Dian Cao, M.D., Ph.D.
Associate Professor

Dian Cao , M.D., Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center, and a member of its Division of Cardiology. She serves as a staff cardiologist at the Dallas VA Medical Center.

Dr. Cao received her medical degree from Capital Medical University in Beijing, China, and completed internal medicine residency training at Beijing Friendship Hospital and at Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia, Pa., where she was named Resident of the Month.

She also earned a master’s in pathology and a Ph.D. in cardiovascular pharmacology at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, followed by postdoctoral research at Temple University, where she won the Sol Sherry Award for Excellence in Basic Research, and UT Southwestern.

Certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in cardiovascular disease, she joined the UT Southwestern Faculty in 2012.

Dr. Cao’s research interests include diabetes, heart failure, histone deacetylases and inhibitors. myocardium metabolism, and pathological remodeling. Her investigations have resulted in several publications in peer-reviewed journals as well as reviews, chapters, monographs, and editorials. Additionally, she has presented her findings at scientific conferences nationally and internationally.

At UT Southwestern, Dr. Cao serves as an advisor to cardiology fellows, and teaches in small groups, student rotations, and daily rounds. She also mentors medical, college, and high school students in summer research projects.

She is an ad hoc reviewer for Circulation, Cell Death and Differentiation, and Circulation Research.

• Diabetes
• Heart Failure
• Histone Deacetylases and Inhibitors
• Myocardium Metabolism
• Pathological Remodeling

Featured Publications

Titrating autophagy in cardiac plasticity.

Cao DJ, Hill JA Autophagy 2011 Sep 7 9 1078-9

Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors attenuate cardiac hypertrophy by suppressing autophagy.

Cao DJ, Wang ZV, Battiprolu PK, Jiang N, Morales CR, Kong Y, Rothermel BA, Gillette TG, Hill JA Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 2011 Mar 108 10 4123-8

Cardiomyocyte autophagy: remodeling, repairing, and reconstructing the heart.

Cao DJ, Gillette TG, Hill JA Curr. Hypertens. Rep. 2009 Dec 11 6 406-11

FoxO transcription factors activate Akt and attenuate insulin signaling in heart by inhibiting protein phosphatases.

Ni YG, Wang N, Cao DJ, Sachan N, Morris DJ, Gerard RD, Kuro-O M, Rothermel BA, Hill JA Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 2007 Dec 104 51 20517-22

Urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor is involved in mediating the apoptotic effect of cleaved high molecular weight kininogen in human endothelial cells.

Cao DJ, Guo YL, Colman RW Circ. Res. 2004 May 94 9 1227-34

• Jay Cohn New Investigator Award Finalist
  Heart Failure Society of America (2011)
• 1st Place Winner in Basic Science Research
  Cardiovascular Symposium, UT Southwestern Medical Center (2009)
• Young Investigator Award Finalist
  Northwestern University, Chicago, IL (2008)
• 1st Place, Sol Sherry Award for Excellence in Basic Research
  Temple University (2004)
• Resident of the Month
  Department of Internal Medicine, Drexel University College of Medicine (2004)
• Outstanding Poster Award
  FASEB Conference (2003)

• American Heart Association (2001)