Duke Heart Pulse — April 26, 2026
Highlights of the week:
Al-Khatib Now President of HRS
Congratulations to Dr. Sana Al-Khatib as she begins her term as President of the Heart Rhythm Society today, at the conclusion of Heart Rhythm 2026 — the annual meeting of HRS taking place April 23-26 in Chicago.
“Many thanks for all of your support in getting me to this very moment of my career,” said Al-Khatib via email. “I am thankful to all my Duke colleagues, mentees, trainees, and staff, and I am looking forward to building collaborations and advancing science.”
We are so excited for you, Sana – congratulations! We recognize the amazing effort and work you have put into the field of Electrophysiology and the Heart Rhythm Society over the years. Duke Heart is proud to have another national cardiovascular leader representing us.
We expect to have additional HRS coverage in next week’s edition of Pulse.
Owensby Now President of NCUS
Congratulations to cardiac sonographer Jon Owensby, ACS, RDCS, RRT! He is now serving as President of the North Carolina Ultrasound Society (NCUS). He replaces Richard A. Palma, who just completed his term. Palma is director of the Duke Cardiac Ultrasound Certificate Program.
The presidential handover to Owensby occurred last weekend during the 2026 NC Ultrasound Society Spring Symposium held April 17-18 at Harrah’s Cherokee Resort in Cherokee, NC.
The NC Ultrasound Society (NCUS) works to advance the professional development of members involved in the diagnostic application of ultrasound in the healthcare setting. Duke’s Division of Cardiology was well represented at the spring meeting and had four presenters there including:
- Alicia Armour presented Aortic Stenosis during the ECHO track.
- Ashlee Davis presented Artificial Intelligence during the abdomen extended track, and Strain during the ECHO track.
- Richard Palma presented Interesting ECHO Cases during the ECHO track and Managing Clinical Sites during the Educator Track.
- Bharathi Upadhya, MD, presented Congenital Heart Disease during the ECHO track.
Congratulations, Jon! This was an excellent showing from Duke Heart!
Heart Transplant Retreat Held
Congratulations to our heart transplant team for hosting the recent Heart Transplant Retreat on April 13, 2026. Special thanks to Amanda Rooney, Adam DeVore, Joe Lerman and Jade Clausen for coordinating a robust event – we had 56 attendees!
The agenda for the day included the following:
- Introduction and welcome by Adam DeVore.
- Chet Patel, MD, Community Approach to Supporting Patients with Advanced Heart Failure
- Joe Lerman, MD, Overview of Program Metrics –Volume, Status 2, Pre-Txp Waitlist Mortality, DCD, Post-Op
- Stephanie Barnes Philanthropy Update
- Sarah Casalinova New Coolers; ENHANCE Trial
- Jade Clausen Consult Service
- Amanda Rooney Potential Donor Derived Transmission Event (PDDTE) Workflow
- Madeleine Heldman, MD, MS, Infectious Disease – Toxo
- Joshua Rushakoff, MD, Research Updates and ISHLT
The team also took time to recognize Donate Life Month by taking a group photo of some of the heart coordinators on the lawn of the Duke Medical Pavilion, which has been painted with the Donate Life logo and decorated with green pinwheels.
Way to go, everyone!
NC Walk for Victory
The North Carolina Walk for Victory was held yesterday, April 25, 2026 at Laurel Hills Park and Community Center in Raleigh. The weather held and we had an excellent turnout!
The NC Walk for Victory is a fundraising event held to support people with aortic and vascular conditions, including Marfan, Loeys-Dietz, VEDS, and related syndromes. Overall, 17 teams have officially raised $97,200!
Duke Heart has been the presenting sponsor of the Walk for Victory since its inception — and we are so proud that the NC walk is among the Top 5 Walk for Victory locations in the U.S.!
Special thanks to cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Chad Hughes and Melissa Burkett of the Duke Aortic Center for helping make the walk such a terrific event for our patients and their family members.
Kester Departs Heart & Vascular; Pena to Serve as Interim COD
After 18 years of dedicated service to Duke University Hospital, Kelly Kester has transitioned out of her role as Senior Director, Heart and Vascular. Her last day at Duke was April 22. Kester’s career at Duke University Hospital reflects a journey of growth and service—from her early days as a staff nurse, to nurse manager, director, and ultimately senior director.
Throughout her tenure, she has exemplified exceptional leadership, unwavering commitment, creativity, innovation, and a deep dedication to our patients, teams, and mission. Her thoughtful guidance, strategic vision, and steadfast support have made a lasting impact on our organization, and we are grateful for her many contributions.
Please join us in thanking Kelly for her outstanding service, leadership, and commitment to Duke University Hospital. We are deeply grateful for all she has given, and we wish her continued success and fulfillment in her next chapter.
Heather Pena, Nurse Manager, 6300, will serve as interim Clinical Operations Director. She brings strong experience and familiarity with our teams and operations, and we are confident in her ability to provide continuity, support, and leadership during this time.
Thank you, Kelly, and best wishes!
Radulovich Named Interim NMO for CTSSU, April 23
Duke Heart is pleased to announce that Jason Radulovich, BSN, RN, CNIV is serving as Interim Nurse Manager Operations for Duke University Hospital’s Cardiothoracic Surgical Stepdown Unit 6300 effective April 23, 2026. Jason earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Duke University School of Nursing in 2022. He joined the Duke Heart team as a new graduate nurse on 3300 (now 6300) in January 2023 and has served as CNIV Leader since January 2025.
