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Duke Heart Pulse — December 21, 2025

December 21, 2025 / 1 Comment on Duke Heart Pulse — December 21, 2025

Chief’s message: Holiday weeks and reflection

As we end the year over the next two weeks – we will be taking time like many to review ways in which we can work together to accomplish our mission in the upcoming year. This weeks Pulse highlights the amazing teamwork that has been driving us all year with stories of awards, community outreach, our new fellows, site research with first device implant, research funding, and the new department Chair of Pediatrics.

We hope that our faculty, fellows, residents, nursing and all heart center teams have time to reflect on the tremendous impact and ways in which we have worked to improve the heath of our community and region. We hope you will have a some time over the next few weeks to spend with family and loved ones.

Also – this last week we had the opportunity to have a dinner to deepen some of our strategic relationship with partners helping us innovate to improve the clinical and research access, outcomes, and cost of care. We were lucky enough at the dinner to get this iconic Durham Legend photo we wanted to share that includes Coach K, Giorgio (of restaurant fame) and Rob Califf.

Highlights of the week:

Happy Holidays!

On behalf of the leadership team for Duke Heart & Vascular, we wish each of you a very happy, healthy, and safe holiday season. Pulse will be on a short break over the next couple of weeks. We will return on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026.

In celebration of the season, we have some holiday cheer to share with you:

The Cardiovascular Research Center (CVRC) recently celebrated with a holiday potluck – everything looks like it was delicious! Maria Price Rapoza, executive director of the CVRC said, “2025 had some challenges, but it was good to take time to connect with colleagues and appreciate good food together.” What a lovely way to launch the holidays with the team!

And our Duke Health Heritage Cardiology team celebrated with some fun décor!

Please send us any holiday photos you would like to share with Pulse – we’ll run them on Jan. 11 to welcome the New Year.

Complimentary Holiday Meal at DUH, Dec. 25

For all those working on the Duke University Hospital (DUH) campus on Thursday, Dec. 25, hospital administration is offering a complimentary holiday meal for you at Duke North Atrium Café as an extension of sincere appreciation for the teams who make DUH such a special place to work and receive care.

Serving Time: 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. or 6 – 9 p.m., based on CSU (Heart & Vascular preferred time is 12:30-2 p.m. or 7:30-9 p.m.)

Tarnowski Earns DAISY Award

Congratulations to Abbey Tarnowski, RN, of the Duke University Hospital CVSSU/EP Lab! She was surprised with a DAISY Award on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025.

Her nominator wrote a truly heartwarming nomination, which in part reads:

“The nominee, Abbey, exhibited all qualities that I value in a nurse. She was compassionate, reassuring, patient, and respectful, and she seemed to genuinely care about my well-being. I always hate to ask my nurses for anything (I feel like a bother), but Abbey was happy to help with whatever I needed – no hesitation. She also did a great job of assessing the situation and anticipating my needs before I had to ask for something. For example, she brought me a warm blanket when starting my saline IV, and she brought me snacks right after the procedure since I hadn’t eaten in over 24 hours.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever been treated so kindly by a nurse. I have never nominated a nurse for a Daisy Award (and didn’t know how to do so prior to this submission), but I searched for a way to recognize Abbey for her exceptional care. Her patience, eagerness to help, empathy, and genuine kindness meant so much to me. I am incredibly grateful for her help, as it turned an unpleasant day into a positive, memorable one.”

DAISY Awards are provided internationally by The DAISY Foundation to nurses who provide exceptional care to patients at organizations that are part of the DAISY program. Duke Health has been an active DAISY participant since March 2021 and has earned 3811 nominations with 81 inpatient honorees (DAISY award winners) through September 2025. For the cycle that includes July-September 2025, Duke Health had 314 nominations. Four inpatient awards are presented per quarter.

To learn more about The DAISY Award, please visit https://www.daisyfoundation.org/

Amazing work, Abbey! We are blessed to have you on our team!

What’s the 411? Featuring Samantha Minc

Vascular surgeon Samantha Minc, MD, MPH, recently served as the guest speaker for the Durham County, NC Department of Public Health’s What’s the 411 Series – an ongoing educational program that offers free workshops (in person or virtual) about managing diabetes and related issues.

Minc was the featured speaker for Save Your Sole: How to prevent amputation from diabetes and vascular disease, held at Noon on Dec. 17, 2025.

Way to go, Samantha!

Heart Team Members Participate in Science Saturday, BOOST Program

A big shout-out to our team members who volunteered their time on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025 at the BOOST “Science Saturday” outreach event! BOOST – or Building Opportunities and Overtures in Science and Technology — is an enrichment program founded by the late Dr. Brenda Armstrong that exposes middle schoolers who come from backgrounds underrepresented in STEM to healthcare fields.

