J. Carter Ralphe, MD

Education

BA, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania
MD, State University of New York, Brooklyn, New York
Residency, Pediatrics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
Fellowship, Pediatric Cardiology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa

Professional Activities

Dr. J. Carter Ralphe is tenured professor and division chief in the Division of Cardiology and the co-director of the Congenital Heart Program at UW Health Kids. Ralphe is a longtime volunteer for the American Heart Association (AHA) where he sets nationwide advocacy priorities as a member of the AHA national Advocacy Coordinating Committee. Locally, he serves on the AHA Madison Board of Directors as a member and president, and the Wisconsin State Advocacy Committee as chair. Additionally, Ralphe is a member of the UW Medical Foundation Board of Directors and several faculty and foundation committees; currently, he is the co-chair of the Compensation Development Committee. Through these roles, Ralphe demonstrates his commitment to public policy advocacy both locally and nationally. 

Clinical Interests

Ralphe is a pediatric cardiologist with expertise in ambulatory and inpatient care and echocardiography. He is specifically interested in cardiomyopathy, with a focus on inherited forms of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Ralphe’s goal is to develop rational risk assessment tools that allow children carrying genetic predispositions for hypertrophic cardiomyopathies to live active and rich lives. In addition, he employs a collaborative, team-based approach to provide the highest quality congenital heart care possible for patients and their families.

Research Interests

Ralphe’s research focuses on understanding how mutations in genes linked to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) alter the function of cardiac cells and lead to hypertrophic remodeling. His team’s efforts primarily focus on cardiac myosin binding C (cMyBP-C), a contractile regulatory protein commonly implicated in HCM. The research team uses human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiac cells grown in a 3D heart tissue construct from which they derive detailed contractile, calcium handling, and electrophysiologic data. In addition, Ralphe directs an National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded research laboratory that focuses on genetic forms of cardiomyopathy. The lab offers a rich environment for pre- and post-doctoral trainees in basic and translational cardiac physiology.