During his time at Duke, Jason advanced up the clinical ladder by becoming a CNIII and has held a variety of roles on 6300, including: Preceptor, Charge Nurse, LVAD Superuser, Scheduling Committee Member, and POCT Trainer. As CNIV Leader, Jason has been a part of many team building and leadership activities throughout the Heart Center. Specifically, he has collaborated with the Heart Center Stepdown Unit Research team in implementing their Moving Hearts Mobility project.
Please join us in congratulating and welcoming Jason to his new role.
Shout-Out to Steinberg
One of our cardiovascular disease fellows, Rebecca Steinberg, MD, was featured in Duke’s GME News on April 23 thanks to a submission from Karen Young, MD, a GI/hepatology fellow.
Young wrote, “Rebecca Steinberg, MD, MSc, PGY-4, Cardiovascular Disease, has been on DHP during one of the busiest blocks of the hepatology service and endured nearly 20 consults for cardiac clearance for liver transplant evaluations from me and did so with a positive attitude, excellent communication, and timely patient care! I am grateful to work with her!”
Great work, Rebecca!
DUHS Policy Updates
The Breach of Protected Health Information – Patient Privacy Policy has been updated and renamed the DUHS HIPAA Investigation and Corrective Action Policy. The changes reinforce our commitment to non-retaliation and encourages good faith reporting, including self-reporting, as part of our shared responsibility to protect patient privacy.
Upcoming CME Events & Opportunities
April is National Donate Life Month and National Arab American Heritage Month. It is also National Workplace Violence Prevention Month.
Cardiology Grand Rounds
April 28: The Modern Cardiac Intensivists: Who they Treat and How They Train with Michael Cosiano, MD. 5 p.m., DN 2002 and via Zoom.
CD Fellows Core Curriculum Conference
April 29: EP Case Conference with Krunal Amin and Verda Arshad. Noon, DMP 7E39 and via Zoom.
May 1: ECG Review with Tom Bashore. Noon, via Zoom.
May 6: Board Review with Nishant Shah and Anthony Lin. Noon, DMP 7E39 and via Zoom.
May 8: ACS Guidelines with Jenn Rymer. Noon, Zoom only.
May 13: DHP Case Conference with Rebecca Steinberg. Noon, DMP 7E39 and via Zoom.
May 15: Line Day in CCU with Willard Applefeld & other CCU faculty. Noon, DMP 7E39 only.
May 20: TBD. Noon, DMP 7E39 and via Zoom.
May 22 Board Prep Tips & Tricks with fellows who have recently taken the Boards. Noon, Zoom only.
May 27: EP Case Conference with Vincent Delgado and Nishkala Shivakumar. Noon, DMP 7E39 and via Zoom.
May 29: EP Case Conference with Yoo Jin Kim and Rebecca Steinberg. 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.
April 30: HOCM with Fawaz Alenezi
May 7: Imaging Approach to Congenital Heart Disease with Bharathi Upadhya
May 14: Pericardial Diseases with Fawaz Alenezi
May 21: Imaging TOF Patient with Bharathi Upadhya
May 28: HFpEF Imaging Modalities with Rebecca/Harriet
June 4: Endocarditis with Fawaz Alenezi
June 11: CT Fractional Flow Review and Akshay Pendyal
June 18: D-Trans vs L-Trans Congenital Heart Disease with Fawaz Alenezi
June 25: Systemic and Pulmonary Hypertensive Heart Disease with Fawaz Alenezi
2026 Symposia
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.
- September 26: Duke Case-Based Multimodality Imaging Symposium – Course directors are Sreek Vemulapalli and Anita Kelsey. Location: Trent Semans Center, Great Hall.
- October 30: 18th Annual NC Research Triangle Pulmonary Vascular Symposium – Course directors are Terry Fortin, Sudar Rajagopal, and Jimmy Ford. Location: Durham Convention Center, Durham, NC.
Please save the dates!
Victor J. Dzau Cardiovascular Seminar Series
May 27: G-Protein Coupled Receptors with Dr. Robert Lefkowitz. Noon, Auditorium of the Nanaline Duke Building, Duke University. Sponsored by Duke Cardiovascular Research Center and the Edna and Fred L. Mandel Jr. Foundation.
Support Ramos & Visionaries of the Year Campaign
Dayana Ramos, DNP, a critical care nurse practitioner in cardiology (and cancer survivor) continues to work toward her fundraising goal of $25,000 to help advance lifesaving treatments and support for families facing blood cancer during this year’s Visionaries of the Year campaign with Blood Cancer United.
She is hosting a virtual raffle as well as a “Sip to Save Lives” cocktail event this week at 9 p.m. on Tuesday, April 28 at The Velvet Hippo, 119 W. Orange Street, in downtown Durham. Half of the proceeds from sales of the “spicy mango margarita” will benefit Blood Cancer United.
The virtual raffle is for three prizes: a $25 Starbucks gift card; a $50 Amazon gift card, and a Grand Prize — a brewery tour and tasting at Ponysaurus Brewery in Durham. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased directly from Dayana. Winners will be announced on May 16.
Ramos’ fundraising finale is a 5K — and registration is open! The Race for a Cure 5K (run/jog/walk) will take place at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 16, 2026, starting at Durty Bull Brewing Company, 206 Broadway St. #104, Durham, NC 27701. Recommended donation of $15 to register. All donations go to Blood Cancer United.
We hope you will consider supporting Dayana in any way you can, even if only with words of encouragement! Her fundraising page for Blood Cancer United can be found here. Her fundraising deadline is May 16.
Hitting with Heart Softball Tournament
The 10th Annual Hitting with Heart Softball tournament will be held on Saturday, August 22 at Valley Springs Park, 3805 Valley Springs Road, in Durham. The tournament raises funds that will, in part, support the American Heart Association’s 2026 Triangle Heart Walk.
