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INFORMATION FOR

    Basmah Safdar, MD, FACEP

    Professor of Emergency Medicine
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    Additional Titles

    Vice Chair for Faculty Affairs and Development, Emergency Medicine

    Co-Chair, Chest Pain Center

    Safdar Lab

    The Safdar Lab focuses on conducting sex and gender-specific research in microvascular health, focusing on the heart, brain, and COVID-19.
    Visit Lab Website

    About

    Titles

    Professor of Emergency Medicine

    Vice Chair for Faculty Affairs and Development, Emergency Medicine; Co-Chair, Chest Pain Center

    Biography

    Basmah Safdar, M.D. is an internationally recognized scholar in sex and gender-specific research with a focus on microvascular health - in the heart, brain and now COVID-19. Funded by a diverse grant portfolio (NIH, CDC, Foundations and Investigator Initiated Industry awards) she has successfully conducted numerous clinical trials and translational research in emergency settings. She leads the Yale CMD (coronary microvascular dysfunction) Registry that intersects with a multi-disciplinary clinical program addressing the systemic nature of microvascular dysfunction including in COVID-19.
    Dr. Safdar co-chaired the 2014, Society of Academic Emergency Medicine Consensus Conference on “Sex and Gender Specific Research – Investigate, Understand and Translate how Gender Affects Patient Outcomes” leading the advocacy to address disparities in patient care. She teaches and speaks regularly on this topic at regional and national forums.

    In her capacity as the Medical Director of the Chest Pain Center (formerly leading the Women’s Heart Program at Yale New Haven Hospital), Dr. Safdar adeptly combines a data driven approach with extensive operational and content expertise to drive clinical program advancement, programmatic efficiencies, and champions the implementation of value-based chest pain care through the health care delivery continuum.

    In her operational and administrative responsibilities, Dr. Safdar applies a systems lens merging her academic expertise with a servant leadership ethos to foster consensus and establish standardized efficient practices. She is deeply committed to cultivating equitable and transparent platforms for patients and physician workforce. Nationally, she recently completed a 3-year term as President of Academy for Women in Academy Emergency Medicine (AWAEM), a national organization for Emergency Medicine and used this platform to collate faculty development resources for early and mid-career women faculty in emergency medicine. She remains committed to teaching and to provide mentorship to undergraduates, medical students, residents, fellows, and faculty at Yale. In her role as Vice Chair, Dr. Safdar leads the faculty affairs, development and mentorship program for the department.

    In recognition of her service and exceptional leadership, Dr. Safdar was sponsored by the Dean to participate in the 2023-2024 Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine® (ELAM) Program. This prestigious initiative is dedicated to cultivating a diverse cohort of accomplished women leaders poised to make significant contributions to academic medicine's leadership landscape.

    Appointments

    Other Departments & Organizations

    Education & Training

    MSc
    Harvard University, Cardiovascular Epidemiology (2013)
    Resident
    Yale-New Haven Hospital (2004)
    Chief Resident
    Yale New Haven Hospital (2004)
    MD
    Aga Khan University (1999)

    Research

    Overview

    Dr. Safdar has been following the sex-specific signals of microvascular dysfunction for the past two decades. Her original work on physiological reactivity testing in chest pain patients helped uncover a signal for microvascular dysfunction in low-moderate risk ED chest pain patients. This discovery led to the use of cardiac PET/CT in describing a clinical phenotype of coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) in ED patient. Her team has described the clinical profile of these patients from ED settings, identified a potential biomarker with a prognostic role in these patients as well as described other determinants such as electrocardiographic signatures and short-term outcomes for these patients. Yale is pleased to be one of the few EDs in the country to routinely evaluate chest pain patients for CMD. Dr. Safdar leads the Yale CMD biorepository that prospectively enrolls patients with CMD along with a biorepository including genetic samples for future testing. The next direction of her work is to assess the role of sex and endothelial dysfunction in precision based personalized medicine.


    Medical Research Interests

    Cardiovascular Diseases; Cerebral Small Vessel Diseases; Chest Pain; Clinical Trial; COVID-19; Emergency Medicine; Exercise Therapy; Healthcare Disparities; Leadership; Microvascular Angina; Translational Research, Biomedical; Women's Health

    Public Health Interests

    Women's Health

    • ORCID

      0000-0002-9640-7133
    • Lab Whisk Cup Streamline Icon: https://streamlinehq.com

      Safdar Lab

      The Safdar Lab focuses on conducting sex and gender-specific research in microvascular health, focusing on the heart, brain, and COVID-19.

      View Lab Website

    Research at a Glance

    Yale Co-Authors

    Frequent collaborators of Basmah Safdar's published research.

    Publications

    Featured Publications

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    Clinical Trials

    Current Trials

    Academic Achievements & Community Involvement

    • honor

      The Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine® (ELAM®) program

      National AwardDrexel University
    • honor

      Women Executive Leaderhip Program

      National AwardImpact Center
    • honor

      AWAEM Midcareer Award

      National AwardSociety of Academic Emergency Medicine
    • honor

      Momentum Leadership Award

      National AwardAcademy for Women in Emergency Medicine
    • honor

      Best Clinical Science Research Award, Resident Category

      National AwardSociety of Academic Emergency Medicine

    Clinical Care

    Overview

    Basmah Safdar, MD, specializes in emergency medicine with a focus on microvascular health, particularly in the heart and brain, and its relation to COVID-19.

    Dr. Safdar has expertise in coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD), a type of heart disease that affects small blood vessels that regulate blood flow to heart tissue. She leads the Yale CMD Registry and is the medical director of the Chest Pain Center at Yale New Haven Hospital, where she works to improve how chest pain is treated, using data-driven approaches to enhance patient care.

    “I pride myself on having the ability to find a needle in a haystack, all the while maintaining the ability to see and care for the patient as a whole,” Dr. Safdar says. “Emergency medicine is a team sport. It’s a dynamic environment that requires the ability to work with a diverse team of healthcare professionals. Collaboration is necessary to provide high-quality care to every patient.”

    A professor of emergency medicine at Yale School of Medicine, Dr. Safdar's research explores how differences in vascular biology between men and women affect health, particularly focusing on microvascular dysfunction—a condition where small blood vessels don't function properly, reducing blood flow and causing symptoms like chest pain.

    Her work has led to advancements in understanding chest pain in emergency settings and the identification of clinical phenotypes and biomarkers that may predict outcomes. She leads a large research team and has built a significant portfolio from federal, foundation, and industry grants, extending her research into precision medicine.

    In her role as Vice Chair at Yale School of Medicine, Dr. Safdar brings 25 years of expertise in faculty development and communication strategies within medical and academic settings. She focuses on developing early and mid-career faculty through tailored curricula designed to equip healthcare professionals with essential skills for navigating complex clinical environments and promoting patient-centered care through effective collaboration and time management.

    She earned her medical degree from Aga Khan University in Pakistan, completed residency and chief residency in emergency medicine at Yale School of Medicine, and holds a master of science in cardiovascular epidemiology from Harvard University. She is a 2024 Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) Fellow, a testament to her vision, skills, and dedication.

    Clinical Specialties

    Emergency Medicine

    Fact Sheets

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    Board Certifications

    • Emergency Medicine

      Certification Organization
      AB of Emergency Medicine
      Latest Certification Date
      2016
      Original Certification Date
      2005

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    Locations

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