Prof. Dr. Marlin Touma | Genetics | Best Researcher Award

Faculty | UCLA – David Geffen School of Medicine | United States

Dr. Marlin Touma is an esteemed physician-scientist specializing in neonatal-perinatal medicine, congenital heart defects, and cardiovascular research. She currently serves as an Associate Professor-in-Residence at the David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA. With extensive experience in both clinical and research settings, Dr. Touma has contributed significantly to understanding congenital heart disease, neonatal cardiovascular development, and regenerative medicine. She is the Director of the UCLA Congenital Heart Defects Research Program and the UCLA Congenital Heart Defects-BioCore.

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Strengths for the Awards✨

• Extensive Research and Leadership

  • Founder and Principal Investigator of the UCLA Congenital Heart Defects-BioCore since 2013.
  • Director of the UCLA Congenital Heart Defects Research Program since 2020.
  • Multiple leadership roles at David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.

• Significant Contributions to Cardiovascular Research

  • Ph.D. in Molecular, Cellular & Integrative Physiology from UCLA.
  • Research on genetics and genomics of congenital heart defects, a critical area in neonatal-perinatal medicine.
  • Involvement in NIH research programs and review panels, demonstrating national recognition.

• Recognition and Awards

  • Outstanding Research Award (Mead Johnson, 2011, American Academy of Pediatrics).
  • Finalist Award (2021 Mid-Career Research Scholar Award, International Society for Heart Research).
  • Multiple invited speaker and session chair roles at AHA, ISHR, and UCLA cardiovascular symposia.
  • Travel and research awards from AHA, NIH, and other prestigious institutions.

• Educational and Clinical Excellence

  • Trained at Harvard Medical School, UCLA, and Damascus University.
  • Board-certified in General Pediatrics and Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine.
  • Director of programs that integrate cutting-edge research with clinical applications.

🎓 Education

• M.D. (1992) – Damascus University School of Medicine, Syria
• Pediatrics Residency (1992-1996) – Children’s Hospital of Damascus University, Syria
• Senior Pediatric Residency (1995-1996) – Children’s Hospital of Damascus University, Syria
• Master’s Degree (Postgraduate Diploma) (1997) – Damascus University, Syria
• Pediatrics Residency (2005-2008) – Dell Children’s Medical Center, University of Texas Medical Branch, USA
• Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine Fellowship (2008-2011) – Harvard Medical School, USA
• Ph.D. in Molecular, Cellular & Integrative Physiology (2015) – University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), USA

💼 Experience

• Current Positions:
  • Associate Professor-in-Residence, Department of Pediatrics, UCLA
  • Director, UCLA Congenital Heart Defects-BioCore
  • Director, UCLA Congenital Heart Defects Research Program
• Previous Positions:
  • Clinical Instructor in Pediatrics, UCLA (2011-2014)
  • Assistant Professor-in-Residence, UCLA (2014-2021)
  • Fellow in Neonatology, Harvard Medical School (2008-2011)
  • Pediatric Resident, Dell Children’s Medical Center, University of Texas Medical Branch (2005-2008)
  • Senior Pediatrician, Al Obaid General Hospital, Saudi Arabia (2000-2002)

📝 Research Interests On Genetics

Dr. Touma’s research focuses on congenital heart defects, neonatal cardiovascular development, and gene-environment interactions in heart disease. She is particularly interested in molecular mechanisms regulating heart development, regenerative therapies, and translational approaches to improve pediatric cardiovascular health.

🏆 Awards & Honors

• Award for Excellence (Top Ten Students in Country) – Syrian Ministry of Higher Education
• Best Resident in Pediatrics Award – Damascus University
• Outstanding Research Award – American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference (2011)
• UCLA STAR Award for Doctoral Scholarship Admission (2011)
• Finalist Award – Mid-Career Research Scholar Award – International Society for Heart Research (2021)
• International Abstract Travel Award – International Society for Heart Research (2022)
• Distinguished Speaker & Session Chair – Multiple conferences, including AHA and ISHR

📚 Publications

Dr. Touma has authored numerous research articles in high-impact journals. Some selected publications include:

• Repression of Sox9 by Jag1 is continuously required to suppress the default chondrogenic fate of vascular smooth muscle cells

  • Authors: A Briot, A Jaroszewicz, CM Warren, J Lu, M Touma, C Rudat, JJ Hofmann, …
  • Year: 2014
  • Citations: 81

• COVID-19: molecular diagnostics overview

  • Author: M Touma
  • Year: 2020
  • Citations: 76

• Nkx2-5 suppresses the proliferation of atrial myocytes and conduction system

  • Authors: Y Nakashima, DA Yanez, M Touma, H Nakano, A Jaroszewicz, …
  • Year: 2014
  • Citations: 68

• Whole genome sequencing identifies SCN2A mutation in monozygotic twins with Ohtahara syndrome and unique neuropathologic findings

  • Authors: M Touma, M Joshi, MC Connolly, P Ellen Grant, AR Hansen, O Khwaja, …
  • Year: 2013
  • Citations: 63

• Decoding the long noncoding RNA during cardiac maturation: a roadmap for functional discovery

  • Authors: M Touma, X Kang, Y Zhao, AA Cass, F Gao, R Biniwale, G Coppola, …
  • Year: 2016
  • Citations: 48

• Improved pulmonary vascular reactivity and decreased hypertrophic remodeling during nonhypercapnic acidosis in experimental pulmonary hypertension

  • Authors: H Christou, OM Reslan, V Mam, AF Tanbe, SH Vitali, M Touma, E Arons, …
  • Year: 2012
  • Citations: 38

• Ppp1r1b-lncRNA inhibits PRC2 at myogenic regulatory genes to promote cardiac and skeletal muscle development in mouse and human

  • Authors: X Kang, Y Zhao, G Van Arsdell, SF Nelson, M Touma
  • Year: 2020
  • Citations: 36

• p38 Mitogen-activated protein kinase regulates chamber-specific perinatal growth in heart

  • Authors: T Yokota, J Li, J Huang, Z Xiong, Q Zhang, T Chan, Y Ding, C Rau, …
  • Year: 2020
  • Citations: 34

• Maternal calorie restriction causing uteroplacental insufficiency differentially affects mammalian placental glucose and leucine transport molecular mechanisms

  • Authors: A Ganguly, M Touma, S Thamotharan, DC De Vivo, SU Devaskar
  • Year: 2016
  • Citations: 30

• Wnt11 regulates cardiac chamber development and disease during perinatal maturation

  • Authors: M Touma, X Kang, F Gao, Y Zhao, AA Cass, R Biniwale, X Xiao, …
  • Year: 2017
  • Citations: 27

• Echocardiographic markers of pulmonary hemodynamics and right ventricular hypertrophy in rat models of pulmonary hypertension

  • Authors: F Spyropoulos, SH Vitali, M Touma, CD Rose, CR Petty, P Levy, …
  • Year: 2020
  • Citations: 23

• A path to implement precision child health cardiovascular medicine

  • Authors: M Touma, B Reemtsen, N Halnon, J Alejos, JP Finn, SF Nelson, Y Wang
  • Year: 2017
  • Citations: 17

📄 Conclusion

Dr. Marlin Touma is a renowned expert in neonatal cardiovascular research with an impressive track record of clinical excellence, academic achievements, and innovative research. As a leading scientist in congenital heart defects and pediatric cardiology, her work continues to shape the future of neonatal medicine and cardiovascular health worldwide.