Zeenat Safdar, MD

Dr. Zeenat Safdar is an Associate Professor of Medicine, Houston Methodist Academic Institute, and Director of Clinical Research and Pulmonary Hypertension Program, Houston Methodist Hospital Lung Center in Houston, Texas. She is also an Adjunct Associate Professor of Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine.

Dr. Safdar serves as a Chair of Young Council at Pulmonary Vascular Research Institute, Pulmonology Chair at the Pulmonary Hypertension Association Online University, and National Chair at PHA on the Road program. She serves as Registries and Databases Workforce leader at PH council of International Society of Heart Lung Transplantation (ISHLT).

Dr. Safdar is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians, American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST), and Pulmonary Vascular Research Institute. She is a member of the PH Council of International Society of Heart Lung Transplant, American Thoracic Society and Texas Medical Association.

She has been invited to serve as the session facilitator, presenter, and abstract reviewer and selector at the International Conference of the ATS, CHEST and ISHLT. Dr. Safdar has served as an invited reviewer for the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Respiratory Medicine and Therapeutic Advances in Respiratory Disease and serves as a member of the editorial board of several journals.

Dr. Safdar’s principal area of interest is Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH), specifically translational research, clinical research and clinical trials. Her recent research has focused on the contribution of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system to the pathophysiology of PAH. She is the principal and co-investigator of several ongoing clinical trials including

• REATA - a phase 2 dose-ranging study of efficacy and safety of Bardoxolone Methyl in PAH
• LIBERTY - a phase 2 study of Ubenimex in patient with PAH
• TRANSIT-1 - a study to Assess the Tolerability and the Safety of the Transition From Inhaled Treprostinil to Oral Selexipag in PAH
• Chronic ThromboEmbolic Pulmonary Hypertension registry
• TRITON - The Efficacy and Safety of Initial Triple Versus Initial Dual Oral Combination Therapy in Patients With Newly Diagnosed PAH
• RIN-PH - Safety and Efficacy of Inhaled Treprostinil in Adult PH With ILD Including CPFE

 The Houston Methodist Hospital Pulmonary Hypertension program also provides expert care for patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). As a Director of the IPF program, she serves as a lead investigator of several ongoing IPF clinical trials including 

• RIFF study - a phase 2 randomized placebo-controlled clinical study to assess the safety and efficacy of Lebrikizumab in IPF
• RAINIER study - a phase 2 multicenter study to assess the efficacy and safety of Simtuzamab in IPF

 She was the site investigator of several complete IPF clinical trials such as

• ARTEMIS-IPF - ambrisentan for IPF
• ARTEMIS-PH - ambrisentan in PH associated with IPF
• MUSIC - macitentan for IPF

 Dr. Safdar is the recipient of a K23 grant from the National Institute of Health (NIH) and several other grants from non-profit organizations.  Her research has been published in prominent, high impact journals.