About

Michael Morgan is a professor in the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He holds a PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His research interests focus on the analysis, diagnosis, prediction, and predictability of mid-latitude and tropical weather systems. His recent work has concentrated on developing synoptic interpretations of adjoint-derived forecast sensitivity fields. Dr. Morgan has served in various leadership roles, including chair of the department’s undergraduate program multiple times, chair of the Curriculum Committee of the College of Letters and Science at UW-Madison, and as a member of the Board on Women and Minorities of the American Meteorological Society (AMS). He has also served on the AMS Scientific and Technological Activities Commission for Atmospheric and Oceanic Fluid Dynamics and as an AMS Councilor. Since 2014, he has been a member of the World Meteorological Organization Science Steering Committee. In 2015, he was elected to the Board of Trustees of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR). Dr. Morgan was awarded the honor of Fellow of the American Meteorological Society in January 2019. During his sabbatical in 2007-2008, he was an AMS/UCAR Congressional Science Fellow working in the office of U.S. Senator Benjamin Cardin on energy and environment issues. From 2010 to 2014, he served as Division Director for the Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences at the National Science Foundation.

Research topics

• Medicine
• Internal medicine
• Surgery
• Immunology
• Pediatrics
• Intensive care medicine
• Anesthesia
• Cardiology
• Radiology

Selected publications

• Adjoint-Based Forecast Sensitivity to Quasigeostrophic Potential Vorticity

  Monthly Weather Review · 2026-03-12

  article1st authorCorresponding

  Abstract A novel approach to deriving an analytical expression to diagnose the sensitivity to quasigeostrophic potential vorticity (QGPV) from adjoint model sensitivities to the horizontal wind and potential temperature is presented. The approach involves making use of the results of an often-used technique to derive adjoint-informed, optimal initial perturbations which minimize initial-time energy and elicit a specified change in a final time response function. The approach, applied to other forms of potential vorticity, is verified against previously published results for sensitivity to vorticity and sensitivity to shallow-water potential vorticity. The sensitivity to QGPV is shown to be proportional to the result of inverting QGPV calculated using the adjoint sensitivities to the horizontal wind field and potential temperature in place of the horizontal winds and potential temperature of the prognostic model. Given the sensitivity to QGPV, the sensitivities to the geostrophic wind and hydrostatic temperature fields are readily diagnosed. The initialization and subsequent integration of an adjoint model with these balanced sensitivities suppresses high-frequency oscillations associated with adjoint adjustment while preserving the salient characteristics of low-frequency adjoint sensitivity fields. Application of these results is demonstrated in a case study of North Pacific cyclogenesis.

  PublisherDOI

• CORONARY ARTERY IN-STENT RESTENOSIS (ISR): A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF INCIDENCE, RISK FACTORS, AND TREATMENTS USING THE 2021 NATIONAL INPATIENT SAMPLE (NIS) DATABASE

  Journal of the American College of Cardiology · 2025-03-29

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Trends in In-Hospital Mortality in Patients Admitted With Cardiovascular Diseases in the United States With Demographics and Risk Factors of All Cardiovascular In-Hospital Mortality: Analysis of the 2021 National Inpatient Sample Database

  Cureus · 2024-10-01 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  Introduction and background Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) encompass a range of disorders involving coronary artery diseases, valvular heart diseases, myocardial diseases, pericardial diseases, hypertensive heart diseases, heart failure (HF), and pulmonary artery diseases. Given the high prevalence of CVDs, understanding both overall and in-hospital mortality rates from these diseases is crucial. Unsurprisingly, most research, procedures, and new pharmacological interventions aim to reduce these rates. No recent studies have comprehensively detailed in-hospital mortality rates, demographics, and risk factors for all CVDs combined. Yet, in-hospital mortality rates due to CVD significantly impact patients' families and healthcare teams and serve as a critical measure of healthcare system development and effectiveness. Therefore, analyzing in-hospital mortality rates is essential for filling the gap in the recent comprehensive analysis of in-hospital mortality rates, demographics, and risk factors of all CVDs. Method The study used data from the National Inpatient Sample and the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) Databases of 2021 and HCUP tools. The NIS database extrapolates national estimates based on a stratified sample of 20% of US hospital discharges. Results were expressed as probability and relative risk using the t-test, with a P-value <0.05 being statistically significant. Statistical analyses were done using Stata statistical software version 18 (StataCorp LLC, College Station, TX, US). Results This study included 6,666,752 hospital admissions in the United States. Of these, 2,337,589 patients were admitted with CVDs and related symptoms, with 70,552 deaths occurring during hospitalization, resulting in an in-hospital mortality rate of 3.01% due to CVDs. Our study showed all CVD-induced in-hospital mortality combined was found to have a higher association with diabetes but a lower association with hypertension, hyperlipidemia, alcohol, and smoking. Conclusion The highest rates of cardiovascular disease in-hospital mortality are cardiac arrest, rupture of the cardiac wall as a complication of acute myocardial infarction, cardiogenic shock, rupture of papillary muscle as a complication of acute myocardial infarction, and rupture of chorda tendinea as a complication of acute myocardial infarction. The most common causes of CVD in-hospital mortality are non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) (19.20%), ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) (17.80%), cardiac arrest (15.10%), hypertensive heart disease with heart failure (12.50%), ventricular fibrillation (4.70%), ventricular tachycardia (3.30%), and aortic stenosis (2.10%). The most common risk factors for CVD in-hospital mortality are age, male gender, and diabetes. Proper diabetes control and management might be the highest preventive measure for all CVD-induced in-hospital mortality.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• COVID-19 vaccine-associated myocarditis

