Highlights of the Week – September 29th 2019
Califf Taking Larger Role with Alphabet Company
Duke cardiologist Robert Califf, MD, Vice Chancellor for Data Sciences for Duke Health and Director of Duke Forge, will transition to a full-time role with the Alphabet Company, serving as Head of Medical Strategy and Policy and working across the Google Health and Verily enterprises, beginning November 18. The news was announced on Thursday by A. Eugene Washington, MD, Duke Chancellor for Health Affairs.
“Califf has been a tremendous leader for this institution for more than 35 years, and we want to thank him for his dedication and commitment to Duke,” said Washington.
Califf, the Donald F. Fortin, M.D. Professor of Cardiology in the School of Medicine, is the founding director of the Duke Clinical Research Institute. He served as Vice Chancellor for Clinical and Translational Research at Duke and as Director of the Duke Translational Medicine Institute. After leaving Duke to serve as Deputy Commissioner for Medical Products and Tobacco and then Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Califf returned to Duke in 2017 to lead health data science and launch Duke Forge, the University’s new health data science center. Most recently, he has been instrumental in development of the Duke AI for Health initiative.
Califf attended Duke University and in 1978 graduated from the Duke University School of Medicine and began his residency training at the University of California, San Francisco. He returned to Duke in 1980 to complete a fellowship in cardiology and joined the faculty in 1982. He will remain on faculty at Duke University as an adjunct professor in the School of Medicine.
“This is bittersweet,” said Califf. “It has been 50 years since I arrived at Duke. All but four of those years, I have spent here. Lydia and I have made great friends, and together with Duke colleagues we’ve made real progress in our quest to improve lives. Duke University has an incredibly bright future, and I am proud to always call it home.”
The mark Rob Califf has made at Duke is undeniable. We are deeply grateful for all he and Lydia have done to support and further cardiovascular care and research at Duke and beyond.
Duke Heart at TCT, HFSA 2019
The Duke Heart team was well represented at the annual meetings for both TCT and HFSA!
Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) 2019 is underway through the end of this weekend at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. Duke Heart fellow Jenn Rymer met up with prior and current Duke Clinical Research Institute fellows Take Inohara and Adam Nelson; she also presented The Association of Health-Related Quality of Life Scores with Cardiovascular and Limb Outcomes in Patients with Symptomatic Peripheral Artery Disease: Insights from the 
EUCLID Trial (Manesh Patel and Schuyler Jones are co-authors).
We know there are a number of faculty presenting/attending including Rob Califf, Schuyler Jones, David Kong, Mitch Krucoff, Renato Lopes, Magnus Ohman, Manesh Patel and Sunil Rao; additionally, some former Dukies are out there: Bob Harrington and Amit Vora.
We saw a really great shout out to Amit Vora (now on faculty at UPMC) from Renato Lopes on Twitter and it seems particularly fitting to share here: “Amit was the official fellow on the AUGUSTUS trial and helped us to run the trial. He just did a fantastic job today in presenting important and novel data on hospitalization in patients with AF and ACS/PCI at TCT. Paper is available in Circulation. Proud of you.” Way to go, Amit!
The Heart Failure Society of America’s 2019 Scientific Meeting was held Sept. 13-16 at 
the Philadelphia Convention Center in Philadelphia. Richa Agarwal is shown during her presentation, “Right Heart Failure Risk after LVAD,” which was very well received. In addition to Agarwal, presenters from Duke included Mike Felker, Marat Fudim, Steve Greene, Stu Russell, Rob Mentz and Joe Rogers; Adam DeVore was a moderator.
Well done, everyone!
Shout-Out for Nafissi
The second fellows’ journal club was held this week. Navid Nafissi discussed CHIP and the risk of atherosclerotic disease (N Engl J Med 2017;377:111-21). Svati Shah was the faculty host and discussant and in the center of the great photo below. She gave the following kudos to Navid for his presentation:
“I just wanted to let you know what a fantastic job Navid Nafissi did with journal club yesterday. He did a huge amount of research, presented a clearly laid out and thoughtful outline to me, and delivered a fantastic presentation that was engaging and interesting.”
Shah added, “Thank you so much for the opportunity to host him and the fellows!” Many thanks to Anna Lisa Crowley for sharing this with us!
Upcoming Opportunities/Save the Date:
Pulmonary Hypertension Symposium: Nov. 1
The 11th Annual North Carolina Research Triangle Pulmonary Hypertension Symposium will take place on November 1 at the Durham Convention Center. Co-directors of the event are Terry Fortin and H. James Ford (UNC) Registration is open. To learn more and/or register, please visit: http://bit.ly/2m3oZrq
Cardiology Grand Rounds
Please join us this week when we welcome Davis Kass, Johns Hopkins, for “Increasing Heart Contractility: A Renaissance.” Tuesday, Oct. 1, 7:15 a.m., DN, 2003.
Upcoming Grand Rounds:
- 8: Cardiology Fellows Conference
- 15: Faculty Staff Meeting, 5 p.m.
- 29: Euan Ashley from Stanford, “Towards Precision Medicine.” 5 p.m.
- 5: Renato Lopes
- 8 (Friday): Kim Eagle, Michigan, will be presenting the Eugene Stead Lecture
- 12: Javed Butler, University of Mississippi
Have news to share?
If you have news to share with the Pulse readership, please contact Tracey Koepke, director of communications for Duke Heart at tracey.koepke@duke.edu. We would love to hear about your latest accomplishments, professional news, cool happenings, and any events or opportunities that may be of interest to our Duke Heart family. Please call with any questions: 919-681-2868. Feedback on Pulse is welcome and encouraged.
