James W. Guo, MD

I am a Resident in Internal Medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and a Clinical Fellow in Medicine at Harvard Medical School. I am pursuing a career in academic cardiology as a physician-investigator.

I earned my BA in sociology and MD at Northwestern University as a member of the Honors Program in Medical Education (HPME). There, I was heavily involved in cardiovascular epidemiology research mentored by Dr. Donald Lloyd-Jones and had the great fortune to receive a predoctoral fellowship award to complete a funded research year with him.

My research leverages longitudinal cohort data (e.g., the CARDIA study) to study cardiovascular risk prediction, disease prevention, and health promotion, especially in young adulthood. My research interest is now integrating multi-omic translational approaches to study epigenomic and transcriptomic markers of cardiovascular risk. I spearheaded a multi-institution collaboration with Princeton University using CARDIA/NHLBI TOPMed omics data, with the goal of developing an accurate, accessible, and affordable CRISPR-based clinical assay for personalized risk assessment.

I find fulfillment in research, an exercise of curiosity in pursuit of implication. I enjoy surveying the landscape of a field to find knowledge gaps, then ask novel questions and design tailored studies to ultimately improve policy and practice to benefit health.

Teaching and community engagement are also central to my work. I serve as a clinical instructor for medical students at Harvard Medical School, where I find gratification in helping students grow in confidence in clinical care. As a peer educator for junior interns, I seek to cultivate a culture of learning by inviting questions and encouraging them to take ownership of their education. At Northwestern, I served as chief of an Education-Centered Medical Home continuity clinic, mentored junior students during their internal medicine clerkships, and chaired Keep Your Heart Healthy. Translating cardiovascular prevention principles into action through community engagement convinced me that community-based implementation is key to health equity.