Thorsten Martin Leucker, MD, PhD
Cardiology
Highlights
Age Groups Seen
- Young Adult 18-25
- Adult 26-64
- Older Adult 65+
Languages
- German
- English
In-Network Plans
View All Accepted Plans (12)Gender
MaleJohns Hopkins Affiliations:
- Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Faculty
About Thorsten Martin Leucker
Professional Titles
- Director, Cardiology Fellowship Program
- Director of Basic and Translational Vascular Biology Research within the Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease
- Director, Johns Hopkins Cardiovascular Clinical Research Unit (JH-CCRU)
Primary Academic Title
Associate Professor of Medicine
Johns Hopkins Physician
Background
Dr. Thorsten M. Leucker is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Director of the Johns Hopkins Cardiovascular Clinical Research Unit (JH-CCRU), Director of the Cardiology Fellowship Program, and Director of Basic and Translational Vascular Biology Research within the Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease. He is a cardiologist, cardiac intensivist, preventive lipidologist, and physician-scientist whose clinical and research work focuses on lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)], vascular inflammation, coronary endothelial dysfunction, advanced cardiovascular imaging, and inflammation-driven mechanisms of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
Dr. Leucker regularly attends in the Cardiac Critical Care Unit (CCU) and Advanced Lipid Disorders Clinic at Johns Hopkins Hospital. He leads investigator-initiated and industry-sponsored clinical trials integrating translational vascular biology, advanced cardiovascular imaging, and human mechanistic studies to develop novel approaches for cardiovascular prevention and treatment, with particular interest in residual inflammatory cardiovascular risk, HIV-associated cardiovascular disease, and acute coronary syndromes.
Dr. Leucker earned M.D. and Ph.D. degrees summa cum laude from University of Bonn and completed Internal Medicine training at University of Louisville followed by Cardiovascular Disease fellowship training at Johns Hopkins Hospital, where he served as the Henry R. Kravis & Marie-Josée Chief Cardiology Fellow.
Centers and Institutes
Clinical Trial Keywords
Preventive Cardiology, Clinical Trials, Investigator-Initiated Trials, Industry-Sponsored Trials, Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)], Vascular Inflammation, Coronary Endothelial Dysfunction, Advanced Cardiovascular Imaging, Cardiac MRI, Coronary CT Angiography, PET Imaging, HIV-Associated Cardiovascular Disease, Atherosclerosis, Residual Cardiovascular Risk, Translational Cardiovascular Research
Clinical Trials Summary
Investigator-initiated and industry-sponsored clinical trials focused on lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)], vascular inflammation, coronary endothelial dysfunction, preventive cardiology, advanced cardiovascular imaging, HIV-associated cardiovascular disease, and residual inflammatory cardiovascular risk. Translational studies integrate coronary MRI, coronary CT angiography, PET imaging, and human mechanistic vascular biology to develop novel approaches for cardiovascular prevention and treatment.
Find a Clinical Trial
View all trials by this principal investigator.
Videos
Research Interests
Preventive Cardiology, Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)], Vascular Inflammation, Clinical Trials, Coronary Endothelial Dysfunction, Advanced Cardiovascular Imaging, Cardiac Critical Care, Translational Vascular Biology, HIV-Associated Cardiovascular Disease, Atherosclerosis, Coronary CT Angiography, Cardiac MRI, PET Imaging, Residual Cardiovascular Risk, Lipidology
Research Summary
Dr. Leucker leads a translational cardiovascular research program focused on understanding inflammation-driven mechanisms of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and identifying novel strategies for cardiovascular prevention and treatment. His work combines basic vascular biology, advanced cardiovascular imaging, and human mechanistic studies to investigate pathways linking lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)], vascular inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, and residual cardiovascular risk. His research program includes investigator-initiated and industry-sponsored clinical trials utilizing coronary MRI, PET imaging, and coronary CT angiography to study coronary inflammation and vascular function in high-risk populations, including patients with HIV infection, metabolic disease, and acute coronary syndromes.
Google Scholar - Publications
PubMed - Publications
Selected Publications
- Nasrallah N, Harb T, Atallah M, Gerstenblith G, Haberlen S, Kelesidis T, Magnani JW, Stosor V, Chan K, Shirodaria C, West HW, Brown TT, Hays AG, Post WS, Antoniades C, Leucker TM. Lipoprotein(a) is associated with coronary inflammation in people with HIV and undetectable HIV RNA. Eur Heart J Imaging Methods Pract. 2026 Mar 4;4(1):qyag040. doi: 10.1093/ehjimp/qyag040. PMID: 41852837; PMCID: PMC12993708.
