SUMMARY
Mayo Clinic researcher Jose N. Nativi Nicolau, M.D., studies advanced heart failure, heart transplantation and transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis. Dr. Nativi Nicolau's work focuses on disease-modifying therapies for cardiomyopathies, including transthyretin stabilizers, biologic amyloid-depleting therapies and gene-editing approaches. He develops noninvasive diagnostic algorithms for amyloidosis and investigates biomarker-based surveillance for graft rejection after heart transplantation.
Dr. Nativi Nicolau uses clinical trials, registry analyses and multidisciplinary diagnostic models to improve therapy selection and outcomes. His research includes cell-free DNA testing in transplant rejection surveillance, as well as studies of tafamidis, acoramidis, eplontersen, ALXN2220 and NTLA-2001.
Focus areas
- Heart transplant surveillance. Dr. Nativi Nicolau investigates less invasive ways to monitor rejection after heart transplantation. He explores cell-free DNA testing as a potential alternative or complement to routine heart biopsy.
- Advanced heart failure outcomes. Dr. Nativi Nicolau examines outcomes in patients with heart failure who require heart transplantation, cardiogenic shock care or ventricular assist devices. He uses registry analyses and clinical studies to identify factors that affect survival and recovery.
- Amyloidosis diagnosis pathways. Dr. Nativi Nicolau develops diagnostic approaches that help clinicians recognize cardiac amyloidosis earlier. His work supports multidisciplinary evaluation and noninvasive testing strategies that can shorten delays before effective treatment begins.
- Cardiac amyloidosis therapies. Dr. Nativi Nicolau studies treatments that modify transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis rather than only treating symptoms. He evaluates stabilizers, gene-silencing therapies, amyloid-depleting biologics and CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing approaches through international clinical trials.
Significance to patient care
Cardiac amyloidosis and advanced heart failure are often diagnosed late, when symptoms are severe and treatment options are more limited. Dr. Nativi Nicolau's research helps healthcare professionals identify these conditions earlier, choose more effective treatments and monitor transplant patients using less invasive testing. His work may help reduce hospital stays, improve quality of life and support better long-term outcomes. By enabling earlier diagnosis and more precise treatment decisions, this research has the potential to improve care throughout a patient's journey.
Professional highlights
- American Heart Association:
- Site leader at Mayo Clinic in Florida, Heart Transplant Research Network, 2026-present.
- Writing committee member, "Cardiac Amyloidosis Scientific Statement," 2020.
- Investigator Clinical Trials Award, Mayo Clinic, 2026.
- American College of Cardiology:
- Writing committee member, "Transthyretin Cardiac Amyloidosis Evaluation and Management Concise Clinical Guidance," 2025.
- Writing committee member, "Expert Consensus Decision Pathway on Comprehensive Multidisciplinary Care for the Patient With Cardiac Amyloidosis," 2023.