Duke Heart in the News:
September 23 — Stephen Greene
Healio
Sacubitril/valsartan beneficial in real-world HFrEF population
https://www.healio.com/cardiology/hf-transplantation/news/online/%7B1a211c9a-6d21-4f17-93c5-fbddc71b274f%7D/sacubitrilvalsartan-beneficial-in-real-world-hfref-population
September 26 — E. Magnus Ohman
tctMD/the heart beat
Safe to Drop P2Y12 Inhibitor at 3 Months in High-Bleeding-Risk Patients: EVOLVE Short DAPT
https://www.tctmd.com/news/safe-drop-p2y12-inhibitor-3-months-high-bleeding-risk-patients-evolve-short-dapt
September 26 — Renato Lopes
tctMD/the heart beat
AUGUSTUS: Apixaban-Based Dual Therapy Best Across Major Subgroups
https://www.tctmd.com/news/augustus-apixaban-based-dual-therapy-best-across-major-subgroups
September 26 — Ying Xian (Neurology & Duke Clinical Research Institute)
HealthDay
AHA News: Why Aren’t More Stroke Survivors Getting Statins?
https://consumer.healthday.com/cardiovascular-health-information-20/heart-stroke-related-stroke-353/aha-news-why-aren-t-more-stroke-survivors-getting-statins-750670.html
September 26 — Pamela Douglas
Medscape
An ACC First: Health Policy Statement on Equal Pay, Opportunity
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/919006?src=rss
Highlights from week of September 22nd 2019
Highlights of the week:
2019 Triangle Heart Walk Success!
We had an absolutely great time today at the Triangle Heart Walk due to the outstanding support of our team captains, walkers and volunteers from across Duke Heart, Duke Stroke Center and the Health System for not only doing their part as fundraisers, but through their efforts to work at the Duke tents and help make sure Duke Health was well represented this year. Together, we raised nearly $200,000 to support the American Heart Association (final numbers available next weekend). We began rolling out our Life Is Why sponsorship by offering blood pressure screenings – we were able to measure just over 100 walkers so that they would “Know Their Numbers” and have a better understanding of why it is important to measure regularly. (Did you know that the AHA recommends people check their BP twice per month?). Thanks to Manesh Patel for leading our PACE team: Partnering to Advance Cardiovascular health through community Engagement as part of our Life Is Why rollout.
Thank you to Sean Sondej, Jill Engel, Laura Dickerson, and Kelly Kester for taking the lead with the t-shirt tent and making sure all of our volunteers were fed, and thanks to Tracey Koepke for coordinating our sponsorship tent. Many, many thanks to our volunteers: Carolyn Gary, Melissa Williams, Latitia McNeil, Luz Pura, Mollie Kettle, Shari Starr (and husband!), Tayler Santorella, Terri Demuro and Brian Coyne for their help with blood pressure screenings and distribution of shirts. You’re all amazing!
We are very happy to have partnered with our Duke Stroke Center colleagues and appreciate their volunteers today: Margaret Fenu, Taylor Bennett, Vanessa Hutchins, Gerardine Granjean, Rebecca Horn, Donalyn Heilman, Amanda Taylor, Anna Southerland, Melissa Freeman, Shannon Chesney, Carey Unger, Nilam Patel and Emily Bulkley. We look forward to working with them again soon.
2nd Annual Duke Heart APP Symposium Held
Hosted by course directors Jill Engel and Manesh Patel, the 2nd Annual Duke Heart Symposium for APPs was held on Saturday, 9/21. We had excellent turnout (on a gorgeous day!) with more than 200 registered attendees from 12 different states. Duke Heart APPs moderated the sessions led by Jill Engel, Manesh Patel, Ann Marie Navar, Islam Othman, Jon Piccini, Adam Williams, Don Glower, Ben Bryner, Stephanie Barnes, Stu Russell, Terry Fortin and Michel Khouri. Topics included lipid management, chronic total occlusion, atrial fibrillation, aortic valve replacement, mitral interventions, endocarditis, LVAD therapies, heart failure, pulmonary hypertension, cardiac amyloidosis, and echocardiography.
This event has quickly become one of Duke Heart’s most well-attended events. Many thanks to the APP team for all of their hard work with particular appreciation to Jill Engel, Ashley Barba, Diane Sauro, Stephanie Barnes, Roman Ross, Peg Murphy, and Lynn McGugan for making the day so successful!
DeVore Accepted to ACC Leadership Academy
Congratulations to Adam DeVore on his acceptance into the 2019 American College of Cardiology Rick Nishimura, MD, MACC and Patrick T. O’Gara, MD, MACC Emerging Faculty Leadership Academy. This is great news, Adam – we are really happy for you!
Lowenstern Awarded 2019 CVRI Travel Grant
Congratulations to Duke Heart fellow Angela Lowenstern! She has been selected by the American Heart Association’s Council on Cardiovascular Radiology and Intervention (CVRI) for a 2019 CVRI Early Career Investigator Travel Grant. This award supports the research efforts of early career investigators and trainees of all backgrounds. She will be acknowledged as a Travel Grant recipient at the CVRI Awards Reception and Annual Business Meeting on Nov. 16 during the AHA Annual Scientific Sessions in Philadelphia.