Victor Ayeni, MD, Internal Medicine Resident, PGY-2, recruited team members to join him for some holiday-time community engagement for BOOST. He was joined by fellow resident Sabrina Arezo, MD, and three of our excellent cardiac sonographers: Emily Lynch, Katie Beaman, and Lynda Metcalfe.

“We and the students had a blast learning about cardiac ultrasound, with hands-on scanning from the sonographers as we talked about the healthcare careers of being a physician and being a sonographer,” said Ayeni. “I’ve heard directly from participants and alumni of the program how transformational the program has been, so I wanted to support it however possible.”

In general, experiences like this are always mutually beneficial for Duke employees and the community, Ayeni adds. If you or anyone you know are interested in helping with future events, please reach out to victor.ayeni@duke.edu so that he can connect you to the BOOST program coordinator.

Great job, everyone! Keep up the great work!

First CCM Implant Performed DUH

This past week Duke’s Heart and Vascular team implanted our first cardiac contractility modulation (CCM) device into a heart failure patient at Duke University Hospital. CCM devices received pre-market FDA approval in 2019. A CCM device is a small, implantable generator that treats heart failure by sending timed electrical pulses to strengthen the heart’s muscle contractions, helping it to pump more blood and oxygen throughout the body.

The implant procedure itself is nearly identical to a standard dual-chamber pacemaker procedure. The impulse generator and two leads are placed during the procedure. The device stimulates the septum and seeks to remodel the heart over several weeks to months. Unlike a pacemaker or CRT, this is not a device targeting the conduction system but rather the muscle itself, according to cardiologist Marat Fudim, MD, who specializes in heart failure.

CCM is now fully available at Duke for patients with left ventricular ejection fraction between 25-45 and symptomatic for heart failure. This is an alternative therapy to Barostim, which is a different device that has been offered at Duke for about two years.

“With this new therapy available, we are open for referrals via our heart failure device clinic – which is staffed by Todd McVeigh, PA; Leilani Gomez, RN; and me,” said Fudim. “The team plans to grow this and other device offerings, including Barostim and CardioMEMS.”

Aferdita Spahillari, MD, MPH, was the primary cardiologist on this case. Electrophysiologist Dan Friedman, MD, performed the procedure.

“Thanks to everyone for the administrative and clinical support necessary to get this program up and running,” said Friedman. “This is another milestone as we work to cement Duke as a world-class center for clinical care and research into devices for patients with heart failure. Our patient is doing well and experiencing symptom improvement. They were, in fact, discharged the same day.”

Congratulations, all!

2026 Cardiovascular Disease/Advanced Cardiac Training Fellows Announced

We are thrilled to announce our cardiology and advanced cardiology training fellows for 2026! Matches were conducted on Dec. 3, 2025 and all fellows will start on July 1, 2026.

Anna Lisa Chamis, MD, director, Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship program, extends her thanks and gratitude to Camille Frazier-Mills, MD, MHS; Robert Harrison, MD; Christopher Holley, MD, PhD, and Nishant Shah, MD, assistant fellowship program directors; the fellowship recruitment committee; Brianna Small, MSW, MPA, program coordinator, and to each of the current fellows for their time and talents during the recruitment process. It was a team effort!

Our newest fellows, by program, will be:

Cardiovascular Disease:

Duke 2026 Incoming CVD Fellows

Ryan Edwards, MD

Residency: Duke

Medical School: Duke

Joshua Ellis, MD, MMS

Residency: Mass General Hospital

Medical School: Harvard

Jordan Franklin, MD

Residency: Duke

Medical School: University of Texas Southwestern

Mark Hieromnimon, MD

Residency: Duke

Medical School: University of Illinois College of Medicine

Amanda Jowell, MD

Residency: Mass General Hospital

Medical School: Harvard

Christos Kyriakopoulos, MD

Residency: University of Utah

Medical School: University of Ioannina Medical School

Mathew Padanilam, MD

Residency: University of Chicago

Medical School: Indiana University School of Medicine

Katelyn Rennyson, MD

Residency: Duke

Medical School: Georgetown University

Jameson Wilbur, MD

Residency: University of Texas Southwestern

Medical School: Ohio State University

Dylan Zerjav, MD

Residency: Johns Hopkins

Medical School: Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth

Adult Congenital Cardiology Fellow:

Duke 2026 Incoming ACHD Fellows

Annirudh Balachandran, MD

Cardiology Fellowship: Duke

Residency: McGovern Medical School, UT Houston

Medical School: Tufts University

Advanced Heart Failure Fellows:

