Farooq Sheikh

Farooq Sheikh, MD, is an attending physician at MedStar Washington Hospital Center (MWHC), where he specializes in advanced heart failure and cardiac transplantation. At MWHC, he is also the medical director of the Infiltrative Cardiomyopathy Center, MedStar Heart and Vascular Institute.

Dr. Sheikh has received numerous awards for his research and clinical work, including the Professionalism Award, bestowed by Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center, and the Frank L. Pollack, MD, Research Award, bestowed by New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY. He is a member of the medical honor society, Alpha Omega Alpha.

Dr. Sheikh previously served as an assistant professor of Medicine at The Johns Hopkins Hospital and as a research assistant at the Cardiovascular Research Institute at New York Medical College. He currently serves on the editorial board for the Heart Failure and Transplant Section of the American College of Cardiology’s Digital Engagement Workgroup. Dr. Sheikh is board certified in internal medicine, cardiovascular medicine, and advanced heart failure/transplant cardiology. He is a member of the American College of Cardiology, the Heart Failure Society of America, the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation and the American Medical Association.

His medical degree is from New York Medical College. He completed an internship and residency at Columbia University Medical Center and fellowships in cardiology, advanced heart failure and cardiac transplantation at The Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Research Interests

Dr. Sheikh’s research interests include

  • Cardiomyopathy
  • Infiltrative cardiomyopathies (sarcoidosis, amyloidosis)
  • Mechanical circulatory support (left ventricular assist device [LVAD] therapy)
  • Heart failure management
  • Heart transplantation.

Selected Research

HeartMate® II continuous-flow left ventricular assist system

LVADs are a therapeutic strategy for patients with advanced heart failure. Dr. Sheikh and a colleague have published a description of the HeartMate II continuous flow LVAD and reviewed clinical outcomes among patients implanted with this device (Expert Review of Medical Devices. 2011;8:11-21).

View Dr. Sheikh's publications on PubMed.

Research Areas


  • Cardiovascular