Highlights of the week:
Al-Khatib Named Director of DCRI Fellowship Program
Please join us in congratulating Sana Al-Khatib, MD, MHS, who was recently named director of the DCRI Fellowship program. Since its inception, the program has welcomed more than 300 fellows, many of whom have remained at Duke and the DCRI. Adam Goode, PhD, DPT, will join as Associate Director for the program, and Neha Pagidipati, MD, MPH, will continue in her role as Associate Director for the third year. The new appointments were announced on Aug. 5.
“Of all my job responsibilities, nothing excites me as much as mentoring and coaching fellows and seeing them grow and be successful,” said Al-Khatib. “I have served as the primary mentor for 15 post-doctoral fellows and a co-mentor for seven other research scholars. My goal for the Fellowship Program mirrors the goals of the DCRI—to disrupt the status quo through innovation, collaboration, inclusiveness, and diversity.”
Al-Khatib brings significant experience to her new role. Of the 22 people she has mentored, 10 currently hold a position at an academic institution, nine are still in training, and three are working in non-academic settings. Al-Khatib also serves as the co-director of the NHLBI-funded Duke T32 grant for Postdoctoral Training in Cardiovascular Clinical Research. She is the recipient of the 2013 Robert Califf Award for Outstanding Research Mentorship and the 2015 Duke Cardiology Fellows’ Award for Outstanding Mentorship.
The DCRI has a longstanding commitment to developing the next generation of clinical researchers and leaders, and its fellowship program is of one of the most unique research fellowship programs in the world. It offers a living laboratory for promising clinical research investigators, combining access to faculty experienced in all facets of clinical research with a supportive, collaborative environment that contributes to a unique and successful fellowship experience.
In her role, Al-Khatib will convene a leadership team that provides oversight of the development of post-doctoral fellows in broad-based, multi-disciplinary research across multiple clinical and methodological domains.
“I look forward to pulling together the leadership team and working with our fellows to build upon the program’s legacy of educating the next generation,” said Al-Khatib. “I want to recognize my colleagues for their leadership and contributions to the program over the past years. Finally, I want to thank all my mentors, my mentees, and my colleagues who have believed in me and supported me over the years.”
Congratulations, Sana! We know the program will benefit from your leadership and passion for mentoring!
Duke EP Becomes First Team in NC to Implant WATCHMAN FLX
On Tuesday, Duke’s Electrophysiology (EP) team became the first in North Carolina to implant the WATCHMAN FLX™ Left Atrial Appendage Closure (LAAC) Device, the newest iteration of Boston Scientific’s WATCHMAN implant. The team implanted two WATCHMAN FLX devices in separate cases at Duke on August 11.
“Both patients had a great result (complete closure with zero leak) that would not have been possible with the previous technology,” according to Jon Piccini, MD, associate professor of medicine in cardiology and Director of Electrophysiology.
The WATCHMAN FLX device is indicated to reduce the risk of stroke in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) who need an alternative to oral anticoagulation therapy by permanently closing off the left atrial appendage – the area of the heart where stroke-causing blood clots commonly form in NVAF.
For patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), oral anticoagulation therapy is a very effective and important treatment strategy to reduce the risk of stroke. AF patients are at higher risk of stroke than the general population and strokes in AF patients tend to be larger and lead to more disability than non-AF related strokes, he added. However, about 10 to 20 percent of atrial fibrillation patients cannot tolerate long-term oral anticoagulation medications.
“For nearly four years, we have been using the original WATCHMAN device which has been very helpful to treat those who are not good candidates for long-term oral anticoagulation treatment,” Piccini says. “However, there were patients whose anatomies just would not allow for use of the WATCHMAN.”
The new technology features a new, fully rounded design that offers electrophysiologists the ability to safely enter, and maneuver within, the left atrial appendage. It is the first LAAC device that can be fully recaptured, repositioned and redeployed for precise placement, and the new frame design allows for optimal device engagement with the tissue for long-term stability and a faster, more complete seal.
Piccini says that not only is the WATCHMAN FLX a better device all around and easier to implant, but it expands the patient anatomies that the device can appropriately cover and treat.
Notably, Duke’s EP team was also the first in NC to implant the original WATCHMAN device when it launched in 2016.