  World Journal of Cardiology · 2022 · 21 citations

  1st authorCorresponding
  • Medicine
  • Immunology
  • Internal medicine

  million second doses of COVID-19 mRNA vaccination administered. Individuals with cases of COVID-19 vaccine-mediated myocarditis typically present with acute chest pain and elevated serum troponin levels, often within one week of receiving the second dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccination. Most cases follow a benign clinical course with prompt resolution of symptoms. Proposed mechanisms of COVID-19 vaccine myocarditis include molecular mimicry between SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and self-antigens and the triggering of preexisting dysregulated immune pathways in predisposed individuals. The higher incidence of COVID-19 vaccine myocarditis in young males may be explained by testosterone and its role in modulating the immune response in myocarditis. There is limited data on long-term outcomes in these cases given the recency of their occurrence. The CDC continues to recommend COVID-19 vaccination for everyone 5 years of age and older given the greater risk of serious complications related to natural COVID-19 infection including hospitalization, multisystem organ dysfunction, and death. Further study is needed to better understand the immunopathology and long-term outcomes behind COVID-19 mRNA vaccine-mediated myocarditis.

  PublisherDOI

• COVID-19 vaccine-associated myocarditis (Russian translation)

  Juvenis scientia · 2022-01-01

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  Myocarditis is now recognized as a rare complication of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) mRNA vaccination, particularly in adolescent and young adult males. Since the authorization of the Pfizer-BioNTech™ and Moderna™ mRNA vaccines targeting the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported 1175 confirmed cases of myocarditis after COVID-19 vaccination in individuals ages 30 years and younger as of January 2022. According to CDC data in June 2021, the incidence of vaccine-mediated myocarditis in males ages 12-29 years old was estimated to be 40.6 cases per million second doses of COVID-19 mRNA vaccination administered. Individuals with cases of COVID-19 vaccine-mediated myocarditis typically present with acute chest pain and elevated serum troponin levels, often within one week of receiving the second dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccination. Most cases follow a benign clinical course with prompt resolution of symptoms. Proposed mechanisms of COVID-19 vaccine myocarditis include molecular mimicry between SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and self-antigens and the triggering of preexisting dysregulated immune pathways in predisposed individuals. The higher incidence of COVID-19 vaccine myocarditis in young males may be explained by testosterone and its role in modulating the immune response in myocarditis. There is limited data on long-term outcomes in these cases given the recency of their occurrence. The CDC continues to recommend COVID-19 vaccination for everyone 5 years of age and older given the greater risk of serious complications related to natural COVID-19 infection including hospitalization, multisystem organ dysfunction, and death. Further study is needed to better understand the immunopathology and long-term outcomes behind COVID-19 mRNA vaccine-mediated myocarditis. &lt;br&gt;&lt;b&gt;Original article:&lt;/b&gt; Morgan MC, Atri L, Harrell S, Al-Jaroudi W, Berman A. COVID-19 vaccine-associated myocarditis. World J Cardiol. 2022;14(7):382-391. DOI: 10.4330/wjc.v14.i7.382. &lt;br&gt;&lt;i&gt;The article was translated into Russian and published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license.&lt;/i&gt;

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Endotracheal Tube Kinking in the Prone Position during Pediatric Neurosurgery: A Case Report

  Children · 2022 · 2 citations

  • Medicine
  • Surgery
  • Anesthesia

  BACKGROUND: The prone position presents several concerns for the pediatric anesthesiologist, such as prevention of pressure related injuries, avoidance of undetected line infiltration, proper airway securement to inhibit unanticipated extubation, and limited access to the patient in critical events. However, the possibility of endotracheal tube kinking in pediatric patients is rarely discussed in the multitude of concerns about prone procedures. Here, we present a case report detailing the anesthetic management of a patient that experienced endotracheal tube kinking in the prone position during a posterior fossa mass resection. Our conclusion is that pediatric anesthesiologists must be cognizant of the possibility of endotracheal tube kinking in patients who are undergoing procedures in the prone position with significant neck flexion. We recommend using either an appropriately sized reinforced endotracheal tube or a nasotracheal intubation to decrease the potential of intraoperative tube kinking.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Association of intermittent versus continuous hemodialysis modalities with mortality in the setting of acute stroke among patients with end-stage renal disease