STEMI Team & Piloting of LifeNet
Jamie Jollis presented at our STEMI meeting this week regarding an upcoming pilot of 
LifeNet, an application that allows EMS in many of our surrounding counties to push 12 lead EKGs from their machines to a computer in the CICU and ED at Duke. This will improve overall efficiency and quality of care, as LifeNet will offer improved EKG image quality, make transmission easier, and improve care for STEMI patients. This should also help reduce our false activation rates. We expect to begin the pilot in the next few weeks at DUH and DRH.
Cardio-Obstetrics Clinic Opens – Helps High Risk Moms
Congratulations to Sarah Goldstein and Cary Ward who, together, held their first multi-disciplinary cardio-obstetrics clinic this past week. The service is now offered at Lakeview Clinic side by side with Maternal Fetal Medicine (MFM). It allows our physicians to easily interact with our obstetrics colleagues around high risk patients, and is also highly patient-centered because the moms can see Cardiology and MFM all in the same place. We are starting with a half day clinic once per month, but plan to increase the number of days once we are operating smoothly.
Very special thanks to Nick Nguyen, division administrator for Duke Cardiology and Herly Joseph-Andre from the Department of Medicine who helped get this clinic set up and ready to go. Great job, everyone!
QMS Goes Live with DMP 7East as Pilot Unit
DMP 7East went live on Wednesday as the Duke Heart pilot unit for implementation of the 
Duke Quality Management System. Eric McClenny, 7E Nurse Manager and Cierra Ashley, 7E Clinical Lead are pictured here with the 7East staff during the morning huddle.
Shout-out to Duke Heart Nurse Managers and Clinical Leads
Many thanks to our Duke Heart Nurse Managers and Clinical Leads for all of their hard work and overall efforts to support our patients and team.
We managed to capture a shot of a group of them enjoying some sunshine and camaraderie out on the Trent Semans patio this week.
ECMO Team Wins Best Abstract at 30th Annual ELSO Conference
Congratulations to Sarah Mausert and Mike Wilson of the Duke ECMO team for winning
Best Abstract at the 30th Annual Extracorporeal Life Support Organization Conference held from Sept. 12-15 at the Hilton Austin in Austin, TX. Their abstract “RT ECMO Specialist Driven Sweep Trials Reduce Time to Sweep Trial Initiation and ECMO Duration in Patients Requiring VV-ECMO for ARDS.” We have heard that this was, without a doubt, the best content of the entire meeting. Our MICU ECMO Specialists all deserve a round of applause. We are very pleased and proud of this terrific team. Way to go!
EP Summit: 9th Annual CME Event Held Sept. 7
The 9th Annual Duke Electrophysiology Summit, directed by Jim Daubert, was hosted 
on Saturday, Sept. 7. Duke speakers included Sana Al-Khatib, Brett Atwater, Kristen Campbell, Camille Frazier-Mills, Kevin Jackson, Renato Lopes, Dan Mark, Jason Koontz, Ruth Lehan, Jane Schutz, Al Sun, Rob Lewis, and Kevin Thomas. The keynote speaker was Anthony Tang, professor of medicine at Western University in Ontario. More than 170 attendees registered for the live event and online webinar. Topics included the intersection of heart failure with arrhythmias and devices, rhythm control and stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation, device management and many interesting and challenging cases.
Great job, everyone!
Upcoming Opportunities/Save the Date:
Cardiology Grand Rounds
This month we have had two great presentations on different aspects of cardio-oncology by Michael Fradley and Ron Witteles. Thanks to those of you who were able to join us!
This week, we continue that discussion and focus on cardio-oncology care at Duke. Susan Dent and Michel Khouri, the directors of the Duke CardioOncology program, will be speaking. The title of their talk is, “CardioOncology: Past, Present and Future.” Tuesday, Sept. 24, 7:15 a.m., DN, 2001.
Upcoming Grand Rounds:
- 25 (Wednesday): Association of Women Surgeons Grand Rounds: “Gender in Leadership.” This event is a collaboration among various departments, including Surgery, Orthopedics, Neurosurgery, Anesthesiology, Ophthalmology, and Medicine. All Duke Health professionals are welcome to attend.
- 1: Davis Kass, Johns Hopkins, “Increasing Heart Contractility: A Renaissance.”
- 8: Cardiology Fellows Conference
- 15: Faculty Staff Meeting, 5 p.m.
- 29: Euan Ashley from Stanford, “Towards Precision Medicine.” 5 p.m.
- 5: Renato Lopes
- 8 (Friday): Kim Eagle, Michigan, will be presenting the Eugene Stead Lecture
- 12: Javed Butler, University of Mississippi
Have news to share?
If you have news to share with the Pulse readership, please contact Tracey Koepke, director of communications for Duke Heart at tracey.koepke@duke.edu. We would love to hear about your latest accomplishments, professional news, cool happenings, and any events or opportunities that may be of interest to our Duke Heart family. Please call with any questions: 919-681-2868. Feedback on Pulse is welcome and encouraged.
Duke Heart in the News:
September 17 — Pamela Douglas
tctMD/the heart beat
American College of Cardiology Steps Up: Equal Pay, Opportunities for All
https://www.tctmd.com/news/american-college-cardiology-steps-equal-pay-opportunities-all
September 19 — Jennifer Rymer
Cardiovascular Business
Failed TAVR more common in women, those with PAD
cardiovascularbusiness.com/topics/structural-congenital-heart-disease/failed-tavr-more-common-women-those-pad
September 19 — Renato Lopes
Medscape
ENTRUST-AF PCI Supports Safety of Dual Therapy With Edoxaban
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/918713
Highlights Week of September 15th 2019
Highlights of the week:
Douglas Receives ASNC 2019 Distinguished Career Award
We are very pleased to announce that the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology 
named Pamela S. Douglas as the 2019 recipient of their Distinguished Career Achievement Award! The award was presented at the Annual Scientific Session of the ASNC, held this weekend at the Chicago Marriott Magnificent Mile Hotel in Chicago. Well deserved! Go #WIC!
