Biography

Faris Araj, M.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center and a member of the Division of Cardiology. Dr. Araj’s clinical interests include the evaluation and clinical care of people with advanced heart failure, cardiac transplants, or ventricular assist devices.

Dr. Araj holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from the American University of Beirut, where he also earned his medical degree. He completed internal medicine residency training at UT Southwestern. He then completed advanced training through fellowships in advanced heart failure/heart transplantation at UT Southwestern and in general cardiology at UT Health Science Center in San Antonio.

Certified in echocardiography, nuclear cardiology, and advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology, he joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 2013.

Dr. Araj’s research has resulted in several publications in peer-reviewed journals as well as case reports, clinical images, and editorials. Additionally, he has presented his findings at scientific conferences throughout the United States and around the world.

At UT Southwestern, Dr. Araj teaches staff and students about cardiac physiology and clinical techniques. He serves on the Heart Transplant Committee and the Heart Valve Team, as well as the Critical Care Committee at Clements University Hospital. He has also served as a primary-care volunteer at a refugee camp in Lebanon.

Dr. Araj is active in several professional societies, including the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation, the Heart Failure Society of America, the British Society of Echocardiology, and the Society of Bedside Medicine.

Education

Medical School
American University of Beirut Faculty of Medicine, Lebanon (2004)
Residency
UT Southwestern Medical Center (2008), Internal Medicine
Fellowship
UT Southwestern Medical Center (2010), Heart Failure/cardiac Transplant
Fellowship
The University of Texas Health Science Center (2013), Cardiology

Research Interest

  • Cardiac Assist Devices
  • Cardiac Function
  • Heart-Kidney Transplants
  • Transplant

Publications

Featured Publications LegendFeatured Publications

Sleeping prone with a left ventricular assist device: Dream or reality?
Tsang DC, Kellner M, Thomas M, Araj FG, Heart Lung 2022 Jun 56 57-61
Percutaneous Treatment of Symptomatic Left Ventricular Assist Device Outflow Graft Obstruction.
Araj FG, Morlend RM, Peltz M, Bavry AA, Kumbhani DJ, J Invasive Cardiol 2022 Jun 34 6 E484-E485
Predicting Post-Heart Transplant Composite Renal Outcome Risk in Adults: A Machine Learning Decision Tool.
Mete M, Ayvaci MUS, Ariyamuthu VK, Amin A, Peltz M, Thibodeau JT, Grodin JL, Mammen PPA, Garg S, Araj F, Morlend R, Drazner MH, AbdulRahim N, Kim Y, Salam Y, Gungor AB, Delibasi B, Kotla SK, MacConmara MP, Mohan Anand P, Gupta G, Tanriover B, Kidney Int Rep 2022 Jun 7 6 1410-1415
Letter by Araj and Hackmann Regarding Article, "Liberation From Venoarterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation: A Review".
Araj FG, Hackmann AE, Circ Heart Fail 2022 Jan CIRCHEARTFAILURE121009079
Identifying Discordance of Right- and Left-Ventricular Filling Pressures in Patients with Heart Failure by the Clinical Examination.
Pham D, Drazner MH, Ayers CR, Grodin JL, Hardin EA, Garg S, Mammen PPA, Amin A, Araj FG, Morlend RM, Thibodeau JT, Circ Heart Fail 2021 Sep
Alternans of the pulse is rarely an alternans of prognosis.
Araj FG, Mammen PPA, J Card Fail 2021 Jul
A novel phonetic approach to continuous flow left ventricular assist device auscultation.
Araj FG, Cox J, Amin AA, Mammen PPA, Heart Lung 2021 Jul 50 6 780-783
Ascites and Edema After Bicaval Orthotopic Heart Transplant.
Araj FG, Balani JP, Amin AA, Mammen PPA, Garg S, Luna M, J Invasive Cardiol 2021 Jul 33 7 E581-E583
Letter by Hardin and Araj Regarding Article, "Role of Pulmonary Artery Wedge Pressure Saturation During Right Heart Catheterization: A Prospective Study".
Hardin EA, Araj FG, Circ Heart Fail 2021 Mar 14 3 e008158
Invasive Hemodynamic Red Flags to Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation.
Araj FG, Amin AA, Garg S, Hardin EA, J Invasive Cardiol 2020 Dec 32 12 E375-E376

Honors & Awards

  • Nominee- Mentoring Award
    UT Southwestern's annual Leaders in Clinical Excellence Awards (2021)
  • Nominee- Patricia and William L. Watson Jr., M.D. Award for Excellence in Clinical Medicine
    UT Southwestern's annual Leaders in Clinical Excellence Awards (2021)
  • Diplomate of the National Board of Echocardiography
    (2013)

Professional Associations/Affiliations

  • American Society for Artificial Internal Organs (2018)
  • American Society of Echocardiography (2021)
  • British Society of Echocardiography (2017)
  • Heart Failure Society of America (2013)
  • International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (2013)