Franz Rischard, DO

Professor (Clinical Scholar Track), Medicine, College of Medicine – Tucson
Director, Pulmonary Hypertension Program, College of Medicine – Tucson
Associate Dean, Clinical and Translational Medicine, College of Medicine – Tucson

Franz Rischard, DO, is a professor of medicine and serves as the medical director of the Pulmonary Hypertension program and associate dean of clinical and translational research at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson. For over 20 years at University of Arizona, he has dedicated his career to improving our understanding of pulmonary hypertension. Under his leadership, the program has become a national center of excellence for clinical care, training and research. 

Dr. Rischard has served as principal investigator or co-PI for 15 research grants from the National Institutes of Health/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, American Heart Association, and foundations. He has served as site-PI or steering committee of over 50 clinical trials. His main area of research focus has been on mechanisms of right ventricular failure and adaptation in pulmonary vascular disease and health disparities in rare disease and the intersection of mental health with drug addiction. 

He is passionate about mentoring and has trained numerous residents, fellows and junior faculty in pulmonary hypertension who have become independent researchers of their own right.

Dr. Rischard received his medical degree at the Western University of Health Sciences and his residency and fellowship in pulmonary/critical care at the University of Arizona. He has published over 75 peer-reviewed manuscripts in premier journals such as JAMA, Circulation Heart Failure, Lancet Respiratory Medicine, Nature Communication, Immunity, American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, and Chest. He is a member of prestigious organizations such as the Royal Society of Medicine (London), guideline development in the NHLBI Right Ventricular Function Task Force, and on the editorial staff of pulmonary and cardiology journals.