CVRC Grand Opening
The Duke Cardiovascular Research Center (CVRC) celebrated their recently renovated space in the Carl Building with a grand opening celebration on Friday evening. Speakers included Victor Dzau, Robert Lefkowitz, Howard Rockman, Manesh Patel and Maria Price Rapoza. The state of the art space is now large enough to bring the majority of our basic science investigators into closer proximity, and offer greater collaboration among lab members. Thanks to the continued leadership of Howard Rockman and Maria Rapoza in helping bring this vision to fruition. This space will provide the environment that our faculty and research teams need to make the critical insights needed in cardiovascular medicine. The space looks great and if you haven’t seen it, you should stop by to check it out. First floor, Carl building.
Laura Blue Celebrates 40 years with Duke!
September 10th marked a milestone for our very own Laura Blue! She has been with Duke for 40 years. Congratulations, Laura! Your compassion and skill have benefitted not only thousands of our Duke Heart patients, but all of your colleagues as well.
Press Ganey Award 2F/2G
Congratulations to the 2F/2G team! Clinic 2F/2G won Press Ganey’s 2019 Pinnacle of Excellence award for Medical Practice/CGCAHPS. The award recognizes practices with sustained extraordinary performance (three consecutive years May 2016- April 2019) in “Likelihood to Recommend,” “Overall Rating,” and “Teamwork.” This is a highly competitive award with only four winners in this category.
Way to go, everyone!
Rasesh Desai Joins Anesthesiology; CTOR, CTICU Team
Please join us in welcoming Rasesh Desai, MD, to the Duke Heart team – he is the 
newest faculty member in Duke’s Department of Anesthesiology with specialized training in cardiothoracic care. Rasesh obtained his medical degree from the Medical University of South Carolina; completed residency at Vanderbilt; an adult Cardiothoracic Anesthesia fellowship training at Cleveland Clinic, and Critical Care Medicine fellowship training at Vanderbilt.
He will start in the CTOR next week, and in the CTICU in October. Please welcome him when you see him!
‘Hitting With Heart’ Fundraiser Held
Our 5th Annual Hitting with Heart softball tournament to benefit the American Heart Association’s Triangle Heart Walk was held last weekend. The one-day, co-ed tournament included 12 teams from throughout DUHS including two teams from 7 West/DMP, 3100, 3300, 7 East/DMP, 7700, Duke Birthing Center, Vascular Interventional Radiology, Clinical Engineering, DHTS, Perfusion, and Respiratory Care Services. Congratulations to the winning team: DHTS! The tournament generated $2775, but the teams are continuing to collect donations up until the Heart Walk next Sunday.
Way to go! Many thanks to all who contributed to planning this fun event and to the teams who joined us. We’re especially grateful to our 2019 tournament sponsors: Fred’s Towing & Transport; Moon Runners Saloon; Rutledge Mini Storage & Climate Control and Greystone Tru-Light.
ICYMI: NEW BOOK RELEASE Mechanical Circulatory Support: A Companion to Braunwald’s Heart Disease, 2nd Edition!
From Elsevier: Offering comprehensive, authoritative coverage of mechanical circulatory support (MCS), this fully revised companion to Braunwald’s Heart Disease provides the clinically relevant information you need to effectively use this therapy to treat and manage end-stage heart failure. New editors and authors – experts in both cardiology and cardiovascular surgery – bring you fully up to date with the newest technology and devices, as well as basic science, clinical applications, adverse event monitoring and management, socioeconomic implications, future directions, and more. NOTE: One of the co-authors is our own Joe Rogers! Learn more:
Commemorative 25th Anniversary Books Still Available
Own a piece of history! We have a few remaining copies of the Duke Heart Center 25th anniversary commemorative photo book available. They are located on the 8th floor of the HAFS building and are available on a first come, first served basis at no cost. Please see Renee Story in person this week if you would like a copy.
Upcoming Opportunities/Save the Date:
Triangle Heart Walk: September 22.
Check in starts at 12:30 p.m.; the walk is at 2 p.m. at PNC Arena. Have you registered? Help Duke beat UNC – we need more walkers!
This is it: The Heart Walk is next weekend!! We look forward to seeing as many members of the Duke Heart team there as possible.
Consider joining our Heart Center team aimed at partnering to advance cardiovascular health through community engagement (PACE). Here is the link (or search for “PACE”): http://www2.heart.org/goto/PACEHeartWalkTeam
La Pluma: A Narrative Essay Writing Group
Have you ever considered writing an essay for publication describing a patient encounter, or an opinion on a controversial topic? Giving the medical community a “piece of your mind”? Or perhaps a short story that ties into your medical experiences? Then please join us for a brief initial interest meeting for a new writing group for Duke Medical School faculty and residents to be held September 18, 2019 in room 212C, Seeley Mudd Building, at 5:30 PM.
We are planning a monthly evening group meeting to share ideas and take turns reading and responding one another’s work. We believe that through this practice, we will not only improve the essays in question, but also refine our own listening and editing skills; and this in turn will enable us to better understand and honor the stories told to us by our patients.
