Dr. Darbar obtained his medical degree from University of Dundee, Scotland and completed fellowships in Clinical Pharmacology at Vanderbilt and Cardiovascular Medicine and Electrophysiology at the Mayo Clinic. Dr. Darbar’s main clinical interests are in the field of clinical electrophysiology, especially the treatment and management of inherited arrhythmia syndromes including atrial fibrillation (AF).

His research interests focus on investigating the role of genetic factors in patients with AF. Current therapies for AF are limited partly due to poor understanding of fundamental mechanisms in disease pathogenesis. Identification of gene(s) responsible for AF will provide important insight into the molecular mechanisms of AF and may lead to novel therapies. There is a growing recognition that AF can be a heritable disorder with recent identification of a gene causative. AF is associated with hypertension, valvular disease, cardiomyopathy and hyperthyroidism, yet many patient have idiopathic or lone AF. Preliminary studies by Dr. Darbar and others suggest that patients with lone AF may have a genetic basis for their disorder. Hence, one aim of Dr. Darbar’s research is to investigate the role of genetic factors in lone AF. The long-term goal however, is to advance our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of familial and acquired AF in order to identify new and improved targets for treatment of AF.

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