- Atallah M, Harb T, Nasrallah N, Jones SR, Gerstenblith G, Tsimikas S, Leucker TM. Oxidized phospholipid dynamics in the early post-infarction period: Effects of PCSK9 inhibition with evolocumab. Atherosclerosis. 2025 Oct;409:120469. doi: 10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2025.120469. Epub 2025 Aug 5. PMID: 40780143.
- Ziogos E, Harb T, Valenta I, Vavuranakis MA, Foran PL, Williams MS, Blaha MJ, Hays AG, Jones SR, Schindler TH, Schulman SP, Gerstenblith G, Leucker TM. Impact of In-Hospital PCSK9 Inhibition on Myocardial Inflammation After Myocardial Infarction: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JACC Basic Transl Sci. 2025 Jun;10(6):709-720. doi: 10.1016/j.jacbts.2025.03.010. Epub 2025 May 28. PMID: 40439630; PMCID: PMC12230458.
- Harb T, Ziogos E, Blumenthal RS, Gerstenblith G, Leucker TM. Intra-individual variability in lipoprotein(a): the value of a repeat measure for reclassifying individuals at intermediate risk. Eur Heart J Open. 2024 Aug 31;4(5):oeae064. doi: 10.1093/ehjopen/oeae064. PMID: 39219855; PMCID: PMC11365507.
- Harb T, Ziogos E, Schär M, Brown TT, Lai S, Gerstenblith G, Hays AG, Leucker TM. Rapid Improvement of Coronary Endothelial Function With PCSK9 Inhibition in People With HIV Is Associated With Reduced Lipoprotein (a) and Not LDL-cholesterol. Circ Cardiovasc Imaging. 2023 Oct;16(10):e015693. doi: 10.1161/CIRCIMAGING.123.015693. Epub 2023 Sep 29. PMID: 37772401; PMCID: PMC10591943.
Honors
- Fellow of the American Heart Association
- Fellow of the American College of Cardiology
- 1st Place Northwestern Cardiovascular Young Investigator's Forum- Junior Faculty Category, Basic Science, 10/20/18
- Howard S. Silverman Award, Johns Hopkins University, Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, 5/10/16
Additional Training
Diplomate, American Board of Clinical Lipidology
Locations
- Levi Watkins, Jr., M.D., Outpatient Center
- 601 North Caroline Street, Suite 7200, Baltimore, MD 21287
- Get Directions
- phone: 443-997-0270
- fax: 410-614-1168
Expertise
Education
- Fellowship: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Cardiovascular Disease, 2018
- Residency: University of Louisville Health, Internal Medicine, 2014
- Graduate School: Rheinischen Friedrich-Wilhelms University of Bonn, PhD, 2011
- Medical Education: Rheinischen Friedrich-Wilhelms University of Bonn, MD, 2008
Board Certifications
- Cardiovascular Disease: American Board of Internal Medicine, 2017
Insurance
- Aetna
- CareFirst
- Cigna
- First Health
- Geisinger Health Plan
- HealthSmart/Accel
- Johns Hopkins Health Plans
- MultiPlan
- Pennsylvania's Preferred Health Networks (PPHN)
- Point Comfort Underwriters
- Private Healthcare Systems (PHCS)
- Veteran Affairs Community Care Network (Optum-VACCN)
Ratings & Reviews
5 out of 5
75 ratings, 32 reviewsThe Patient Rating score is an average of all responses to physician related questions on the national CG-CAHPS Medical Practice patient experience survey through Press Ganey. Responses are measured on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the best score. Comments are also gathered from our CG-CAHPS Medical Practice Survey through Press Ganey and displayed in their entirety. Patients are de-identified for confidentiality and patient privacy.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 4/14/2026
Very knowledgeable and appreciate how much he listened.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 3/10/2026
Dr. Leucker is super smart and thoughtful, caring and concerned, an excellent communicator, and humble. The BEST of the very best Cardiologists. You can tell that he loves his work and his patients. Incredible!!