Planned benefits of the group include:
- Have your work read and commented on prior to submitting for publication
- Learn from others with similar interests
- Brainstorm for new ideas
- Identify potential journals for publication
- Share recommendations for useful writing guides
The group leaders will include Ray Barfield, MD, PhD, Sneha Mantri, MD, MA, Frank Neelon, MD, and Brian Quaranta, MD, MA, of the Trent Center for Bioethics, Humanities, and History of Medicine. At the initial meeting, we plan to give further information about the purpose of the group, as well as assess interest level and potential group size.
If you are interested but cannot attend the initial meeting, do not be discouraged. Please email Brian Quaranta at brian.quaranta@duke.edu. We hope to see you there!
Cardiology Grand Rounds
Join us for Cardiology Grand Rounds with Ron Witteles of Stanford Medicine. He will present Amyloidosis – A Journey from Esoteric Untreatable to Common/Treatable. Tuesday, Sept. 17, 7:15 a.m., DN, 2001.
Upcoming Grand Rounds:
- 24: Susan Dent, Duke Cancer Institute.
- 1: David Kass, Johns Hopkins.
Have news to share?
If you have news to share with the Pulse readership, please contact Tracey Koepke, director of communications for Duke Heart at tracey.koepke@duke.edu. We would love to hear about your latest accomplishments, professional news, cool happenings, and any events or opportunities that may be of interest to our Duke Heart family. Please call with any questions: 919-681-2868. Feedback on Pulse is welcome and encouraged.
Duke Heart in the News:
September 10 — Sunil Rao
Medscape
Heparin Dosing Oddities in the Cath Lab: A ‘Red Flag’ Raises Questions
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/918035?src=rss
September 11 — Robert Califf
Cardiovascular Business
Fluoroquinolone use predicts aortic, mitral regurgitation
https://www.cardiovascularbusiness.com/topics/structural-congenital-heart-disease/fluoroquinolone-use-predicts-aortic-mitral-regurgitation
September 11 — Adrian Hernandez
Medscape
Cardiac ‘Shrinkage’ on Sacubitril/Valsartan May Rival CRT in Reduced-EF Heart Failure: PROVE-HF
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/918131
September 11 — Robert Califf
Medpage Today
Antibiotic Class Associated With Heart Valve Problems
https://www.medpagetoday.com/cardiology/chf/82088
Highlights September 8th Week
Former Fellows Reunite at ESC 2019
Peter Quigley, Peter Clemmensen and Magnus Ohman were able to catch up with one another while at the European Society of Cardiology held last weekend in Paris. They all worked together in the late 1980s and worked with Galen Wagner and Richard Stack.
The meeting was highlighted by several important clinical trials and presentations by many of the Duke Heart Faculty. We will have a full list of presentations and publications forthcoming. Several advances in Heart Failure, management of diabetes, and patients needing complete revascularization at the time of acute MI were presented.
CSTI Announces TransPop Expansion; MURDOCK Celebrates 10th Anniversary
In conjunction with the 10th anniversary of the first participant enrolled in the landmark MURDOCK Study, the Duke CTSI Translational Population Health Research group has announced plans to double its clinical research space at the North Carolina Research Campus in Kannapolis.
“The MURDOCK Study is our foundational study and has paved the way for TransPop’s growing clinical research presence in Kannapolis,” said L. Kristin Newby, MD, principal investigator for the MURDOCK Study and director for Translational Population Health Research (TransPop). “The value of the MURDOCK Study is its ability to help researchers answer big questions to better understand health and disease. We could not do this work without our dedicated participants.”
One of the largest community-based research studies of its kind, the MURDOCK Study Community Registry and Biorepository has more than 12,500 participants and about 430,000 biological samples. People from 20 zip codes in and around Kannapolis and Cabarrus County joined the study. Participants complete a follow-up form every year, and researchers track changes to their health over time.
The study has more than 50 collaborations, including 150 collaborators across 21 institutions, and 47 peer reviewed publications. More than 100 Duke faculty members have used MURDOCK Study samples and data to explore a broad range of research questions, and two new cohorts launched this year, the MURDOCK Fractures and Falls Study and MURDOCK Kidney Health Study.
“I’m excited about all that has been accomplished over the past decade through the MURDOCK Study, and I’m confident and excited about what the future holds. Our core values in the School of Medicine remind us that we are here to accelerate discovery, advance the care of patients, and to train the next generation of heath care providers,” said Mary E. Klotman, M.D., Dean, Duke University School of Medicine. “I can think of few projects that are a better example than the MURDOCK Study of how we are living out these values in the work we all do at Duke.”
To continue to support a growing network of investigators and their research projects and to better serve participants and study staff, TransPop will double its state-of-the-art clinical office to 10,100 square feet, giving the group much-needed space to onboard new studies based in Kannapolis, Newby said. Construction is expected to take place this fall on the third floor of the North Carolina Research Campus Medical Office Building.
“The planned expansion will create an ideal research environment for our investigators, study participants, and our staff,” Newby said. She noted the TransPop expansion coincides with an ambitious overhaul of downtown Kannapolis and encouraged Duke collaborators to visit.
Duke CTSI is observing the MURDOCK Study 10th anniversary throughout the year. The celebration continues Oct. 12 with the Duke Dash 5K & Healthfest at the North Carolina Research Campus in Kannapolis.
MURDOCK stands for Measurement to Understand the Reclassification of Disease Of Cabarrus and Kannapolis. Duke University School of Medicine received a generous from David H. Murdock through the David H. Murdock Institute for Business and Culture to establish the MURDOCK Study in September 2007. The first participant was enrolled in 2009.
To learn more about collaborating with the MURDOCK Study and Duke CTSI TransPop, go to duketranspop.org.