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 Pulse — April 19, 2026
Highlights of the week:
Gerald Bloomfield Receives Michelle Winn Award
Congratulations to Gerald Bloomfield, MD, associate professor of medicine in cardiology! He was recently announced as one of the recipients of the 2026 Michelle P. Winn Inclusive Excellence Awards given by Duke’s School of Medicine. The award honors individuals and teams who have made significant contributions to inclusive excellence over the past year.
Bloomfield is recognized with this award for a career devoted to addressing cardiovascular health disparities. The impact of his work is both local — within Duke and Durham — and global, spanning regions in Kenya, Pakistan, and other countries. His many achievements include founding the first Cardiovascular Center of Excellence in Kenya, creating sustainable infrastructure for research, training, and patient care at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital. He also works to address health disparities in the U.S. through his leadership role in the PATHWAYS Study, which examines cardiovascular prevention and specialty referral patterns among people with HIV. He has a faculty appointment as associate research professor of global health at the Duke Global Health Institute, where he serves on the leadership team as Associate Director of Research.
About the Michelle P. Winn Inclusive Excellence Award
The Duke University School of Medicine’s Office for Culture, Engagement, and Impact established the Michelle P. Winn Inclusive Excellence Award in 2016 to recognize individuals who have made significant contributions to inclusive excellence within the School of Medicine community. The award is named for Michelle P. Winn, MD, associate professor of nephrology in the Department of Medicine, who passed away in July 2014. Winn was respected and beloved by her colleagues and deeply committed to supporting the careers of younger physicians and scientists who were impacted by her mentorship and leadership.
Bloomfield and his fellow awardees will be recognized at a ceremony during the Advancing Excellence in Research Symposium on April 28. For a full list of winners, please visit 2026 Winn Awardees.
Well-deserved, Jerry!
Duke Heart & Vascular Faculty Promoted to Full Professor
This week, Duke University published its annual list of faculty members who have been appointed or promoted to the rank of full professor since January 1, 2025.
Congratulations to Heart & Vascular team members Michel Khouri, Cary Ward, Bradi Granger, Josef Turek, and Hiroshi Date!
To see the full list, please visit Duke Promotes Faculty to the Rank of Full Professor.
Piccini Featured on Tomorrow’s World Today
This weekend, cardiac electrophysiologist Jonathan Piccini, MD, professor of medicine in cardiology and Director of the Cardiac Electrophysiology section at Duke Health, appears in the season premiere of Emmy-nominated and Telly award-winning series Tomorrow’s World Today. This first episode of Season 10 takes viewers to the front lines of cardiac innovation, featuring the latest approaches to treating atrial fibrillation and an overview of the evolution of cardiac care—from the “big cut” of open-heart surgery to the dawn of pulsed-field ablation.
The program aired on the Science Channel at 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 18, and on the Discovery Channel at 7 a.m. on Sunday, April 19. Past episodes can be streamed on Philo, Sling, and Hulu.
Nicely done, Jon!
ACC.26: Cardiology Pharmacy Resident Presents Antithrombotic Therapy Redux Findings
We are excited to share some news from our terrific inpatient cardiology pharmacy team! Their PGY2 Cardiology Pharmacy Resident, Paul Chan, was invited to give a platform presentation at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Sessions held recently in New Orleans. Chan presented on the Original Research Stage – a huge honor for him and the Cardiology Pharmacy Residency Program.
Chan presented Incidence of Hemocompatibility-Related Adverse Events Following Antithrombotic Therapy Reduction in Patients with a HM3 LVAD on behalf of his research team, which included Cody Carson, Monique Godfrey, William Larsen, Marat Fudim, and Richa Agarwal.
Chan will be staying at Duke post-residency as a Cardiology/Heart and Lung Transplant/CT Surgery Float Pharmacist.
Congratulations, Paul!
Duke Health Quality & Safety Conference Held Thursday, April 16.
Two team members from Duke Heart & Vascular presented a poster during the Duke Health Quality and Safety Conference held on Thursday, April 16.
Shown above are Allie Fox and Matt Burleson displaying their poster, Developing Nursing Standards for Orthostatic Hypotension: Strategy to Prevent Falls in Heart Step-Down Units.
Excellent job!
Spring HCLC Meeting Held
The spring meeting of the Heart Center Leadership Council took place on Friday, April 17, 2026, at the J.B. Duke Hotel and Conference Center.
Presenters included Drs. Manesh Patel and Carmelo Milano, who provided updates on their respective divisions; Dr. Svati Shah, who, along with Patel, presented advances in the use of artificial intelligence in healthcare at Duke, and a session with Drs. Jeff Keenan and Adam Williams, each of whom presented on innovations in clinical trials in cardiovascular surgery. Their session was moderated by Dr. Milano.
Kudos to Goodwin, Kim, and the Interventional Team!
Dr. Gerald Bloomfield received a message of gratitude this week from a family member of a recent patient cared for by Drs. Nate Goodwin – an interventional cardiology fellow — and Yoo Jin Kim, a cardiology fellow. Many thanks to Jerry for sharing it with us!
“My dad had been experiencing shoulder pain for about two weeks but attributed it to a muscle as it seemed to only bother him when he laid down at night. Last week, he began having shortness of breath, so he went to the urgent care. They performed an EKG and immediately advised him to go straight to the ER. Once there, several EKGs were done that initially didn’t show anything clearly concerning, although his bloodwork revealed elevated cardiac enzymes. He performed a baseline EKG, then had my dad walk around a bit, and repeated the EKG once the pain started. That’s when things changed — he immediately recognized abnormalities and got him into a room right away.
