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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.
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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.

Also a professor (emergency medicine) at Yale School of Medicine, Dr. Safdar's research explores how sex and gender impact health, with a particular interest in microvascular dysfunction. Her work has led to advancements in understanding chest pain in emergency settings and the identification of biomarkers that may predict outcomes. She is committed to teaching and mentoring medical students, residents, and faculty.

Dr. Safdar earned her medical degree from Aga Khan University in Pakistan and completed her residency at Yale New Haven Hospital. 

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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