Duke 2026 Incoming AHFTC Fellows

Seamus Hughes, MD

Cardiology Fellowship: Duke

Residency: UT Southwestern

Medical School: Johns Hopkins

Paula Rambarat, MD

Current Fellowship: Duke Cardiovascular Disease Research Pathway

Residency: Mass General Hospital

Medical School: Columbia

Joshua Rushakoff, MD, MPP

Cardiology Fellowship: Duke

Residency: Cedars Sinai

Medical School: UCSF

Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology Fellows:

Duke 2026 Incoming EP Fellows

Jawan Abdulrahim, MD

Cardiology Fellowship: Duke

Residency: Duke

Medical School: American University of Beirut

Damarcus Ingram, MD

Cardiology Fellowship: Duke

Residency: Duke

Medical School: Drexel University College of Medicine

Eric Xie, MD

Cardiology Fellowship: Duke

Residency: Johns Hopkins

Medical School: Johns Hopkins

Interventional Cardiology Fellows:

Duke 2026 Incoming ICC Fellows

Medha Biswas, MD

Cardiology Fellowship: University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

Residency: Ohio State Wexner Medical Center

Medical School: New York Medical College

Jonathan Hanna, MD

Cardiology Fellowship: Duke

Residency: Yale School of Medicine/Yale New Haven Hospital

Medical School: Yale School of Medicine

Husam Salah, MD

Cardiology Fellowship: Duke

Residency: University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

Medical School: Jordan Univ. of Science and Technology Faculty of Medicine

Congratulations to all! We look forward to welcoming all those who are new to Duke in July.

Research Funding Award Notifications August – November

The following research funding was awarded to cardiology faculty members from August through November 2025 as reported by the Duke Department of Medicine.

(August)

Sponsored Research

Adam Devore received an award (4UH3-HL173571-02) from the National Institutes of Health for a project entitled “1/2 Spironolactone Initiation Registry Randomized Interventional Trial in Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction Extension Trial.” Total funding will be $1,813,726.
Senthil Selvaraj received an award (1R03-HL180898-01) from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute for a project entitled “Probing Regional Metabolism During Exercise through Coronary Sinus Sampling.” Total funding will be $242,250.

Industry Sponsored Clinical Trials

Anna Lisa Chamis received an award from Edwards Lifesciences, LLC for a project entitled “FY26 – Advanced Training in Cardiology Fellowship Grant.” Total funding will be $25,000.
Donald Hegland received an award from Boston Scientific Corporation for a project entitled “FY 26 – Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology Fellowship Grant.” Total funding will be $20,000.
Neha Pagidipati received an award from American Heart Association for a project entitled “AHA HLBW.” Total funding will be $1,090,000.
Neha Pagidipati received an award from Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. for a project entitled “Implementing a Solution for chronic Kidney Disease.” Total funding will be $64,700.
Jonathan Piccini received an award from the American Heart Association for a project entitled “GWTG Clinical Insights.” Total funding will be $2,303,127.
Jonathan Piccini received an award from the American Heart Association for a project entitled “GWTG Inpatient Data Analysis Center.” Total funding will be $1,678,468.

(October 2025)

Sponsored Research

Senthil Selvaraj received an award from the Medical College of Virginia Foundation for a project entitled “Diversifying Recruitment to Improve Generalizability of Therapeutic Ketosis Strategies in Heart Failure.” Total funding will be $240,000.

Industry Sponsored Clinical Trials

James Daubert received an award from Cardurion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. for a project entitled “A Phase 2 Double-Blind, Repeat-Dose, Placebo-Controlled Crossover Study To Evaluate The Safety, Tolerability, Pharmacokinetics, and Pharmacodynamics of CRD-4730 in Participants With Catecholaminergic Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia.” Total funding will be $119,754.
Daniel Friedman received an award from Medtronic, Inc. for a project entitled “TRANSvENous Diaphragmatic Pacing for Heart Failure:(TRANSCEND-HF).” Total funding will be $49,328.
Marat Fudim received an award from Bristol-Myers Squibb Company for a project entitled “A Phase 2A, Double-blind, Randomized, Placebo-controlled, Multi-center Study to Evaluate the Safety, Tolerability, Pharmacokinetics, and Pharmacodynamics of BMS-986435/MYK-224 in Participants with Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction HFpEF.” Total funding will be $175,393.
Donald Hegland received an award from Medtronic, Inc. for a project entitled “FY26 – Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology Fellowship Grant.” Total funding will be $20,000.
Michel Khouri received an award from Eidos Therapeutics for a project entitled “A Phase 3, Open-Label, Multicenter, Extension Study of Acoramidis in Patients with Newly Diagnosed Variant Transthyretin Amyloid Cardiomyopathy.” Total funding will be $324,004.
Sudarshan Rajagopal received an award from United Therapeutics Corporation for a project entitled “X-TRIPP UT PH ILD and XeMRI MutiSite study Pro00118547 Assessing Acute Pharmacodynamics and Long-Term Response to Inhaled Prostacyclin with Hyperpolarized 129Xe MRI in patients with PH-ILD.” Total funding will be $561,882.
Nishant Shah received an award from Corcept Therapeutics, Inc. for a project entitled “Study of the Prevalence of Endogenous Hypercortisolism in Patients with Resistant Hypertension (MOMENTUM).” Total funding will be $118,125.