From there, my dad said it felt like a scene straight out of a medical show—suddenly surrounded by a full team asking questions, placing monitors, and moving quickly (though thankfully much more efficient than a TV drama). This was a little after 10:00 pm. By 10:45, Dr. Goodwin and Dr. Kim had determined he needed a cardiac catheterization, and by midnight he was in the ICU recovering. They found a 99% blockage in a coronary artery and placed a stent. Everyone has commented on how remarkable it was that he walked into the hospital in as good condition as he did.
I just wanted to express our sincere thanks for the team’s quick thinking and decisive action. While my grandfather had a history of heart disease, my dad has otherwise been very healthy, so this was all quite unexpected and frightening. My parents both shared that once Dr. Yoo Jin Kim and Dr. Nathan Goodwin became involved, everything moved quickly, clearly, and with great confidence. They especially appreciated how direct and reassuring they were—and I keep hearing that Dr. Kim is not only brilliant but also pretty funny.
He was able to come home on Friday and is doing very well. We truly believe that without the care and urgency of the cardiology team, this could have had a very different outcome.” – name withheld for privacy.
Way to go, everyone — we are so proud of your excellent teamwork!
This week: Marfan Foundation NC Walk for Victory!
Duke Heart & Vascular is proud to again serve as the presenting sponsor of the NC Walk for Victory being held in Raleigh on Saturday, April 25. This event unites our regional Marfan/LDS/VEDS community in support of patients and families affected by genetic aortic and vascular conditions.
Dr. Chad Hughes will again serve as medical director for the walk – join us there and see him in action!
The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 25, at Laurel Hills Community Center in Laurel Hills Park, located at 3808 Edwards Mill Rd, Raleigh, NC 27612. This is an easy-to-find location with ample and free parking.
Please join our team and donate to this cause if you are able. Thank you!
‘Hitting with Heart’ Softball Tourney Date Announced, Team Registration Open
It’s that time of year to start getting your team together for the Duke Heart & Vascular 10th annual Hitting with Heart Softball tournament! The tournament helps benefit the American Heart Association’s annual Heart Walk.
We had a great turnout last year, and some particularly good team competition. Congratulations again to the 2025 winners, Duke Engineering & Operations!
The 2026 tournament will be held at Valley Springs Park in Durham on August 22.
Please contact Amanda Ornell to let her know if you are going to put a team together. She said there has been a good amount of interest already, and space is limited to just 13 teams, so register quickly.
Information will be sent out later with a date and time for the coaches’ meeting to review tournament rules and expectations.
Dzau CV Seminar Series: G-Protein Coupled Receptors with Lefkowitz
The Duke Cardiovascular Research Center has announced that Dr. Robert Lefkowitz, the Chancellor’s Distinguished Professor of Medicine and Professor of Biochemistry at Duke University and 2016 Nobel Prize winner, will present “G-Protein Coupled Receptors” on May 27, 2026. This is part of the Victor J. Dzau Cardiovascular Lecture Seminar Series, supported by the Edna and Fred L. Mandel Jr. Foundation. It will be held at noon in the auditorium of the Nanaline Duke Building.
Physician Credit: Duke University Health System Department of Clinical Education and Professional Development designates this activity for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s) TM. Physicians should claim only credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Upcoming Events & Opportunities
April is National Donate Life Month and National Arab American Heritage Month. It is also National Workplace Violence Prevention Month.
Cardiology Grand Rounds
April 21: Beyond the Lab: Systems, Symptoms, and Stratification from the Duke VT Registry with Eric Xie, MD. 5 p.m. via Zoom.
April 28: The Modern Cardiac Intensivists: Who They Treat and How They Train with Michael Cosiano, MD. 5 p.m., DN 2002 and via Zoom.
CD Fellows Core Curriculum Conference
April 22: HF/TX Case Conference with Yoo Jin Kim. Noon, Noon, DMP 7E39, and via Zoom.
April 24: TBD. Noon, Zoom only.
April 29: EP Case Conference with Krunal Amin and Verda Arshad. Noon, DMP 7E39, and via Zoom.
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.
April 23: Cardiac Masses with Fawaz Alenezi
April 30: HOCM with Fawaz Alenezi
May 7: Imaging Approach to Congenital Heart Disease with Bharathi Upadhya
May 14: Pericardial Diseases with Fawaz Alenezi
May 21: Imaging TOF Patient with Bharathi Upadhya
May 28: HFpEF Imaging Modalities with Rebecca/Harriet
June 4: Endocarditis with Fawaz Alenezi
June 11: CT Fractional Flow Review and Akshay Pendyal
June 18: D-Trans vs L-Trans Congenital Heart Disease with Fawaz Alenezi
June 25: Systemic and Pulmonary Hypertensive Heart Disease with Fawaz Alenezi
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.
- September 26: Duke Case-Based Multimodality Imaging Symposium – Course directors are Sreek Vemulapalli and Anita Kelsey. Location: Trent Semans Center, Great Hall.
- October 30: 18th Annual NC Research Triangle Pulmonary Vascular Symposium – Course directors are Terry Fortin, Sudar Rajagopal, and Jimmy Ford. Location: Durham Convention Center, Durham, NC.
Please save the dates!
Support Ramos & Visionaries of the Year Campaign
Please consider supporting our amazing team member, Dayana Ramos, DNP, a critical care nurse practitioner in cardiology (and cancer survivor), during this year’s Visionaries of the Year campaign with Blood Cancer United.
“This cause is incredibly personal to me, as a leukemia survivor who recently celebrated five years cancer-free, I know firsthand how critical research funding and patient support truly are,” says Ramos.
