating a comprehensive approach to understanding and treating cardiac arrhythmias through neurocardiological perspectives.

• Fellow, American College of Cardiology (ACC)
• Fellow, American Society of Clinical Investigation (ASCI)
• Fellow, Association of American Physicians (AAP)
• Fellow, Association of University Cardiologists (AUC)
• Honorary Fellow, Royal College of Physicians, London (FRCP)
• President, International Society of Autonomic Neuroscience (ISAN)
• Editor-in-Chief, JACC: Clinical Electrophysiology

Dr. Shivkumar has mentored numerous PhD candidates and received multiple teaching awards. His research has been continuously funded by the NIH since 2006, with current grants including an NIH Program Project Grant on cardiac arrhythmia mechanisms and leadership of a Leducq Foundation International consortium grant on bioelectronics for neurocardiology. He previously oversaw a 15-university NIH consortium investigating neural control of the heart. His intellectual property has been incorporated into FDA-approved medical devices currently in clinical use.

Dr. Shivkumar founded the Amara-Yad Project, an open-access knowledge portal for medical education that provides detailed cardiac anatomy resources. He leads the UCLA Neurocardiology Research Program of Excellence, which focuses on human mechanistic studies, development of new intellectual property, and medical technology for cardiovascular therapeutics. His team actively investigates cardiac neuromodulation approaches to treat chronic cardiovascular diseases through closed-loop systems.