Project Baseline Update
Svati Shah discusses advancing health science to improve heart attack and stroke prevention in a new Project Baseline Q&A. Shah is Duke’s principal investigator for the Project Baseline Health Study and also partners on the new Project Baseline Heart Biomarker Study. She’s director of the Duke Adult Cardiovascular Genetics Clinic.
The Health Study is the first initiative of Project Baseline, an ambitious effort to develop a well-defined “baseline” of human health, and a rich data platform to help researchers better understand health and disease and the transitions between them. Collaborators include Duke, Verily, Stanford Medicine and Google.
Department of Medicine Grand Rounds
Neha Pagidipati, Svati Shah, and Sreekanth Vemulapalli presented at the Friday, Sept. 6 Department of Medicine Grand Rounds. The grand rounds focused on data science projects that were supported by the Department of Medicine and our Division. Neha 
focused on cardiometabolic disease and obesity and Svati and Sreek presented around the imaging relationships between echo and the underlying genetics and myocardial disease.
Great Job!
Shout Outs to CCU Fellows; Jade Clausen
Jen Rymer sent kudos out the week ending Sept. 1 to CCU fellows Vanessa, Chris and Jeff. She said, “Thanks to the hard work of all the CCU fellows! We appreciated their clear and timely communication and their hard work to transition patients in and out of the Cath lab when the hospital was very busy.” Many thanks to Anna Lisa Crowley for sharing this with us!
Special thanks to Jade Clausen, NP for inpatient cardiology transplant! She went above and beyond for a patient family this week ahead of Hurricane Dorian. Per Adam Devore: “This week we had a heart transplant patient completing PLEX and ATG for rejection but hoping to get home before the Hurricane Dorian landed. Jade came in early to make sure the patient was discharged before 7 am so that the patient could make it home to his family.” Todd McVeigh, co-team lead for Cardiology APPs, shared with us that Jade came to the hospital well ahead of the start of her shift in order to discharge the patient, putting him and his family at ease.
Great job, Vanessa, Chris, Jeff and Jade!
Commemorative 25th Anniversary Books Available
Own a piece of history! We have a limited number of extra copies of the Duke Heart Center 25th anniversary commemorative photo book available while supplies last. They are located on the 8th floor of the HAFS building and are available on a first come, first served basis at no cost. Please see Renee Story in person this week if you would like a copy.
Upcoming Opportunities/Save the Date:
September 22: Triangle Heart Walk.
Check in starts at 12:30 p.m.; the walk is at 2 p.m. at PNC Arena. Have you registered? Help Duke beat UNC – we need more walkers!
It is not too late to register as a team captain or to join an already formed team (there are several to join as part of Duke Heart as well as all major DUHS entities) – please visit: https://www2.heart.org/site/TR?company_id=209022&fr_id=4327&pg=company
Consider joining our Heart Center team aimed at partnering to advance cardiovascular health through community engagement (PACE). Here is the link (or search for “PACE”): http://www2.heart.org/goto/PACEHeartWalkTeam
Cardiology Grand Rounds
Join us for Cardiology Grand Rounds with Michael Fradley of USF Health. He will present Nuts and Bolts of Cardio-Oncology: From pathophysiology to program development. Monday, Sept. 9, 7:15 a.m., DN, 2001. Breakfast will be available, but please arrive early if you want dibs on your favorites!
Upcoming Grand Rounds:
- 17: Ron Witteles, of Stanford Medicine. Cardiac Amyloidosis. 7:15 a.m., DN, 2003.
Have news to share?
If you have news to share with the Pulse readership, please contact Tracey Koepke, director of communications for Duke Heart at tracey.koepke@duke.edu. We would love to hear about your latest accomplishments, professional news, cool happenings, and any events or opportunities that may be of interest to our Duke Heart family. Please call with any questions: 919-681-2868. Feedback on Pulse is welcome and encouraged.
Duke Heart in the News:
August 30 — Yaron Barac
Cardiovascular Business
TBI donor hearts found viable for transplant
https://www.cardiovascularbusiness.com/topics/coronary-intervention-surgery/tbi-donor-hearts-found-viable-transplant
August 31 — Matthew Roe
Medscape
Bleeding in ACS Patients on DAPT Should Prompt Cancer Search
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/917535
August 31 — E. Magnus Ohman
tctMD/the heart beat
Evolocumab in Acute ACS Safely Reduces LDL Cholesterol: EVOPACS
https://www.tctmd.com/news/evolocumab-acute-acs-safely-reduces-ldl-cholesterol-evopacs
September 1 — Sana Al-Khatib
MedicineNet
Take a Vacation, Your Heart Will Thank You
https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=214853
September 2 — Christopher Granger
tctMD/the heart beat
BMI Not the Best Option for Predicting CV Events, Global Analysis Suggests
https://www.tctmd.com/news/bmi-not-best-option-predicting-cv-events-global-analysis-suggests
September 2 — Sana Al-Khatib
Healio/Cardiology Today
Periodic repolarization dynamics may identify ICD candidates
https://www.healio.com/cardiology/arrhythmia-disorders/news/online/%7Ba241edc9-c141-46e9-8da5-86c84ae4ff87%7D/periodic-repolarization-dynamics-may-identify-icd-candidates
September 3 — Sana Al-Khatib
Medpage Today
https://www.medpagetoday.com/meetingcoverage/esc/81945
September 4 — Christopher Granger and Renato Lopes
Medpage Today
Dual Tx With Edoxaban Noninferior to Standard Triple Tx
https://www.medpagetoday.com/meetingcoverage/esc/81980
September 5 — James Blumenthal (Psychiatry)
Inc.
https://www.inc.com/melanie-curtin/want-a-healthy-brain-stanford-neuroscientists-say-doing-this-1-easy-activity-improves-memory-boosts-mood-prevents-dementia.html
Highlights of week ending September 1st 2019
Highlights of the week:
Bryner Joins CT Surgery Faculty
Please join us in welcoming Benjamin S. Bryner, MD, MS, to the Duke Heart team! Bryner has been with Duke since 2016 when he arrived as a thoracic surgery resident. Having completed his CT surgery training in June, he has officially joined the faculty in the Division of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery as an assistant professor of surgery. He specializes in heart and lung transplantation.