(November 2025)

Industry Sponsored Clinical Trials

Terry Fortin received an award from Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC for a project entitled “SOTERIA Cont MK-7962-038 An Open-label Long-term Follow-up Study to Evaluate the Effects of Sotatercept When Added to Background Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH) Therapy for the Treatment of PAH (MK-7962-038).” Total funding will be $559,070.
Marat Fudim received an award from 35Pharma Inc. for a project entitled “DCA08 HS235-003.” Total funding will be $540,799.
Michel Khouri received a sub-award through Yale University for a project entitled “The Transthyretin Amyloid Cardiomyopathy Early Detection with Artificial Intelligence (TRACE-AI) Network Study.” Total funding will be $288,701.
Sudarshan Rajagopal received an award from Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC for a project entitled “HARMONIZE- A Phase 2, Multicenter, Double-blind, Extension Study to Evaluate the Effects of Sotatercept for the Treatment of Combined Postcapillary and Precapillary Pulmonary Hypertension (Cpc-PH) due to Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection.” Total funding will be $260,524.

Congratulations to all — excellent work!

DUHS Leadership Update

Marino to Join Duke Health as Chair, Dept of Pediatrics

In a joint announcement on Friday, Dec. 19, Mary E. Klotman, MD, Executive Vice President for Health Affairs, and Thomas Owens, MD, EVP and Chief Operating Officer for DUHS announced that Bradley S. Marino, MD, MPP, MSCE, MBA, will join Duke Health as chair of the Department of Pediatrics and pediatrician-in-chief of Duke Health, effective March 30, 2026.

Marino is a nationally recognized leader in pediatric cardiology and critical care medicine with a distinguished record of advancing clinical care, research, and education. In his new role, he will lead the Department of Pediatrics across its many divisions and guide one of the nation’s most respected pediatric health systems. He will also play a key part in shaping the future of North Carolina Children’s, Duke Health’s partnership with UNC Health to build the state’s first freestanding children’s hospital.

Most recently, Marino has served as the Ronald and Helen Ross Distinguished Chair of Pediatric Cardiology, chair of the Department of Heart, Vascular & Thoracic, division chief of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine, and executive co-director of the Pediatric and Adult Congenital Heart Center at Cleveland Clinic Children’s and Cleveland Clinic. He also chaired the Children’s Institute Strategic Advisory Council and served as vice-chief for the Children’s Institute South Sub-market, where he led rapid expansion of pediatric services. In addition, he served as the co-director of the Cardiovascular Innovation Center for Pediatric and Adult Congenital Heart Research and executive co-director of the Neurodevelopmental Support Program at the Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital for Rehabilitation. His distinguished career spans additional leadership roles at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, and extends nationally through roles with the American Heart Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and multiple collaborative networks dedicated to improving pediatric cardiovascular care.

Marino is a leading pediatric cardiovascular outcomes researcher whose work has significantly advanced care for children with congenital heart disease. His research focuses on surgical and ICU factors affecting mortality and morbidity, as well as neurodevelopmental, psychosocial, and quality-of-life outcomes in high-risk pediatric populations. Dr. Marino is also widely respected for his contributions to national policy and advocacy efforts, as well as his commitment to mentorship and faculty development.

Our deepest gratitude to Ann M. Reed, MD, for more than a decade of exceptional leadership as chair of the Department of Pediatrics. Her tenure elevated Duke to national prominence in pediatric research and clinical care. Special thanks to Moira Rynn, MD, chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and the members of the search committee for their thoughtful work in conducting a national search to identify Dr. Reed’s successor.

Finally, we want to acknowledge Kyle Rehder, MD, who will serve as interim chair of the Department of Pediatrics beginning January 1, 2026, ensuring continuity and stability during this transition.

Please join us in welcoming Dr. Marino to Duke Health. We are confident that Dr. Marino’s leadership will inspire innovation, collaboration, and compassionate care for children and families for years to come.

Upcoming Events & Opportunities

Cardiology Grand Rounds

Dec. 23: No CGR – Happy Holidays!

Dec. 30: No CGR – Happy Holidays!