  Journal of Investigative Medicine · 2022-06-09 · 1 citations

  article1st author

  Patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) are 8-10 times more likely to suffer from a stroke compared with the general public. Despite this risk, there are minimal data elucidating which hemodialysis modality is best for patients with ESRD following a stroke, and guidelines for their management are lacking. We retrospectively queried the US Renal Data System administrative database for all-cause mortality in ESRD stroke patients who received either intermittent hemodialysis (IHD) or continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). Acute ischemic stroke and hemorrhagic stroke were identified using the International Classification of Diseases 9th Revision (ICD-9)/ICD-10 codes, and hemodialysis modality was determined using Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) codes. Time to death from the first stroke diagnosis was the outcome of interest. Cox proportional hazards modeling was used, and associations were expressed as adjusted HRs. From the inclusion cohort of 87,910 patients, 92.9% of patients received IHD while 7.1% of patients received CRRT. After controlling for age, race, sex, ethnicity, and common stroke risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, tobacco use, atrial fibrillation, and hyperlipidemia, those who were placed on CRRT within 7 days of a stroke had an increased risk of death compared with those placed on IHD (HR=1.28, 95% CI 1.25 to 1.32). It is possible that ESRD stroke patients who received CRRT are more critically ill. However, even when the cohort was limited to only those patients in the intensive care unit and additional risk factors for mortality were controlled for, CRRT was still associated with an increased risk of death (HR=1.32, 95% CI 1.27 to 1.37). Therefore, further prospective clinical trials are warranted to address these findings.

  PublisherDOI

• Role of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in the diagnosis and management of COVID-19 related myocarditis: Clinical and imaging considerations

  World Journal of Radiology · 2021 · 7 citations

  • Medicine
  • Cardiology
  • Internal medicine

  There is a growing evidence of cardiovascular complications in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. As evidence accumulated of COVID-19 mediated inflammatory effects on the myocardium, substantial attention has been directed towards cardiovascular imaging modalities that facilitate this diagnosis. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI) is the gold standard for the detection of structural and functional myocardial alterations and its role in identifying patients with COVID-19 mediated cardiac injury is growing. Despite its utility in the diagnosis of myocardial injury in this population, CMRI's impact on patient management is still evolving. This review provides a framework for the use of CMRI in diagnosis and management of COVID-19 patients from the perspective of a cardiologist. We review the role of CMRI in the management of both the acutely and remotely COVID-19 infected patient. We discuss patient selection for this imaging modality; T1, T2, and late gadolinium enhancement imaging techniques; and previously described CMRI findings in other cardiomyopathies with potential implications in COVID-19 recovered patients.

  PublisherDOI

• The Impact of Rurality, Underlying Cardiovascular Disease, and Socioeconomic Vulnerability on COVID-19 Outcomes in Georgia

  Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association · 2021-01-01

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  Background: COVID-19 related illnesses have been associated with an increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease sequelae and worsened socioeconomic variables. We sought to investigate the relationship between COVID-19 outcomes, underlying cardiovascular disease, and socioeconomic determinants of health in rural and non-rural counties in the state of Georgia. Methods: COVID-19, demographic, and socioeconomic data were acquired from publicly available databases including the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Social Vulnerability Index (SVI). The relationship between COVID-19 outcomes and markers of cardiovascular disease burden, rurality, and socioeconomic determinants of health was assessed at the county level in Georgia through the beginning of August 2020 using univariable and multivariable Poisson regression modeling. Results: In adjusted models, the risk of COVID-19 incidence was significantly higher in residents of non-rural Georgia counties while we observed no significant difference in COVID-19 case-fatality rates between residents of rural and non-rural Georgia counties. A significant adverse association between risk of COVID-19 cumulative case-fatality rates and recent mortality rates of stroke was detected, while counties with historically higher coronary heart disease death rates demonstrated significantly lower RR of COVID-19 cumulative case-fatality rates. Additionally, Georgia counties with worsened indices of social and economic vulnerability demonstrated significantly higher RR of COVID-19 incidence and case-fatality rates. Conclusions: In Georgia, COVID-19 incidence is adversely associated with non-rural county status, while both incidence and case-fatality rates are associated with historical indices of cardiovascular disease outcomes and higher social vulnerability. Efforts to mitigate COVID-19 spread and improve COVID-19 outcomes in Georgia may require additional focus on these most vulnerable areas.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Outcomes of Cataract Extraction with Kahook Dual Blade Goniotomy Versus iStent Trabecular Micro-Bypass Device With Minimum Two Year Follow-Up

  Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science · 2021-06-21 · 3 citations

  articleOpen access
  Publisher

Recent grants

• EAGER: Adjustment to Balance in the Shallow Water Adjoint System

  NSF · $114k · 2016–2018

Frequent coauthors

• J. Botella

  Massachusetts Institute of Technology

  37 shared

• Raymond G. Najjar

  37 shared

• John Marshall

  Massachusetts Institute of Technology

  37 shared

• Thomas W. N. Haine

  Johns Hopkins University

  37 shared

• S. Lee

  Millersville University

  37 shared

• Todd D. Sikora

  Millersville University

  37 shared

• Kathleen J. Mackin

  37 shared

• Robin Clark

  Met Office

  37 shared

Education

• Ph.D.

  Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Awards & honors

• Fellow of the American Meteorological Society (2019)