Bryner earned his medical degree, with distinction in research, at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. There, Bryner spent a significant amount of time researching ECMO under the mentorship of Dr. Robert Bartlett. Throughout his general surgery training, also at Michigan, he earned several research excellence and teaching awards, including the James W. Crudup Award, given for excellence in research.
He says he was drawn to Duke because he wanted the experience in organ transplantation he knew he would get from our program, as well as the fact that Duke has one of the largest and busiest ECMO programs in the U.S.
Bryner is originally from Utah and here with his wife who is a PhD student in public policy and political science at Duke. He is looking forward to meeting and connecting with even more of the Duke Heart team and looks forward to expanding his research collaborations and to participating in the expansion of new programs and services.
We are happy to have him on faculty with us. Please introduce yourself to Ben when you have the opportunity to do so!
Welcome, Jillian Ream!
Please join us in welcoming Jillian Ream as she begins her new role as Executive Director of Development in the Department of Medicine. She fills the leadership role last held by Blue Dean, who departed Duke Health after eight years to oversee the development efforts for University Libraries at UNC-Chapel Hill.
Jillian will collaborate with Kathleen Cooney and Magnus Ohman, Vice Chair for Development and Innovation, as well as the other division chiefs, to increase development efforts in the coming year.
Jillian joined Duke Health Development and Alumni Affairs in 2013 and has served as chief fundraiser and manager of philanthropic giving for the Duke Eye Center since 2015. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Wake Forest University and a master’s degree in social work administration, as well as a certificate in nonprofit management, philanthropic studies and volunteerism from The University of Texas at Austin. Jillian has spent the majority of her development career in academic medical settings, including at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Jillian will manage a team of Duke Health Development professionals dedicated to the Department of Medicine, including Sally Schatz and others to be selected soon. Jillian will work closely with Duke Heart Center on our fundraising activities. We look forward to working with her!
Walton Departing Duke, December 2019; Seabrooks Named CTOR Scheduler
As many of you know, Mary Walton, our cardiovascular and thoracic operating room (CTOR) scheduling manager has decided to retire in early December after more than 42 years of service at Duke University Hospital. Mary has been a tremendous asset to the Division of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery and Duke Heart Center. She has built excellent relationships through the years and participated in processes to enhance our CTOR scheduling processes.
With Mary’s pending retirement, Jessica Seabrooks, RN, CCRN, will transfer into the CTOR scheduler role. Many of you know Jessica from 7W. Jessica has more than 13 years of experience with Duke including time with MICU, 3100, the CT Step Down Unit, and most recently, her 6.5 years on 7W. There, she successfully championed the unit’s efforts to reduce patient falls. Jessica has presented her work at multiple local and national conferences. We believe Jessica’s experience in bed flow, as a charge nurse, and as a preceptor will provide great value in her transition to the CTOR scheduler position.
Many thanks to Mary for her incredible years of service to all of us! Please congratulate and welcome Jessica to the CTOR scheduling role when you see her.
Good Catch, Shannon Brennan, 3300!
Another “eagle eyed” Duke Heart team member makes a good catch! Shannon Brennan,
one of our amazing nurses on 3300, caught an incorrect order of magnesium
at discharge for a patient with heart transplant and end stage renal disease. This helped prevent complications due to hypermagnesium. Way to go, Shannon — keep up the great work!
Rivera, Zhang Achieve Advanced Certification in Sonography
The Duke Heart Clinical Diagnostic Unit is proud to announce that two of our
sonographers, Danny Rivera and Jian Zhang, successfully passed the Advanced Cardiac Sonographer (ACS) examination. ACS sonographers practice at an advanced level in the echocardiography laboratory improving lab quality and efficiency; performing advanced echocardiograms and mentoring fellows, students, residents and staff; developing and implementing educational plans; facilitating continuous quality improvement, and coordinating cardiac ultrasound research.
Danny and Jian join the ranks of Hillary Hrabak, Batina Kight, Mike Foster, Ashlee Davis, Josh Lander, and John Toptine as Duke Sonographers who have all achieved the Advanced Cardiac Sonographer certification.
The regular advancement in learning and achievement demonstrated by our sonography team is one of the reasons Duke is able to provide the highest levels of care to our patients. Good Work Danny and Jian!
Kudos to Chris Wrobel!
We learned this week of outstanding support offered by Chris Wrobel, a first-year cardiology fellow. According to Mike Nanna, also a fellow with the division of cardiology, Wrobel was having an extremely busy night as the CCU fellow on call when two patients simultaneously required somewhat challenging procedures. Chris managed to keep his cool in a stressful situation, took advantage of the resources he had available, prioritized effectively, and successfully provided the necessary care to his patients. His technical competence, effective team management, and leadership abilities were under full display. Chris’s clinical skill and ability to maintain his composure as an early first-year fellow were truly impressive.