Jan. 13: Topic TBD with Daniel Loriaux, MD. 5 p.m., DN 2002 and via Zoom.

CD Fellows Core Curriculum Conference

Jan. 7: DCRI Info Session with Sana Al-Khatib and Neha Pagidipati. Noon, DMP 7E39 or via Zoom.

Jan. 9: Fellows Forum with Anthony Lin. Noon, Zoom only.

Jan. 14: DHP Case Presentation with Mugdha Joshi. Noon, DMP 7E39 and via Zoom.

Jan. 16: EP Case Presentation with Verda Arshad and Jon Taylor-Fishwick. Noon, Zoom only.

Jan. 21: HF/Transplant Case Presentation with Nishkala Shivakumar. Noon, DMP 7E39 and via Zoom.

Jan. 23: Topic and speaker to be announced. Noon, Zoom only.

Jan. 28: EP Case Presentation with Dorothy Avoke and Marcus Threadcraft. Noon, DMP 7E39 and via Zoom.

Jan. 30: DHP Case Presentation with Jon Taylor-Fishwick. Noon, Zoom only.

MMCVI Grand Rounds

Multi-Modality Cardiovascular Imaging Grand Rounds: A multi-imaging approach to cardiovascular disease cases. Thursdays, Noon to 1 p.m., via Zoom.

Dec. 25: NO CONFERENCE (Christmas)

Jan. 8: Right Heart Guidelines with Fawaz Alenezi

Jan. 15: Tricuspid Valve Pre-interventional Image Screening with Fawaz Alenezi

Jan. 22: Multi-Modality Imaging on Pericardial Disease with Cosette Champion

Jan. 29: NO CONFERENCE

Medicine Grand Rounds

Jan. 30: Quality and Safety at Duke: The Integral Role of the Department of Medicine with Drs. Mike Pignone and Rick Shannon. 8 a.m. Trent Semans Great Hall.

DCRI 30^th Anniversary Forum Series

Jan. 27: A Fireside Chat with Jay Bhattacharya, MD, PhD, 18th Director, National Institutes of Health. 2 p.m., Zoom.

Bhattacharya will share insights on the NIH’s priorities for the nation’s healthcare and research initiatives as part of this fireside chat, which will be held virtually.

MLK Jr. Commemoration, Jan. 13

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy of service, community, and leadership will be honored on Tuesday, Jan. 13 from 11:30-1:30 in the Trent Semans Great Hall. The program will feature Keynote Speaker Marissa Young, Duke Head Softball Coach, plus lunch, and the presentation of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Humanitarian Award to outstanding team members who were nominated.

Registration is required to attend in person. Deadline is January 6, 2026. Space is limited.

You can join the celebration online, however! The option to tune in to the commemoration will be available for those who cannot attend in person. Feel free to host a watch party with your team or watch the keynote during your break. Click here to launch the live stream online.

Upcoming CME Activities:

2026 Duke Heart CMEs

The dates for the following 2026 Duke Heart symposia have been set. We will announce others as they are added.

June 6: Duke Heart Failure Symposium — Course directors are Marat Fudim, Rob Mentz, Richa Agarwal, and Stephanie Barnes. Location: Durham Convention Center, Durham, NC.
October 30: 18^th Annual NC Research Triangle Pulmonary Hypertension Symposium – Course directors are Terry Fortin, Sudar Rajagopal, and Jimmy Ford. Location: Durham Convention Center, Durham, NC.

Please save the dates!

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:

December 12: Monique Starks
WRAL (Raleigh-Durham)
NC State students have developed drones to help save lives

December 15: Pamela Douglas
Becker’s ASC Review
5 cardiology leaders to watch in 2026

December 16: Joseph Turek
Diario ABC
Mariami, la primera bebé en España que recibe un trasplante parcial de corazón

Duke Heart Pulse — December 14, 2025

December 14, 2025 / Leave a comment

Highlights of the week:

Happy Hannukah

To all those celebrating the holiday, may your home and this season be filled with light, love, and joy this Hanukkah.

Extraordinary Teamwork in Cath Lab

A big shout-out to Dan Loriaux, MD, and our incredible colleagues from across multiple areas who worked together to support a particularly challenging case in the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory last week.

“This was a truly inter-departmental collaboration and awe-inspiring to me,” said interventional cardiologist Schuyler Jones, MD, professor of medicine in cardiology.

A patient was experiencing a massive pulmonary embolism and required assistance — multiple options were discussed, but the ultimate decision was to pursue mechanical thrombectomy. Loriaux worked with clinician leaders in Pulmonary Vascular Medicine, Maternal Fetal Medicine, Anesthesiology, Neonatology, ECMO/7West, and MICU to bring the patient to the lab, cannulate for ECMO, and remove thrombotic debris from the patient’s lungs. During the case the teams worked through some incredible physiology to support the patient, Jones added.