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 3/10/2026
Exceptional expertise, very professional, polite and showed concern of my problem. Explained status of future drugs which may help my condition
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 3/10/2026
Dr. Leucker is great in all regards. He is patient,Informed on latest trends, communicates clearly, allows for questions, and provides recommendations as needed. The best!
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 3/10/2026
Dr.Thorsten Leucker is one of the finest Cardiologists! He is outstanding in every way. I am lucky and genuinely thankful to be under his care.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 3/3/2026
As was the case most of the time, this was a TeleMedicine visit with Dr Leucker. I live over an hour away and this works for me because he handles just my high cardiac calcium count/high cholesterol scores. He has found a combination of medications that I do not have allergic symptoms and my cholesterol is down significantly.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 2/24/2026
I am very happy that Dr. Leucker is my cardiologist.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 2/10/2026
Dr Leucker Is outstanding. He continued to ask if I had questions, he was very thorough in his explanations. I felt like he cared about me as a person. He explained what the treatment plan would be and why. I was comfortable with his care. There was a resident Dr assisting, [staff]. He was also excellent.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 2/3/2026
Dr Leucker is the most amazing doctor I have ever had.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 1/20/2026
Doctor took plenty of time and explained the situation regarding a possible new drug I might use. He was fully aware of my medical history.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 1/20/2026
Dr. Leucker is a very caring and compassionate physician. He actually cares about his patients. Not only that, he listens, takes what I say seriously and is an excellent educator. He takes the time to explain everything in a way I can completely understand.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 1/13/2026
Dr.Leucker is absolutely top tier. He was prepared, clear, listened and addressed all topics on my health issue thoroughly. In fact, you should name a building after himhe's that good.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 1/13/2026
Dr. Leucker is a fantastic, brilliant, friendly and excellent physician. In my opinion, he is the very best cardiologist on the Johns Hopkins faculty and one of the very best lipid cardiologists in the world.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 12/2/2025
Dr Thorsten was excellent - very knowledgeable, current and prepared
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 11/18/2025
Dr. Leucker was exceptional. Thoroughly and thoughtfully fully looked at all of my medical history. Listened to and answered my many questions. Taught me much about my medical condition. Gave a solid plan on how to proceed. His understanding and expertise is well beyond what I had anticipated (and I had high expectations). Bedside manner is excellent.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 11/11/2025
Dr Leucker answered all of my questions, addressed all my concerns and provided guidance for me and my children.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 10/28/2025
Dr Thorsten Leucker is one of the best doctors I have ever had. I recommend him without reservation.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 10/21/2025
Dr.Leucker was very knowledgeable and patient in answering all my questions about concerns with inherited lipoprotein A issues.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 9/9/2025
Excellent provider
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 8/12/2025
Dr. Leucker is extremely knowledgeable and able to share share this knowledge with me in a way that is easy to understand and easy to act on. He ranks in the top three physicians I have ever seen!
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 8/5/2025
Excellent doctor; communicates so you understand.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 7/29/2025
Dr Leucker is super articulate and explains every facet of test results in a way that is perfectly clear leading to a forward plan of action
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 7/29/2025
Dr. Leucker is a pleasure to work with. He explains things thoroughly and always asks if I have any more questions.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 7/29/2025
Dr Leucker is amazing-smart, compassionate, thorough.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 7/29/2025
Dr. Leucker Is very thorough and explains things very well
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 7/29/2025
VERY PROFFESIONAL AND CARING
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 7/8/2025
He is one of the nicest physicians I've ever met. He is very down to earth. There is no arrogance whatsoever with him! I am happy that he is younger than I, so he will probably be my doctor for life. I pray that he chooses to stay in a Maryland practice.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 7/1/2025
Knowledgeable
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 7/1/2025
Fabulous: extremely intelligent, compassionate, kind, professional, prepared, diligent.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 6/24/2025
Excellent. Has dramatically improved my vascular condition. Very caring. I trust him completely. Always able to technically explain my condition and answer questions.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 6/10/2025
Extremely thorough, respectful, and knowledgeable. Deeply appreciate his willingness to help me PROACTIVELY manage elevated LPa before it causes problems. 5 stars.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 5/20/2025
Dr. Leucker is knowledgeable, very attentive, very helpful in terms of listening to our questions and replying at length in informative ways. I consider myself very fortunate to have his expertise.