Christian Anderson, MD, PhD, a graduating fellow in our Cardiovascular Diseases Fellowship Program, said his interests and priorities were free to evolve at the University of Iowa.
His path here began in 2019, when he and his wife sought reputable training programs through the couples’ match. As a Physician Scientist Training Pathway (PSTP) resident, Anderson had his eye on Iowa’s fellowship programs from the outset.
When the pair matched at Iowa in their respective programs, they prepared to move—during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Anderson described the transition as a “surreal experience,” recalling the pair’s first trip from Ohio to Iowa.
“No one was on the highway as we drove, and we passed signs urging people to stay inside. We wore gloves and masks to a house showing with our realtor,” Anderson said. “It was our first time experiencing Iowa, and I’ll never forget it.”
Anderson also remembers how this period shaped the start of his residency. Those who began training during the pandemic learned to navigate patient care under strict protocols, which included limiting time during consultations. Although he understood the necessity of restrictions, he longed for the kind of comprehensive, inquiry-driven patient interactions that he believes lie at the heart of good academic medicine.
“What I like about being a physician-scientist is I get to see patients and find answers,” Anderson said. “Working in Cardiac Genetics I get to talk to them in depth about their condition, I see things that people can’t explain very well or even at all, and then I take these inquiries back to the lab to find a solution.”
Eventually, Anderson will get to watch that cycle play out in his own independent investigations. As he works to that point, he has the CVD fellowship program, his mentors, and the strong community here at Internal Medicine to draw inspiration from.
“The clinical faculty and people you work with here are amazing—everyone from the cardiologists to the residents. They made my experience what it is, and I’m excited to work with them in a new capacity.”
Why Iowa?
Anderson first developed an interest in the heart’s electrical signaling during his medical training, influenced by his background in biomedical engineering. An electrophysiology focus, then, became a natural next step for Anderson in his fellowship.
Originally, he focused on clinical electrophysiology. But after deciding to explore this focus further through research, the CVD program supported Anderson’s new direction, helping him adapt his professional goals.
“Iowa gives you the opportunity to do whatever you want to do. It’s unique because it has all the resources you could ask for, but also all the opportunities.”
Director of the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Barry London, MD, PhD, and Professor of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics Christopher Ahern, PhD, brought Anderson into the research that has helped him set out on a new path as a scientist. While fresh to this research scene, he found that London and Ahern prioritized helping him branch out and grow.
Working jointly between the London and Ahern labs, he has been able to use a new mouse developed in the Ahern lab that the team uses to examine ion channels that drive the heart’s electrical activity. In the process, Anderson contributed to a publication in Circulation Research that provides the basis for their future investigations into the mechanisms underlying irregular heart rhythms in patients who have had heart attacks.
“I don’t think I would have had this opportunity from anywhere else,” he said. “I have the clinical background in Cardiology, but my PhD was in an entirely different field. I was basically a blank slate, and Dr. London and Dr. Ahern said, ‘That’s not a problem—let’s do science.’”
What’s next?
After graduating, Anderson will step into a staff cardiologist position at UI Health Care, starting his post-fellowship career where his training first began.
He jokes, “I can’t tell if the fellows are excited or afraid to staff with me for four weeks next year.”
Broadly, Anderson has his sights set on a research-focused career. As for location, he says he hopes to stay in the area after his wife completes her UI training program.