Piccini issued a broad note of thanks to the team earlier in the week. “Thank you to everyone on the team who made today possible, including all of the echo team, the lab team and nurses, cardiac anesthesia, and all of the Duke physicians who got their training done despite busy schedules.”
The device received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval in July; it is currently available at a limited number of centers in the U.S.
Great job and hearty congratulations to the entire Duke EP team!
FAST FACTS! Did you know? Duke Electrophysiology has one of the largest electrophysiology faculty teams in the U.S., with 14 faculty members (two of whom are women). It is home to the Duke Center for Atrial Fibrillation, one of the largest atrial fibrillation centers in the country. The team treats well over 15,000 patients with atrial fibrillation and performs an average of 450-550 catheter ablations per year. Way to go!
Duke Students Return to Campus Amidst Pandemic
Duke University has launched its comprehensive COVID-19 testing program by administering 3,116 tests to the first undergraduate and graduate students who have returned to campus since Aug. 1. As of last week, a total of four positive results have been reported. Any student who tests positive is required to isolate until getting medical clearance to access campus facilities.
All incoming students are required to get a COVID-19 test before they are permitted to enter university housing or attend class on campus. In addition to the mandatory testing, move-in protocols were modified this year, with students arriving in shifts over a week-long period, limited visitors and requirements for face coverings and other health and safety protocols.
Starting tomorrow, Aug. 17, testing will begin for half of the undergraduate students residing on campus and be expanded in subsequent weeks to include all on- and off-campus students, undergraduate, graduate and professionals. Duke will conduct regular surveillance testing of students and other campus community members who do not have any symptoms to assist in the early detection and response for potential COVID-19 cases on campus.
To learn more, visit Duke Today.
COVID-19 Updates:
All the latest official DUHS information regarding coronavirus/COVID-19 response at the following locations:
Upcoming Opportunities/Save the Date:
Aug. 24, 27, 31 & Sept. 3 – The Building Research Programs: Perspectives from Outstanding Mentors
This is a seminar series forged within the partnership of Aga Khan University (AKU), Duke Heart and Duke Clinical Research Institute; the series will offer the opportunity to study pathways that leaders have taken to develop research capacity around the world. Over the last several decades AKU has been at the forefront of developing researchers from and for the developing world. AKU’s collaborating partner, Duke, has trained many of AKU’s graduates and is a known global powerhouse of research. This seminar series will bring together scientists from both AKU and Duke with established research careers to talk about their journey from early career researchers to established, world renowned experts.
Specifically, this series aims to highlight the importance of leadership in the domain area of research facilitation to advance knowledge, with the idea that experts are ‘made and not born.’ Therefore, the Seminar series will explore themes such as mentorship and training; development of research infrastructure/environment within universities; and building new research programs.
In our inaugural session, a panel of esteemed scientists will be asked to give brief presentations where they reflect on research programs and mentors that supported them on their journey, and highlight specific milestones in their respective careers which they believe they could not have achieved without the support of mentors and formal research programs (or a lack of mentors/programs which pushed them to establish these during their careers). Experts will also be asked to look forward and reflect on what Universities need to do to in order to develop the next generation of researchers. Presentations will be followed by a panel discussion with a Q and A session from the audience.
Registration details are to be announced this week. Please save the dates and stay tuned for updated information next weekend.
Thank you to Jerry Bloomfield for sharing this info with us!
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 10 — Duke University Hospital (Lung Transplant Program)
WTKR (Coastal VA/Northeastern NC)
Kill Devil Hills mother who received third double lung transplant finally returns home
https://bit.ly/3kT80RZ
August 10 — Tracy Wang
Wired
Covid-19 Drug Research Is a Big Huge Mess
https://www.wired.com/story/covid-19-drug-research-is-a-big-huge-mess
August 11 — J. Matthew Brennan
Heart.org/AHA News
Black people get fewer heart valve replacements, but inequity gap is narrowing
https://bit.ly/3ayuKlM
August 12 — Duke University Health System
Triangle Business Journal
Duke files plans for new medical complex at former Macy’s in Durham
https://bit.ly/31RPl0k
August 13 — Stephen Green and Adam DeVore
tctMD/the heart beat
HF Care Gaps May Stem From Patient-Specific Factors, Canadian Study Finds
https://www.tctmd.com/news/hf-care-gaps-may-stem-patient-specific-factors-canadian-study-finds
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