“Tremendous work by the entire team on this case,” said Jeff Keenan, MD, associate professor of cardiothoracic surgery and surgical director of Duke’s Mechanical Circulatory Support Program. “Dan has already had a big impact on our ECMO program, and I expect that impact will only grow further with time.”

Excellent teamwork!

Patel Speaks at Novartis Groundbreaking

Manesh Patel, MD, chief of cardiology and vice president of Duke Heart and Vascular, was an invited speaker this week at the ceremonial groundbreaking of what will become a flagship manufacturing hub for Novartis in Durham and Wake counties. The event was held in Research Triangle Park on Thursday, Dec. 11.

The groundbreaking heralds a major expansion of production capabilities for Novartis. It is part of a $771 million investment in the region and is expected to support more than 700 new jobs in North Carolina, where Novartis has operated for more than twenty years. The expansion includes new construction and renovations across multiple sites in RTP, nearly doubling the company’s operational footprint to more than 700,000 square feet.

In addition to Patel, speakers included Victor Bulto, president of Novartis in the U.S.; Vas Narasimhan, CEO of Novartis; Steffan Lang, president of operations for Novartis; Ralf Heckner, the Swiss ambassador to the U.S., FDA Commissioner Marty Mckary, MD and NC governor, Josh Stein.

A video of all spoken remarks can be found in WRAL’s news coverage of the event here. It is also located below, under News.

Great job, Manesh!

Passing of Duke Health Affiliations Colleague, Lori Bray

We were saddened to learn of the passing of our colleague, Lori Bray, of Duke Health Affiliations and Networks, on Saturday, December 6, 2025.

Lori’s career at Duke spanned more than 20 years, marked by her unwavering commitment to extending the expertise of Duke Health to patients and communities. She began her journey with the Private Diagnostic Clinic, where she held numerous leadership roles before joining Duke Health Affiliations & Networks (formerly Network Services) in 2016 as Senior Director of Hospital Affiliations and Network Development. In 2022, Lori transitioned to the newly developed Affiliate Provider Relations leadership role, continuing her work to strengthen connections between Duke providers and affiliate sites until stepping down earlier this year to focus on her health and family.

Lori was known for her analytical mind, calm leadership, and can-do spirit. She approached challenges with a restorative, data-driven mindset, and an ability to see patterns that led to solutions. Her colleagues admired her steadfast presence, her remarkable and contagious laugh, and her gift for bringing perspective and humor to even the most complex situations. Lori’s influence lives on through the many initiatives she led and the countless relationships she nurtured throughout Duke Health.

A memorial service was held yesterday, Dec. 13, at Triangle Grace Presbyterian Church in Durham, NC. In lieu of flowers, the family requested that donations be made in Lori’s memory to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (pancan.org) and the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina (foodbankcenc.org).

Please join us in keeping Lori’s family and her closest colleagues and friends in your thoughts and honoring her legacy of leadership, grace, and compassion.

MLK Jr. Commemoration, Jan. 13

Registration is required to attend in person. Deadline is January 6, 2026. Space is limited.

You can join the celebration online, however!

The option to tune in to the commemoration is also available for those who cannot attend in person! Feel free to host a watch party with your team or watch the keynote during your break. Click here to launch the live stream online.

30 Years of DCRI – Anniversary Forum Series

Duke Clinical Research Institute will host National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Jay Bhattacharya, MD, PhD, on Jan. 27, 2026 as the opening event of the DCRI 30th Anniversary Forum series.

The series is part of a year-long celebration beginning in 2026, honoring the DCRI’s three decades of innovation in clinical research and catalyzing the future of healthcare. Bhattacharya will share insights on the NIH’s priorities for the nation’s healthcare and research initiatives as part of this fireside chat, which will be held via Zoom.

What: DCRI 30th Anniversary Forum: A Fireside Chat with Jay Bhattacharya, MD, PHD, 18th Director, National Institutes of Health

When: 2-3 p.m. ET, Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026

Where: Zoom (Link to come)

Please save the date and join if you are able!

Duke Health Quality and Safety Conference Call for Abstracts

The Duke Health Quality and Safety Conference has issued a call for abstracts. They are due by Jan. 9 at 5 p.m. Information and abstract guidelines available here.

Contact aaron.west@duke.edu or kyle.rehder@duke.edu with any questions.

Complimentary Holiday Meal at DUH, Dec. 25

During this season of gratitude, we extend sincere appreciation for the teams who make Duke University Hospital (DUH) such a special place to work and receive care. Anyone working on the DUH campus on Thurs., Dec. 25 is invited to enjoy a complimentary holiday meal at Duke North Atrium Café to celebrate the season.

