Highlights of the week:
Shah Selected for ACC Accelerator Program, Receives AHA Award
Congratulations to Nishant Shah! We learned this week that he has been selected by the American College of Cardiology (ACC) for their Leadership Accelerator Class of 2026!
The ACC Leadership Accelerator is a nine-month leadership development program designed specifically for early career members of the ACC. The program equips emerging leaders with essential knowledge, skills, and practical experience to make lasting impacts across their ACC communities and their institutions. Just sixteen applicants are selected per year. Selection is based on leadership potential, engagement with ACC and commitment to growth.
The notification of his selection states, “The Selection Committee was impressed by your passion for cardiology, your dedication to ongoing education, and the determination to be a better leader for your colleagues and patients.”
We are really excited for you, Nishant!
Nishant has also received the 2025 Health System Champion Award from the American Heart Association for their Lp(a) Community Health Centers Discovery Project, given to providers that have shown leadership and dedication to advancing Lp(a) awareness and testing through education and clinical research.
Shah’s work has involved creating clinical pathways to increase testing, creating educational content on the importance of Lp(a) through webinars and podcasts, and performing clinical research in Lp(a) testing patterns through the AHA’s Get With the Guidelines program.
Lp(a) – shorthand for lipoprotein (a) — is a genetically inherited type of lipoprotein and a common independent risk factor for heart disease. Having elevated Lp(a) can increase a person’s risk of heart attack, stroke, and peripheral artery disease.
The Lp(a) Community Health Centers Discovery Project aims to nationally increase Lp(a) awareness and testing. The objectives of the program are:
- Improve the number of patients identified and screened for Lp(a)
- Improve processes and practice patterns
- Improve clinical pathways and processes to impact patient outcomes
- Improve data resources and innovate Lp(a)-focused discovery through a national Data Challenge
Way to go, Nishant!
More First Enrollments for Heart CRU
We are pleased to announce that another set of research clinical trials enrolled their first patients this week!
RECOVER-ENERGIZE: A Platform Protocol for Evaluation of Interventions for Exercise Intolerance in Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 Infection (PASC) — The focus of this protocol is to assess interventions that can improve exercise capacity, daily activities tolerance, and quality of life in patients with Long COVID, or PASC. Duke PI is Rob McGarrah. Lizzie Riley is clinical research coordinator. Mike Felker is the national co-PI. If you have Long COVID patients, send them along to Rob.
Splanchnic X trial (Splanchnic Nerve Block in Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction): The first two patients enrolled and treated. Investigators ablate the splanchnic nerve in HFrEF patients. Manesh Patel is PI. Schuyler Jones and Marat Fudim are co-investigators. Matt Gray is the clinical research coordinator. This is a 2:1 randomized trial. The team would love to see some referrals from their cardiology colleagues to keep the momentum going!
The current research studies link we shared earlier this year can now also be found on the Duke Health Heart Center Portal. This is a quick way for providers to find the current enrolling studies available in the Heart Center.
Great work, Heart CRU team!
Duke Heart Hosts AHA ‘Torch’ and Rally
Duke Heart & Vascular kicked off Heart Walk season by hosting a kick-off rally on Wednesday afternoon. The virtual rally highlighted the many ways to get involved and participate in the Triangle Heart Walk scheduled for Saturday, October 11, 2025. As part of the Rally, we also welcomed the arrival of the inaugural Heart Walk Torch trophy, which was displayed in the Heart leadership suite through Friday afternoon.
Duke Health is one of five companies selected to host the Torch Journey ahead of the Heart Walk and rallies were held at Duke Regional Hospital, Duke Raleigh Hospital, and here within Duke Heart & Vascular for Duke University Hospital. The trophy will be awarded annually at the Heart Walk to the host company that raised the most funds that year.
Thanks to all who joined us for the Rally, and thanks to Manesh Patel for leading it! To learn more about the upcoming Walk, to register as a captain or a walker, please visit: https://duke.is/HeartWalk-2025
Community Engagement Events Strengthen Durham
We’re excited about the work Victor Ayeni, MD, a PGY-2 Duke Internal Medicine resident and others are doing to raise awareness among IM residents of community engagement opportunities in Durham. Ayeni is currently interning with electrophysiologist Camille Frazier-Mills, MD, and working with Dennis Narcisse, MD, to promote the 2025 Stead Tread (see Upcoming Events, below).
Ayeni issues a monthly newsletter with a host of upcoming volunteer events. These opportunities are not just for residents! Although the events for this month have passed, there will be plenty of ways to volunteer throughout the coming months.
Donating to and/or signing up for the Stead Tread 5K is a great way to support our residents as they raise funds to support Lincoln Health Center. Please consider joining the cause. Dennis Narcisse is helping recruit runners and walkers throughout cardiology. It would be great to have the most participants out of all the DOM divisions — the division with the most takes home the trophy!
Ayeni says he would like to engage more providers from throughout the cardiology division in resi-teering efforts. If you’re interested in helping him in any way, please reach out to him at victor.ayeni@duke.edu. He can also share his newsletter with you.
Victor and his team’s efforts are an excellent reminder that even with the current federal backlash against DEI efforts, there will still be people around the health system working to uplift underserved communities in our area. Volunteers and other “free agents” can work together with or without institutional support to help others. Please support Victor and our residents if you can!
Keep up the great work, Victor!
DUH Blood Drive
The Duke University Hospital Administrative Fellows are hosting a Blood Drive on Wednesday, August 27, from 9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. in the Great Hall of the Trent Semans Center. Please visit American Red Cross to schedule your donation.
Consider supporting Duke Transfusion Services and our patients through a lifesaving donation of blood or platelets. You could earn a $15 e-gift card!
Upcoming Events & Opportunities
Stead Tread 5K Run/Walk – September 20
Department of Medicine Internal Medicine Residency Program annual 5K. 9 a.m., at Solite Park in Durham.
The division with the most participants gets a trophy! Register or donate HERE. Sign up by September 1 to guarantee you’ll get an event T-shirt! Reach out to event planner Victor Ayeni (victor.ayeni@duke.edu) with any questions.
Go get that trophy, Duke Cardiology!
2025 Triangle Heart Walk – October 11
Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek, 3801 Rock Quarry Rd, Raleigh, NC 27610.
Festivities begin at 7:30 a.m.; the “Welcome” program will begin at 8:45 a.m., with the Walk immediately following. The event venue will be open through 11 a.m.
New Faculty Orientation – October 13
The School of Medicine’s annual Academic New Faculty Orientation will be held Monday, October 13, 2025, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Great Hall of the Trent Semans Center.
To learn more and register, please visit https://duke.is/SOM-NFO.
Duke Cardiovascular MR Practicum & Board Review – December 8-12
The Fall 2025 course will be held December 8-12 in the Penn Pavilion at Duke University. For more information, contact Michele Parker. The full course brochure and registration link are available here.
Have news to share?
If you have news to share with the Pulse readership, please contact Tracey Koepke, director of communications for Duke Heart & Vascular 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 team. Please call me with any questions: 919-681-2868. Feedback on Pulse is welcome and encouraged. Submissions by Noon on Wednesdays will be considered for weekend inclusion.
Duke Heart in the News:
August 8 — Duke University Hospital
Becker’s Hospital Review
158 hospitals honored for cardiac care quality
August 8 — Duke University
Becker’s ASC Review
Top 10 universities for cardiology in 2025: US News
August 8 — Duke University
U.S. News & World Report
Best Global Universities for Cardiac and Cardiovascular Systems in the United States
August 12 — Audrey Blewer (Family Medicine)
In the Heart of Care podcast (episode 4)
