My research focuses on clinical and translational studies of inflammatory cardiac and vascular diseases. Specific disorders include, Giant Cell Myocarditis (GCM), Cardiac Sarcoidosis, Eosinophillic Myocarditis, Takayasu's Arteritis, and Thromboangiitis Obliterans (Buerger's Disease). GCM is a deveastating disease with an overall rate of death or heart transplantation of about 89%. The Giant Cell Myocarditis Treatment Trial and Registry is a federally-funded, multicenter study designed to test the hypothesis that immunosuppression aimed at T cell inhibition will prolong transplant-free survival in patients with biopsy-proven GCM. Details of the GCM trial are available at www.clinicaltrials.gov. Other active projects include participation in IMAC-2, a multicenter, NIH-funded study to determine the genetic basis of lft ventricular recovery in acute, dilated cardiomyopathy. We also are conducting a trial of immunoadsorption for chronic diilated cardiomyopathy.