Times: 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. or 6 – 9 p.m., based on CSU

ORA Holiday Hours

The Office of Research Administration (ORA) will operate with reduced staff during the holidays. For transactions with sponsor due dates between December 22 and January 2, submit form to ORA by Monday, December 15. NOTE: The standard due date for NIH SBIR/STTR (R43/R44) is January 5, so the submission deadline to NIH is Monday, January 5, 2026 with the internal deadline at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, December 31, 2025. Please complete Intent to Submit no later than December 1, 2025 and route a submission-ready application no later than December 15, 2025.

Upcoming Events & Opportunities

Cardiology Grand Rounds

Dec. 16: Remodeling the Nerve-Heart Interface: Translating Neurobiology to Antiarrhythmic Therapy with Ching Zhu, MD. 5 p.m., DN 2002 and via Zoom.

CD Fellows Core Curriculum Conference

Dec. 17: DHP Case Presentation with Verda Arshad. Noon. DMP 7E39 and via Zoom.

Dec. 19: DHP Case Presentation with Harriet Akunor. Noon, Zoom only.

MMCVI Grand Rounds

Multi-Modality Cardiovascular Imaging Grand Rounds: A multi-imaging approach to cardiovascular disease cases. Thursdays, Noon to 1 p.m., via Zoom.

Dec. 18: TBD with Vincent Delgado

Dec. 25: NO CONFERENCE (Christmas)

Medicine Grand Rounds

Jan. 30: Quality and Safety at Duke: The Integral Role of the Department of Medicine with Drs. Mike Pignone and Rick Shannon. 8 a.m. Trent Semans Great Hall.

Upcoming CME Activities:

2026 Duke Heart CMEs

The dates for the following 2026 Duke Heart symposia have been set. We will announce others as they are added.

Duke Heart Failure Symposium – Saturday, June 6, 2026. Course directors are Marat Fudim, Rob Mentz, Richa Agarwal, and Stephanie Barnes. Location: Durham Convention Center, Durham, NC.
18^th Annual NC Research Triangle Pulmonary Hypertension Symposium – Friday, October 30, 2026. Course directors are Terry Fortin, Sudar Rajagopal, and Jimmy Ford. Location: Durham Convention Center, Durham, NC.

Please save the dates!

Have news to share?

Duke Heart in the News:

December 5 — Mitchell Krucoff

tctMD

News Daily News

FDA Panel Declines to Endorse Ventura Interatrial Shunt for HFrEF

December 7 — DUHS

WTVD – ABC 11 (Durham, NC)

Three Area Employers join Forbes Dream Employers List

December 10 — Joseph Turek

Popular Science

The 50 greatest innovations of 2025

December 10 — Robert Mentz

Cardiovascular Business

A common word may be giving heart patients the wrong idea

December 11 — Duke Health/Donavon Harbison

Men’s Health

I Survived a Rapidly Failing Heart. My Lifesaver: A Titanium Ticker.

December 11 — Duke Heart Network/Frye Regional

WHKY (Hickory, NC)

Local Hospital Reaches Heart Care Milestone

December 11 — Manesh Patel

WRAL (Raleigh/Durham, NC)

Novartis expansion shows commitment to talent in North Carolina

(Patel’s remarks begin at 12:48 in video)

Duke Heart Pulse — December 7, 2025

December 7, 2025 / Leave a comment

Chief’s message: Holiday Season and Big Sports Weekend

Duke had a great sports week this week. We saw the basketball team win an competitive and big game Tuesday night against Florida with a late three. (Picture to the right). The team then showed some composure late with a great road win against Michigan State yesterday. Even more exciting and potentially unexpected – the Blue Devils football team won the ACC with an OT win against Virginia yesterday. Great to see the teams do well and all the support from the fans in the area.

Duke Heart has also had some busy weeks to end the year with some final year end conferences – CVCT this week on clinical trials. We are also having our leadership group meet this week for a research retreat where we work on our research strategic plan. We are aligning our research work more tightly to our clinical missions to ensure we can build programs that are multi-disciplinary, self-sustaining, and eventually help us differentiate our care. We will share the outcomes of this work with our group and thank those engaged in it.

Highlights of the week:

Celebrating Duke Heart & Vascular

You will see fresh messaging throughout our Heart & Vascular units in Duke University Hospital, the Duke Medicine Pavilion, and Duke Clinics this week.

On Friday, we installed new wall clings in hallways and staff work areas in recognition of the excellent work our teams are doing each day. We hope you enjoy them!

