Henry R. Halperin MD, MA, FAHA, FHRS

Dr Henry Halperin is the David J. Carver Professor of Medicine and Professor of Radiology and Biomedical Engineering at the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions.

Dr. Halperin received a B.S in physics with highest distinction from Purdue University in 1971, an M.A. in physics from the University of California, Berkeley in 1972, and an M.D. from Louisiana State University in 1977. He was a cardiology fellow at The Johns Hopkins Hospital from 1981-84. He is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, an Established Investigator, Fellow, and Distinguished Scientist of the American Heart Association, a Fellow of the Heart Rhythm Society, a McClure Fellow of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, and an Eagle Scout.  He is the co-director of the Johns Hopkins Cardiovascular Imaging Center, and director of Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support at Johns Hopkins Hospital. He is a past chair of the AHA Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support Subcommittee and Research Working Group.

Dr. Halperin has done extensive research in CPR. In studies that included computer modeling and advanced imaging, he investigated hemodynamic and airway mechanisms operative during CPR. These findings were instrumental in developing AHA recommendations for the chest compression rate and depth during CPR. In addition, these studies clarified the contribution of airway collapse and air-trapping to generation of intrathoracic pressure during chest compression. He also did studies showing that improving blood flow during CPR could increase survival. He then developed methods and devices, most of which are clinically available, for monitoring and improving chest compression, while avoiding interruptions in chest compression. He developed (1) an accelerometer-based chest-displacement-measuring system enabling real-time feedback on the quality of chest compression and its effect on outcomes, (2) a system for reducing the chest-compression-induced artifact in the ECG, allowing correct interpretation of the ECG without interrupting  compressions, and (3) automatic chest-compression devices for improving blood flow.

Dr. Halperin has also done extensive research in electrophysiology. He invented ways of combining the anatomic information from real-time MRI, with catheter ablation, to determine, through direct visualization, if complete ablations are present; and if not, to complete such ablations. He is one of the key pioneers studying interactions between MRI and cardiac rhythm devices. The large clinical benefit of MRI was previously denied to patients with implanted devices, due to potential safety concerns. He showed, however, that modern devices can be MRI safe, because of improved technology. The algorithm for safe MRI scanning has been adopted by the AHA, the Heart Rhythm Society, as well as CMS. Dr. Halperin also introduced MRI in the study of mechanisms of arrhythmias, and this approach has been adopted by many research groups. Among other findings, he showed that a major substrate for ventricular tachycardia is scar, sometimes mixed with normal tissue, which can be imaged with MRI, and which are ideal targets for ablation.

Ten of his students have received young investigator awards from the AHA and Heart Rhythm Society, and he has had continuous support from the NIH for his research programs. He has more than 160 peer-reviewed publications and more than 60 patents issued.