Way to go, Chris! Thanks for being an exemplary part of our team. Many thanks to Mike Nanna and to Anna Lisa Crowley for sharing this with the Pulse!
Duke Heart team expands by two!
The Duke Heart team is twice-blessed thanks to the recent arrival of newborns. Hooray!
The Doberne & Chien family is pleased to introduce Adrian Isaac Chien, born Aug. 17.
Julie Doberne, MD, PhD, is a trainee in our Integrated CT Surgery Training Program. Doberne reports that all are doing well; she and husband Christopher Chien, along with Adrian’s big sister, Samantha, thank everyone for their ongoing support.
We are happy to report that Tiffany & Cale Sito, as well as big sister, Hazel, welcomed a baby boy named Hunter on Aug. 22, weighing 7 lbs., 3 oz. Tiffany Sito is one of our cardiology nurse practitioners; she reports that everyone is doing well and that her family appreciates everyone’s well wishes. She adds, “See y’all in November!”
Congratulations to both families!
Fifth Annual Hitting with Heart Softball Tourney: Sept. 8
Calling all softball fans…and fans of food trucks and bounce houses! The 5th Annual Hitting with Heart softball tournament will take place on Sunday, Sept. 8 from 8 a.m. to 7
p.m. at Valley Springs Park, (3805 Valley Springs Road, Durham). Although teams are finalized, we are looking for volunteers to help at the event, which raises funds for the upcoming American Heart Association Heart Walk. If you have time and the willingness to help, please contact Heather Pena at heather.pena@duke.edu. We encourage everyone to join us for any part of the day – it is a fun gathering for a great cause. Many thanks to everyone who works hard to plan this event. (And yes – there will be food trucks and a bounce house!)
Commemorative 25th Anniversary Books Available
Own a piece of history! We have a limited number of extra copies of the Duke Heart Center 25th anniversary commemorative photo book available while supplies last. They are located on the 8th floor of the HAFS building and are available on a first come, first served basis at no cost. Please see Renee Storey in person, or send an email to Tracey Koepke if you would like a copy.
Reminder: CVRC Open House
The Duke Cardiovascular Research Center (CVRC) will hold an open house on Friday, Sept. 13 from 5-6:30 p.m. to celebrate their newly renovated space in the Carl Building. Everyone from Duke Heart is welcome to attend. There will be opening remarks from leadership, refreshments, and a tour of the space. We look forward to seeing you there and to celebrating with our CVRC team! Please let Cheryl Woodard know by Sept. 9 if you plan to attend. Her email is cheryl.woodard@duke.edu.
ICYMI: Triangle Now Fourth Largest Life Science Hub in U.S.
The rankings are based on life science employment concentration and growth, company concentration, venture capital funding, NIH funding and patents. See the news story here: https://www.wraltechwire.com/2019/08/29/triangle-now-4th-largest-life-science-hub-in-us-says-new-report/
ATTN: Duke Heart Alumni/DUCCS
Hey, Duke Heart alumni… are you planning a trip to Durham, NC? Duke’s new alumni center is now open! The Karsh Alumni
and Visitors Center located at 2080 Duke University Road, is a 48,000 square foot complex with three main buildings — an events building with atrium/lobby, a market for snacks and beverages, a hall with state-of-the-art, interactive technology wall and a board room; the Forlines House with a lounge, library and meeting room; and an office building for Alumni Affairs staff members. There is also a grassy quad in the middle of the complex that can be tented for gatherings, receptions and dinners. Be sure to stop in and check it out the next time you are on campus.
Karsh Official Grand Opening/Founders’ Weekend
Saturday, Sept. 28
1 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Duke Community Open House/Homecoming Weekend
Sunday, Oct. 13
9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Upcoming Opportunities/Save the Date:
September 22: Triangle Heart Walk.
Check in starts at 12:30 p.m.; the walk is at 2 p.m. at PNC Arena. Have you registered? Help Duke beat UNC – we need more walkers!
It is not too late to register as a team captain or to join an already formed team (there are several to join as part of Duke Heart as well as all major DUHS entities) – please visit: https://www2.heart.org/site/TR?company_id=209022&fr_id=4327&pg=company
Consider joining our Heart Center team aimed at partnering to advance cardiovascular health through community engagement (PACE). Here is the link (or search for “PACE”): http://www2.heart.org/goto/PACEHeartWalkTeam
The Return of Cardiology Grand Rounds
We know you have missed it! Please join us as we resume Cardiology Grand Rounds with Michael Fradley of USF Health as our first guest. He will present Nuts and Bolts of Cardio-Oncology: From pathophysiology to program development. Monday, Sept. 9, 7:15 a.m., DN, 2001. Breakfast will be available, but please arrive early if you want dibs on your favorites!
Upcoming Grand Rounds:
• Sept. 17: Ron Witteles, of Stanford Medicine. Cardiac Amyloidosis. 7:15 a.m., DN, 2003.
Have news to share?
If you have news to share with the Pulse readership, please contact Tracey Koepke, director of communications for Duke Heart at tracey.koepke@duke.edu. We would love to hear about your latest accomplishments, professional news, cool happenings, and any events or opportunities that may be of interest to our Duke Heart family. Please call with any questions: 919-681-2868. Feedback on Pulse is welcome and encouraged.
Duke Heart in the News:
August 26 — Thomas Owens and Duke University Hospital
The New York Times
Inside North Carolina’s Big Effort to Transform Health Care
August 28 — Jennifer Rymer
tctMD/the heart beat
Aborted TAVR Procedures Are Waning in the US
https://www.tctmd.com/news/aborted-tavr-procedures-are-waning-us
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