Douglas E. Vaughan, MD
Irving S. Cutter Professor of Medicine
Chair, Department of Medicine

Dr. Vaughan joined Northwestern in June 2008 after serving on the faculties of Harvard and Vanderbilt Universities. Most immediately, he served as Chief of Cardiovascular Medicine and Physician in Chief of the Vanderbilt Heart and Vascular Institute, for the past decade. During this period, Vanderbilt University Medical Center in general and their cardiology enterprises in particular experienced unprecedented growth. Dr. Vaughan, on his tenure at Vanderbilt, says, “I come away from this experience convinced of the critical importance of partnership and collaboration.” 

Dr. Vaughan’s vision for the department of medicine stems from this lesson, and he emphasizes the theme of collaboration across specialties when describing a contemporary academic medical center.

In keeping with this, Dr. Vaughan’s research involves the study of hormonal factors that influence the risk of arterial thrombosis, and its implications go beyond traditional specialties. He is internationally known for his work in vascular biology, which focuses on the plasminogen activator system in cardiovascular disease. Immediately prior to his Northwestern appointment, he presented Medicine Grand Rounds, providing the Department of Medicine a look at the topics his lab investigates and a snapshot of the individual taking on the role of Chair.

Dr. Vaughan has received many awards and honors and is a fellow in the American College of Cardiology. He has been elected to membership in the organizations that recognize leading physician-scientists, including the American Society of Clinical Investigation (ASCI), and the Association of American Physicians (AAP). He has co-authored more than 150 journal articles and serves on the editorial boards of Circulation, Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology, and Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis.

Selected Publications

Muldowney, J.A.S. III; Stringham, J.R.; Levy, S.E.; Painter, C.A.; Piana, R.N.; Vaughan, D.E.  Antiproliferative agents stimulate endothelial PAI-1 expression: a potential prothrombotic mechanism of drug-eluting stents.  Arterioscler. Thrombosis. Vasc. Biol. 2007, 27, 400-406.

De Taeye, B.; Novitskaya, T.; McGuinness, P.; Gleaves, L.; Mousumi, M.; Covington, J.; Vaughan, D.E.  Macrophage TNF-α contributes to insulin resistance and hepatic steatosis in diet-induced obesity.  Am. J. Physiol. Endocrinol. Metab. 2007, 293 (3), E713-725.

Fujita, H.; Kang, M.; Eren, M.; Gleaves, L.A.; Vaughan, D.E.; Kume, T.  Foxc2 is a common mediator of insulin and transforming growth factor (beta) signaling to regulate plasminogen activator inhibitor type I gene expression.  Circ. Res. 2006, 98, 626-634.

De Taeye, B.; Novitskaya, T.; Gleaves, L.; Covington, J.; Vaughan, D.E.  Bone Marrow Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1 Influences the Development of Obesity.  J. Biol. Chem. 2006, 281, 32796-32805.

Smith, L.H.; Dixon, J.D.; Stringham, J.R.; Eren, M.; Elokdah, H.; Crandall, D.L.; Washington, K.; Vaughan, D.E. Pivotal role of PAI-1 in a murine model of hepatic vein thrombosis.  Blood 2006, 107, 132-134.

Smith, L.H.; Petrie, M.S.; Morrow, J.D.; Oates, J.A.; Vaughan, D.E.  The sterol response element binding protein regulates cyclooxygenase-2 gene expression in endothelial cells.  J. Lipid Res. 2005, 46, 862-871.

Hou, B.; Eren, M.; Painter, C.A.; Covington, J.W.; Dixon, J.; Schoenhard, J.A.; Vaughan, D.E.  Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha Activates the Human Plasminogen Activation Inhibitor-1 Gene through a Distal Nuclear Factor (kappa) B Site.  J. Biol. Chem. 2004, 279, 18127-18136.

Smith, L.H.; Coats, S.R.; Qin, H.; Petrie, M.S.; Covington, J.W.; Su, M.; Eren, M.; Vaughan, D.E. Differential and opposing regulation of PAI-1 promoter activity by estrogen receptors α and β.  Circ. Res. 2004, 95, 269-275.

Schoenhard, J.A.; Smith, L.H.; Painter, C.A.; Eren, M.; Johnson, C.H.; Vaughan, D.E.  Regulation of the PAI-1 Promoter by Circadian Clock Components: Differential Activation by BMAL1 and BMAL2.  J. Mol. Cell. Cardiol. 2003, 35, 473-481.

Brown, N.J.; Kumar, S.; Painter, C.A.; Vaughan, D.E.  ACE Inhibition Versus Angiotensin Type 1 Receptor Antagonism: Differential    Effects on PAI-1 Over Time.  Hypertension 2002, 40, 859-865.