Why Do You Study That? How to Heal a Broken Heart featuring Nenad Bursac

Duke Today featured the work of Nenad Bursac this week as part of their series, Why Do You Study That?

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S. and the world, and damage to the heart is hard to repair – often requiring surgery. But what if other treatments like gene therapy could offer new, less invasive approaches to heart care?

That is why Duke biomedical engineer Nenad Bursac is growing beating human heart tissue in a lab: to test these therapies. Using these patches of heart tissue as testbeds, his lab and collaborators can experiment. For example, the lab is testing a gene therapy that repairs heart tissue damaged from heart attacks. The effort has recently demonstrated positive results in nonhuman primates.

With funding from the American Heart Association and the National Institutes of Health, Bursac has been able to realize a lifelong goal: combining engineering with medicine to push innovation in heart care. The U.S., he says, is a unique place that attracts researchers from around the world like himself.

Working together and federal funding is critical to supporting continued improvements to health and wellness for America and the world. Check out the video here: Engineering Heart Tissue.

First Cardiac NICU opens at DUH

Congratulations to our pediatric cardiology colleagues! This week, Duke University Hospital opened a Cardiac NICU – the first of its kind in the state. This dedicated space is staffed with cardiac-trained nurses and supported by providers from Cardiology, the Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (PCICU) and Neonatology for coordinated, specialized care for our cardiac patients.

A shout-out to the entire Duke Children’s team and to Kelly Ellington, Dr. Lakshami Katakam and Dr. Kevin Hill for recognizing the need and advancing the work to bring the vision to life. Great work!

Ginsburg, All of Us Research Program Update

Congratulations to Geoff Ginsburg, MD, PhD, chief medical and scientific officer for the All of Us research program at the NIH, and adjunct professor of medicine in cardiology at Duke. Ginsburg gave the opening plenary lecture on Sunday, Nov. 30 at the Radiological Society of North America’s (RSNA) 2025 Annual Meeting, held Nov. 30-Dec. 4, 2025 at McCormick Place in Chicago.

His lecture, The All of Us Research Program: Advancing Precision Medicine for the Nation, was covered in the conference’s Daily Bulletin.

Keep up the great work, Geoff!

ORA Announces Holiday Hours

Visitor Guidelines For Inpatient Areas

Please remember, all visitors of inpatient units, surgical areas, and the Emergency Department (ED) must obtain and wear a visitor badge. This also applies to Duke team members who are not assigned to these areas and are present solely to visit a patient. Inpatient and ED units follow similar standards; coordinate with patient information services in these areas to receive your visitor badge.

Upcoming Events & Opportunities

Cardiology Grand Rounds

Dec. 9: ValvEmergencies: Valve Disease and Cardiogenic Shock with Zach Wegermann, MD. 5 p.m., DN 2002 and via Zoom.

Dec. 16: Remodeling the Nerve-Heart Interface: Translating Neurobiology to Antiarrhythmic Therapy with Ching Zhu, MD. 5 p.m., DN 2002 and via Zoom.

CD Fellows Core Curriculum Conference

Dec. 10: EP Case Presentation with Mugdha Joshi and Chad Kloefkorn. Noon. DMP 7E39 and via Zoom.

Dec. 12: Board review with Nishant Shah and Anthony Lin. Noon, via Zoom.

Dec. 17: DHP Case Presentation with Verda Arshad. Noon. DMP 7E39 and via Zoom.

Dec. 19: DHP Case Presentation with Harriet Akunor. Noon, Zoom only.

MMCVI Grand Rounds

Multi-Modality Cardiovascular Imaging Grand Rounds: A multi-imaging approach to cardiovascular disease cases. Thursdays, Noon to 1 p.m., via Zoom.

Dec. 11: RV Failure or Pericardial Disease TBD with Cosette Champion

Dec. 18: TBD with Vincent Delgado

Dec. 25: NO CONFERENCE (Christmas)

Medicine Grand Rounds

Jan. 30: Quality and Safety at Duke: The Integral Role of the Department of Medicine with Drs. Mike Pignone and Rick Shannon. 8 a.m. Trent Semans Great Hall.

Upcoming CME Activities:

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.

2026 Duke Heart CMEs

The dates for the following 2026 Duke Heart symposia have been set. We will announce others as they are added.

Duke Heart Failure Symposium – Saturday, June 6, 2026. Course directors are Marat Fudim, Rob Mentz, Richa Agarwal, and Stephanie Barnes. Location: Durham Convention Center, Durham, NC.
18^th Annual NC Research Triangle Pulmonary Hypertension Symposium – Friday, October 30, 2026. Course directors are Terry Fortin, Sudar Rajagopal, and Jimmy Ford. Location: Durham Convention Center, Durham, NC.