Frank Michael Davis, MD

Frank M. Davis, MD, is an Assistant Professor of Surgery and Section Chief of Vascular Surgery at the Ann Arbor VA Healthcare System, and Assistant Professor of Vascular Surgery at the University of Michigan. He earned his BS in Cellular and Molecular Biology and his MD from the University of Michigan, completed vascular surgery internship, residency and chief residency at U-M, and undertook postdoctoral research fellowships cardiovascular/vascular biology (as a Sarnoff Fellow at the University of Kentucky), and immunology (as an NIH F32 Kirschstein fellow). He has been recognized with numerous national honors, including the American Heart Association's Robert W. Hobson II MD Early Career Investigator Award and multiple young investigator research awards from the Society for Vascular Surgery, Association of Academic Surgery and Society of University Surgeons. He currently holds a VA Career Development Award, along with several R01-level NIH grants (as PI and co-investigator).

His research laboratory investigates the epigenetic and inflammatory mechanisms underlying abdominal aortic aneurysm formation and diabetic wound healing, with a particular focus on how histone-modifying enzymes that regulate macrophage and vascular smooth muscle cell behavior. Ultimately, he is working to translate these mechanistic discoveries into novel therapeutic strategies for aortic and peripheral vascular disease.

Dr. Davis’s clinical interest and expertise is the surgical and endovascular management of aortic aneurysms, aorto-Iliac occlusive disease, cerebral vascular disease, and peripheral arterial disease.

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Dr. Davis has a long-standing interest in vascular inflammation, epigenetic modification and abdominal aortic aneurysmal (AAA) disease. His laboratory focuses on defining the role of the immune system in the development and progression of aortic aneurysms. The long-term goal is to uncover mechanisms responsible for aortic dilation and rupture in order to identify new targets for therapeutic intervention. Since his arrival at the University of Michigan, he has focused efforts in both the laboratory and clinical setting utilizing various mouse models of AAA to characterize pathological alterations at the cellular and molecular level. Importantly, this work was carried out in conjunction with clinical studies to ensure bench to bedside translation. The ultimate goal is to translate a better understanding of the intersection of innate immunity and aortic dilation to new pharmacologic targets and treatment modalities.

Dr. Davis has received support for his research from multiple national institutions including: the National Institutes of Health, the Vascular and Endovascular Surgery Society, the Association for Academic Surgery and the American College of Surgeons.