The 10-week fundraising competition kicks off on March 9, and her goal is to raise $25,000 to help advance lifesaving treatments and support families facing blood cancer.
As part of her endeavor to meet her fundraising goal, she is hosting a virtual raffle as well as a “Sip to Save Lives” cocktail event at 9 p.m. on Tuesday, April 28, at The Velvet Hippo, 119 W. Orange Street, in downtown Durham. Half of the proceeds from sales of the “spicy mango margarita” will benefit Blood Cancer United.
The virtual raffle is for three prizes: a $25 Starbucks gift card; a $50 Amazon gift card, and a Grand Prize — a brewery tour and tasting at Ponysaurus Brewery in Durham. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased directly from Dayana. Winners will be announced on May 16.
Please support Dayana in any way you can, even if only with words of encouragement! Her fundraising page for Blood Cancer United can be found 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 Pulse — April 12, 2026
Chief’s message: Spring
Spring is a time of new growth, with lots of green,trees budding and plants sprouting. The time also finds us with rejuvenation and hope with more time outdoors. This last week we had our partners from Singapore and the Heart Center join us for a vibrant visit that had lots of exchange of science, clinical care, and innovation as we work to improve heart care and envision a future of science closer to our communities. We will share some of these projects in the upcoming weeks but are encouraged by the amazing opportunities for continued long-term relationship with partners in Singapore. Stories of this visit, follow up on ACC science, and other important work in the heart center below.
Highlights of the week:
Duke Welcomes Singapore Heart Center Team
Duke Heart & Vascular hosted a dozen members of the Singapore Heart Center team on April 6 and 7th at Duke University Hospital. We have had a heart affiliation there for many years.
The Singapore team toured Duke Heart’s cardiac invasive labs (cath and EP) and the cardiology intensive care unit, and met with members of our Center of Excellence team to learn more about our registries, data collection, and performance services across the labs and structural heart.
They were also able to explore EHR go-live implementation before meeting with members of the Duke Clinical Research Institute to more broadly discuss clinical trials and multicenter collaborations.
Many thanks to all who made this visit possible, including Schuyler Jones, Rebecca Dial, Joe Kelly, Melissa Williams, Jill Engel, Manesh Patel, Svati Shah, and Adrian Hernandez, and our administrative personnel, including Cheri Barnette and Cynthia Hicks, who ensured things ran smoothly.
ACC.26 Round-up: Duke IM Resident Presentations
Several Duke internal medicine residents were invited to present posters at the American College of Cardiology Scientific Sessions held late last month in New Orleans.
Congratulations to the following:
Alexandria Danyluk, MD — Navigating NSTEMI in the first trimester of pregnancy: FIT-guided conservative management in a low-risk patient
Best Uchehara, MD, MBA — Clinical characteristics, treatment patterns, and outcomes of patients with worsening heart failure managed with outpatient IV diuretics
Wael Hanna, MD — Fulminant dilated cardiomyopathy in PARS2 mitochondrial disease requiring VA-ECMO and heart transplant
Sarah Malik, MD — Ablation of intra-atrial reentrant tachycardia within the lateral tunnel in a patient with Fontan circulation
Zina Ibrahim, MD — Cardiac amyloidosis masquerading as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in the age of mavacamten therapy
Julia Couto, MD — Cardiogenic shock in Takayasu arteritis: the importance of evaluating for disease reactivation
Great job, everyone, and thanks to Sarah Snow for sending the photos!
Kudos to Kim Biever
We received a note of praise and gratitude this week regarding Kim Biever, a clinical research coordinator with the Duke Heart site-based research team, from Marat Fudim:
“Kim is a superstar. Kim came in on Sunday — the Easter Holiday — to consent TWO patients on the heart failure inpatient service. This enabled us to catch one patient before discharge and losing him to the study entirely (REHAB trial) and to initiate an inpatient treatment on another patient in a timely fashion (FASTER trial).
A round of applause!” — Marat Fudim, MD
“Amazing work! Thanks for all you do. We’re so grateful!” – Rob Mentz, MD
Way to go, Kim!
Shout-out to 6East
A huge shout-out to the 6 East care team! They went over a month with PERFECT hand hygiene and wearing PPE correctly. This is something that is not easily accomplished, reads the note from Jason Stokes (nurse manager, operations for the 6East cardiothoracic stepdown unit at Duke University Hospital), so I wanted to reach out and say thank you for doing the best to keep our patients and our staff safe!”
Excellent teamwork!
Ramos Tosses 1st Pitch for Duke Softball; Announces Two Special Events
Many of you are aware that our wonderful colleague, Dayana Ramos, a cardiology critical care nurse practitioner, is working to build awareness around blood cancers and raise funds for Blood Cancer United’s Visionaries of the Year campaign. Ramos is celebrating 5-years leukemia-free!
As part of her efforts, she was invited to toss out the first pitch at Duke University’s April 4 softball game versus the Virginia Cavaliers (Duke won, 8-4).
Ramos is continuing to work on her fundraising goal of $25,000 for Blood Cancer United– which will help advance lifesaving treatments and support families facing blood cancer — she is hosting a virtual raffle as well as a “Sip to Save Lives” cocktail event at 9 p.m. on Tuesday, April 28 at The Velvet Hippo, 119 W. Orange Street, in downtown Durham. Half of the proceeds from sales of the “spicy mango margarita” will benefit Blood Cancer United.
The virtual raffle is for three prizes: a $25 Starbucks gift card; a $50 Amazon gift card, and a Grand Prize — a brewery tour and tasting at Ponysaurus Brewery in Durham. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased directly from Dayana; you can also use the QR code in the image below. Winners will be announced on May 16.
