Dr. Melvin
Scheinman is Professor of Medicine, Walter H. Shorenstein
Endowed Chair in Cardiology, and one of the founding fathers of the
field of cardiac electrophysiology. Dr. Melvin Scheinman is one of
the founding pioneers of clinical cardiac electrophysiology. He grew
up in Brooklyn, New York and took his undergraduate degree at Johns
Hopkins University where he graduated first in his class. Postgraduate
medical education included Albert Einstein College of Medicine, residency
training at the University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill) and cardiology
training at the University of California, San Francisco Medical Center.
Dr. Scheinman is best known as the first person to have performed catheter ablation
in humans. This was done after extensive animal studies. Dr. Scheinman and his
team used high-energy direct current shocks and were the first to ablate accessory
pathways and used this technique to ablate the fast AV nodal pathway.
Dr. Scheinman and his colleagues were
instrumental in the development of radiofrequency energy applications
for a whole gamut of cardiac arrhythmias. More recently, Dr. Scheinman
and his colleagues have developed techniques for modification of sinus
node function in patients with inappropriate sinus tachycardia and
for cure of patients with automatic junctional tachycardia.
Dr. Scheinman is also well known for his work in defining the role of electrophysiologic
studies in determining need for pacemakers in patients with AV conduction disturbances.
He was the first to initiate combined pacemaker and beta-blocker therapy for
patients with the long QT syndrome. He was among the first to prove the efficacy
of intravenous amiodarone therapy for patients with malignant ventricular tachycardia.
Dr. Scheinman's current interest revolve about use of new antiarrhythmic agents
(i.e., Ibutilide, Azimalide) and in defining the basic mechanisms of unusual
forms of atrial flutter. Dr. Scheinman has made many contributions in the area
of genetic causes of sudden death and will initiate a Cardiac Arrhythmia Genomics
Clinic at UCSF.
Dr. Scheinman is a renowned teacher and was awarded the Henry Kaiser Award
for Excellence in Teaching as well as the Teacher of the Year Award in 1973.
He was also honored with the Paul Dudley White Award for Excellence in Teaching
by the American Heart Association. Dr. Scheinman is director of an annual course
on Advanced Clinical Electrophysiology and Ablation given at the American College
of Cardiology, Heart House in Bethesda, Maryland. Dr. Scheinman is a superb
clinician and among the busiest clinician on faculty. His opinion is sought
for difficult clinical cases and his clinic is amongst the most active at our
medical center.
|