Many thanks to everyone for their support! A link to her fundraising page appears below, under “Events”.
Duke Health Lake Norman Celebrates First Anniversary
Duke Health Lake Norman Hospital marked its one-year anniversary as part of Duke Health on April 1, celebrating a year defined by partnership, unity, and shared commitment. Over the past twelve months, hospital and system teams have collaborated to advance patient care, strengthen operations, and foster a culture rooted in excellence and trust. Continued investments in technology, digital tools, and team development have supported more efficient care delivery and a better experience for both patients and staff.
Click here to watch a video recognizing the teams whose dedication made this first year a success.
Congrats and Happy Anniversary, Duke Health Lake Norman!
DUHS Updates
New Password Reset System Coming This Week
Duke is implementing CLEAR, a new identity verification service that will make Duke password resets faster and more secure. Starting April 8, instead of answering knowledge-based security questions, team members, students, and sponsored account holders will verify their identity using a quick selfie and a government-issued ID — creating a reusable digital identity for future resets.
Supporting a Safe and Respectful Work Environment
April is National Workplace Violence Prevention Month, a time to reaffirm our commitment to keeping Duke Health a safe place to work and receive care. We also want to thank the many teams who support violence prevention efforts across our facilities – your awareness, preparation, and teamwork help protect patients, visitors, and each another every day. Throughout the month, watch for communications highlighting opportunities to learn, including education and resources focused on prevention, early recognition, and safe response.
This work reflects our Put People First Culture Commitment through our shared responsibility of creating a culture of safety. Together, we can continue to build safer environments for everyone by being proactive, utilizing tools and resources, and supporting colleagues when concerns arise.
Upcoming Events & Opportunities
April is National Donate Life Month and National Arab American Heritage Month. It is also National Workplace Violence Prevention Month.
Cardiology Grand Rounds
April 14: Health System Approaches to the Control of Cardiometabolic Disease with Aarti Thakkar, MD. 5 p.m., DN 2002 and via Zoom.
April 28: The Modern Cardiac Intensivists: Who they Treat and How They Train with Michael Cosiano, MD. 5 p.m., DN 2002 and via Zoom.
CD Fellows Core Curriculum Conference
April 15: DHP Case Conference with Hubert Haywood. Noon, DMP 7E39 and via Zoom.
April 17: ECG Review with Neil Freeman. Noon, Zoom only.
April 22: HF/TX Case Conference with Yoo Jin Kim. Noon, Noon, DMP 7E39 and via Zoom.
April 24: TBD. Noon, Zoom only.
April 29: EP Case Conference with Krunal Amin and Verda Arshad. Noon, DMP 7E39 and via Zoom.
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.
April 16: CANCELLED
April 23: Cardiac Masses with Fawaz Alenezi
April 30: HOCM with Fawaz Alenezi
May 7: Imaging Approach to Congenital Heart Disease with Bharathi Upadhya
May 14: Pericardial Diseases with Fawaz Alenezi
May 21: Imaging TOF Patient with Bharathi Upadhya
May 28: HFpEF Imaging Modalities with Rebecca/Harriet
June 4: Endocarditis with Fawaz Alenezi
June 11: CT Fractional Flow Review and Akshay Pendyal
June 18: D-Trans vs L-Trans Congenital Heart Disease with Fawaz Alenezi
June 25: Systemic and Pulmonary Hypertensive Heart Disease with Fawaz Alenezi
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: 18th Annual NC Research Triangle Pulmonary Hypertension Symposium – Course directors are Terry Fortin, Sudar Rajagopal, and Jimmy Ford. Location: Durham Convention Center, Durham, NC.
- September 26: Duke Case-Based Multimodality Imaging Symposium – Course directors are Sreek Vemulapalli and Anita Kelsey. Location: Trent Semans Center, Great Hall.
Please save the dates!
NC Walk for Victory — Support our Aortic team!
Duke Heart & Vascular is proud to again serve as the presenting sponsor of the NC Walk for Victory being held in Raleigh on Saturday, April 25. Dr. Chad Hughes is again serving as medical director for the walk and he does a fantastic job!
This event unites our regional Marfan/LDS/VEDS community in support of patients and families affected by genetic aortic and vascular conditions. It’s a wonderful event that has grown larger each year. We love seeing our patients and their families join in all the fun — and we’d love to see you there as well!
Please join us from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 25 at Laurel Hills Community Center in Laurel Hills Park located at 3808 Edwards Mill Rd, Raleigh, NC 27612. This is an easy to find location with ample and free parking.
Please join our team and donate to this cause if you are able, and forward this message to anyone who may be interested in joining! Together, we walk for awareness. Together, we Walk for Victory.
Thank you!
Support Ramos & Visionaries of the Year Campaign
Please consider supporting our amazing team member, Dayana Ramos, DNP, a critical care nurse practitioner in cardiology (and cancer survivor) during this year’s Visionaries of the Year campaign with Blood Cancer United.
“I’m currently raising funds for this year’s Visionaries of the Year campaign with Blood Cancer United (formerly the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society) as part of Team Don’t Give Up!” said Ramos. “This cause is incredibly personal to me, as a leukemia survivor who recently celebrated five years cancer-free, I know firsthand how critical research funding and patient support truly are.”
The 10-week fundraising competition kicks off on March 9, and her goal is to raise $25,000 to help advance lifesaving treatments and support families facing blood cancer.
Please support Dayana in any way you can, even if only with words of encouragement! Her fundraising page for Blood Cancer United can be found 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 Pulse — April 5, 2026
Highlights of the week:
Happy Easter & Happy Passover
To all those celebrating Easter and Passover this week/weekend — we wish you and yours a very happy holiday.
ACC 26 Round-up: DCRI Brings New Science, Guidance, Big Questions
Duke cardiology faculty members and operational experts from The Duke Clinical Research Institute presented or contributed to research across more than 70 sessions at the American College of Cardiology Scientific Sessions (ACC.26), held March 28–30 in New Orleans. Their thought leadership encompassed featured presentations, late-breaking clinical trials, moderated debates, digital poster forums, and expert panel discussions as they shared new data, debated emerging evidence, and offered practical guidance on clinical care.
Collectively, their work covered an extensive range of topics across nearly every major cardiovascular subspecialty, including novel trial results, AI-driven innovation, policy, prevention, and the human dimensions of a career in cardiology.
An excellent round-up of presentations can be found right here.
Many thanks to all who joined us at our annual gathering or by visiting us in the vendor hall!
Member of Holley Lab Named Goldwater Scholar
We are pleased to share that Daniel Levin, a Duke undergraduate member of Christopher Holley’s research laboratory team in the Duke Cardiovascular Research Center (DCRC), has been honored as a 2026 Barry M. Goldwater Scholar by the Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation. The award recognizes accomplished sophomore and junior researchers who plan to pursue careers in the fields of science, engineering, and mathematics.
Levin, a member of Duke University’s Class of 2027, is one of four Duke scholars chosen for the distinction this year. In total, the Foundation is awarding 454 scholarships for 2026-2027. He is a previous participant in the DCRC’s Cardiology Undergraduate Research Experiences summer program.
Levin’s research interests include membrane biochemistry, biomolecular condensation, and RNA biology, and he plans to pursue a PhD in chemical biology and conduct research in membrane dynamics and lipid chemistry. He is originally from Pittsburgh, PA.
You can read the full story on all the Duke recipients here. For a full list of this year’s Goldwater Scholars, visit https://goldwaterscholarship.gov.
Congratulations, Daniel!
Fueling Better Outcomes in Heart Failure
A healthy heart efficiently pumps blood throughout the body to provide good circulation, stable energy, and healthy blood pressure. A diseased heart, though, struggles to keep up, which can cause shortness of breath, fatigue, irregular heart rhythms, and more. Improving heart function and symptoms remain important goals for patients with heart failure.
Senthil Selvaraj, MD, assistant professor of medicine in cardiology at Duke University School of Medicine, is helping patients do just that. By better understanding heart metabolism in both healthy individuals and those with heart diseases, he’s gaining important insights into how the heart uses fuel and the impacts that has across the body.
Heart failure can occur at any age, but it is primarily a disease among the elderly; the incidence of heart disease in general rises sharply above age 65, and at 75 the risk of congestive heart failure is up to 10 times what it is among younger adults.
The path to a healthy heart starts at the other end of life, in infancy. The neonatal heart mostly runs on glucose, but as it matures, it starts using other fuels, eventually running mostly on fats with some glucose and ketones. “This flexibility,” Selvaraj said, “helps the heart stay efficient.”
In heart failure, the heart loses the flexibility to use fats and glucose efficiently. “What we’ve found, though, is the heart likes ketones,” Selvaraj said, “but ketones aren’t typically available in high abundance.”
Ketones are a chemical the liver produces when the body breaks down fat for energy when it doesn’t get enough glucose. Ketone bodies are mostly generated through fasting, starvation, or by eating a ketogenic diet. “When ketones are around, failing hearts readily use them,” Selvaraj said. This has led him to investigate ketones’ effects on heart function across the spectrum of cardiovascular health.
Exercise strengthens heart muscle, which, in turn, boosts blood flow, manages weight, lowers bad cholesterol, and more — and exercise becomes increasingly important to overall health as people age. However, people with heart failure often have exercise intolerance, so they may struggle to get enough movement for the heart to become stronger.
SGLT-2 inhibitors have become standard treatment for all types of heart failure. They may work, in part, by making ketones a more readily available fuel source for the heart. Selvaraj wanted to know if adding even more ketones could improve heart function and allow patients with heart failure to exercise more.
Could ketones become a heart therapy? Early studies show ketones, shown here in a drink, are emerging less as an exercise booster and more as a metabolic tweak: an alternative fuel that may let the heart work a little more efficiently under stress.
A phase 1 clinical trial examined the safety of taking ketone supplements in addition to an SGLT-2 inhibitor in patients with heart failure.
“We wanted to see if a ketone drink would be tolerated in people already on SGLT-2 inhibitors,” Selvaraj said, “and we found that that combination therapy appeared to be safe.”
A phase 2 clinical trial investigated whether taking a ketone drink acutely would allow patients to exercise more.
Patients were given a ketone drink and then tested for their peak VO2, or the total amount of oxygen your body can consume during exercise. “It’s an integrative measure of physical fitness,” Selvaraj said. “The more oxygen you can consume, the more your heart is pumping, the more blood the legs are getting, the more the lungs are exchanging gas, etc.”
Most people, though, don’t push themselves to exercise to maximum capacity, so the research team also tested submaximal exercise, which is more consistent with daily activities.
While one ketone drink did not change a patient’s ability to exercise more, Selvaraj noted the researchers did see several changes happen in the heart.
The addition of ketones helped decrease pressure in the heart during exercise and stress, increase heart function, and shift the body’s use away from carbohydrates as fuel.
The next step, now underway, is looking at the effects of multiple doses of ketone drinks over an eight-week period. If adding ketone drinks into the treatment plan for patients with heart failure improves the heart’s ability to pump over time, it may allow patients to exercise more. The more exercise they can safely do, the better their chances are of improving the overall function of the heart.
“This research, we hope, could lead to more people with heart failure living healthier lives,” Selvaraj said.
This story was written by Alissa Kocer and appears in the March 25, 2026 issue of Magnify magazine, published by the Duke School of Medicine.
Kudos to ALLAY HF Team
We received a thoughtful note of gratitude from one of the first patients to enroll in the ALLAY HF trial. It was shared with us by Marat Fudim.
“The patient completed participation and saw great benefits from it,” said Fudim. “Beyond that, she appreciated the extra care she received from the team as part of the research over the past two years. Each patient’s journey is a labor of love and hard work from initial screening to the procedure, and then the two years of follow up by the team, which in this case was led by Lacey Taylor and Matt Gray.”
Others on the team include Andres Pineda, Zack Wegermann, Rob Mentz, Mark Kittipibul, Todd McVeigh, and Fudim. The note says:
“Thank you and your team so very much for your professionalism and all you did for me over the past two years — I am so grateful the research group has implemented this procedure to help us older folks — Life is so precious and sometimes we take it for granted until you fear its almost taken from you. Your sense of humor really encouraged me and made me almost feel everything is ok. Thanks again to you, Lacey and Matthew for your kindness, patience and time. You’re the best — God Bless all of you!” – patient name withheld for privacy
Solid teamwork!
DUHS Leadership Update
End of Flu Season
The end of flu season at Duke University Health System was declared earlier this week by the Infectious Disease monitoring team. As of April 1, 2026 DUHS has officially moved to Tier 1 visitation status. You can access the Tier 1 visitation standard work document and patient visitation letters on Duke Health Now.
Upcoming Events & Opportunities
April is National Donate Life Month and National Arab American Heritage Month.
Cardiology Grand Rounds
April 7: On the Way to Advanced Heart Failure with Paula Rambarat, MD. 5 p.m., DN 2002 and via Zoom.
CD Fellows Core Curriculum Conference
April 8: EP Case Conference with Cosette Champion and Alex Gunn. Noon, DMP 7E39 and via Zoom.
April 10: ECG Review with Tom Bashore. Noon, Zoom only.
April 15: DHP Case Conference with Hubert Haywood. Noon, DMP 7E39 and via Zoom.
April 17: ECG Review with Neil Freeman. Noon, Zoom only.
April 22: HF/TX Case Conference with Yoo Jin Kim. Noon, Noon, DMP 7E39 and via Zoom.
April 24: TBD. Noon, Zoom only.
April 29: EP Case Conference with Krunal Amin and Verda Arshad. Noon, DMP 7E39 and via Zoom.
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.
April 9: Heart Transplant Rejection Surveillance with Merna Hussein/Joe Lerman
April 16: CANCELLED
April 23: Cardiac Masses with Fawaz Alenezi
April 30: HOCM with Fawaz Alenezi
May 7: Imaging Approach to Congenital Heart Disease with Bharathi Upadhya
May 14: Pericardial Diseases with Fawaz Alenezi
May 21: Imaging TOF Patient with Bharathi Upadhya
May 28: HFpEF Imaging Modalities with Rebecca/Harriet
June 4: Endocarditis with Fawaz Alenezi
June 11: CT Fractional Flow Review and Akshay Pendyal
June 18: D-Trans vs L-Trans Congenital Heart Disease with Fawaz Alenezi
June 25: Systemic and Pulmonary Hypertensive Heart Disease with Fawaz Alenezi
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: 18th Annual NC Research Triangle Pulmonary Hypertension Symposium – Course directors are Terry Fortin, Sudar Rajagopal, and Jimmy Ford. Location: Durham Convention Center, Durham, NC.
- September 26: Duke Case-Based Multimodality Imaging Symposium – Course directors are Sreek Vemulapalli and Anita Kelsey. Location: Trent Semans Center, Great Hall.
Please save the dates!
NC Walk for Victory — Support our Aortic team!
Duke Heart & Vascular is proud to again serve as the presenting sponsor of the NC Walk for Victory being held in Raleigh on Saturday, April 25. Dr. Chad Hughes is again serving as medical director for the walk and he does a fantastic job!
This event unites our regional Marfan/LDS/VEDS community in support of patients and families affected by genetic aortic and vascular conditions. It’s a wonderful event that has grown larger each year. We love seeing our patients and their families join in all the fun — and we’d love to see you there as well!
Please join us from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 25 at Laurel Hills Community Center in Laurel Hills Park located at 3808 Edwards Mill Rd, Raleigh, NC 27612. This is an easy to find location with ample and free parking.
Please join our team and donate to this cause if you are able, and forward this message to anyone who may be interested in joining! Together, we walk for awareness. Together, we Walk for Victory.
Thank you!
Support Ramos & Visionaries of the Year Campaign
Please consider supporting our amazing team member, Dayana Ramos, DNP, a critical care nurse practitioner in cardiology (and cancer survivor) during this year’s Visionaries of the Year campaign with Blood Cancer United.
“I’m currently raising funds for this year’s Visionaries of the Year campaign with Blood Cancer United (formerly the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society) as part of Team Don’t Give Up!” said Ramos. “This cause is incredibly personal to me, as a leukemia survivor who recently celebrated five years cancer-free, I know firsthand how critical research funding and patient support truly are.”
The 10-week fundraising competition kicks off on March 9, and her goal is to raise $25,000 to help advance lifesaving treatments and support families facing blood cancer.
Please support Dayana in any way you can, even if only with words of encouragement! Her fundraising page for Blood Cancer United can be found 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.
Recent Comments