Highlights of the week: Labor Day Weekend and Ongoing CV science
Hopefully you are all having a great labor day weekend. Over the last week we have seen several scientific updates in the cardiovascular field with lots of great presentations and science from the European Society of Cardiology Meeting, reports on trials that have not met their endpoint with Lp(a)- Horizons, and updates from many in our institution around evolving CV care. As with these scientific updates, our clinical services have remained busy as we serve our community, and we want to especially thank our faculty, staff, fellows, APPs, residents, and clinical teams all of whom are helping care for our patients over the holiday weekend. In this week’s pulse – you will see updates from the meetings, new leadership roles, and new members of our team. Finally, we will have increasing updates and events as we approach the AHA Triangle Heart walk next month. Thanks to all that have already engaged and joined.
ESC.26: Duke Studies Advance AI in Heart Imaging
Two new Duke-led studies demonstrate how artificial intelligence (AI) could dramatically expand the clinical information available to physicians from standard heart imaging. Researchers found that AI could identify evidence of two complex cardiovascular diseases and provide information about the type and severity of disease from images commonly collected during standard care. The findings could eventually help physicians recognize disease earlier and determine which patients need further evaluation.
The studies, presented as Late-Breaking Science on Saturday, Aug. 29, at the 2026 European Society of Cardiology Congress in Munich, examined the use of AI with echocardiography to identify and characterize pulmonary hypertension (PH) and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Fawaz Alenezi, MD, associate professor of medicine in the Division of Cardiology, was first author and presenting investigator for both studies.
Together, the studies involved thousands of patients across multiple institutions, countries, and imaging platforms. Rather than simply using AI to automate measurements already performed by clinicians, the researchers explored whether AI could uncover additional information about disease from echocardiographic images collected during standard care.
In the first study, researchers found that AI could identify pulmonary hypertension — a condition in which blood pressure in the vessels carrying blood from the heart to the lungs is abnormally high — using only a single standard four-chamber echocardiographic video clip. The model did not require Doppler imaging, additional imaging views, or manual measurements.
The model was developed using data from 17,969 Duke patients, including 8,644 patients with PH confirmed through right-heart catheterization, and independently evaluated using patient cohorts from France, Stanford University and China. Its performance increased as disease severity increased, and the model was also able to distinguish among clinically important forms of PH that reflect different underlying pressure patterns in the heart and lung circulation.
The findings suggest that even a single standard echo clip may contain information that can be analyzed in new ways to reveal additional clues about cardiovascular function. In the future, this type of technology could help physicians identify patients who need earlier expert evaluation, including those undergoing echocardiography in community hospitals or other settings where specialized cardiovascular expertise may be less readily available.
The second study focused on hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a disease in which the heart muscle becomes abnormally thick. The AI model was developed using a multinational cohort of 9,578 patients from Duke and the National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center in Japan, followed by internal testing in 1,294 patients and independent external validation in 791 patients at Rutgers.
The fully automated system detected HCM from standard echocardiography and distinguished it from other conditions that can cause similar thickening of the heart muscle, including cardiac amyloidosis, aortic stenosis, and hypertensive heart disease. It was also able to recognize different forms of HCM.
A separate AI model evaluated whether the thickened heart muscle was obstructing the flow of blood out of the heart and measured the severity of that obstruction. Together, the models could provide physicians with information not only about whether HCM is present, but also about the form of the disease and how it is affecting heart function.
Taken together, the studies point toward a future in which AI could allow physicians to obtain substantially more clinical information from cardiovascular images already being collected as part of standard care — potentially helping identify disease, determine its type and severity, and guide decisions about further evaluation and care.
“I am especially grateful for the support, mentorship and close collaboration of Sreekanth Vemulapalli and Andrew Wang on the HCM project, and Sudarshan Rajagopal on the pulmonary hypertension project,” Alenezi said. “I am also very grateful to Camille Frazier-Mills and Manesh Patel for their continued support, and to our Duke colleagues and national and international collaborators who made these studies possible.”
Both studies were supported internally by Duke and did not receive external funding.
Great work, Fawaz! Congrats to you and your team!
Rajagopal named director of Strong Start Award Program
Congratulations to cardiologist Sudarshan Rajagopal, MD, PhD! Rajagopal has been named the new director of the Duke Physician-Scientist Strong Start Award Program, a flagship initiative funded by the Nanaline H. Duke Foundation that supports the development of early-career physician-scientists as they transition to independent research careers.
An accomplished physician-scientist, Rajagopal is internationally recognized for his work in G protein-coupled receptor signaling in inflammation and vascular disease, with a clinical focus on pulmonary vascular disease. He serves as co-director of the Duke Pulmonary Vascular Disease Center, and his research portfolio spans clinical research in pulmonary vascular disease, translational cardiovascular research, and the basic science of receptor signaling.
Rajagopal brings a deep commitment to physician-scientist training and mentorship. He views the transition from mentored research to independent investigation as one of the most critical stages in a physician-scientist’s career and sees the Strong Start program as an important mechanism for helping talented researchers successfully navigate that path.
As director, Rajagopal will focus on recruiting outstanding candidates, supporting awardees’ professional development, and strengthening pathways to research independence. He also serves as director of the Robert J. Lefkowitz Society and is eager to build stronger connections across Duke’s physician-scientist training ecosystem, fostering mentorship and collaboration among trainees and faculty at multiple career stages.
The Duke Physician-Scientist Strong Start Award Program provides critical support to promising early-career physician-scientists, helping them establish research programs that advance discoveries and improve patient care.
Rajagopal succeeds Gowthami Arepally, MD, whose leadership helped shape and grow the program. Under her direction, Strong Start strengthened support for emerging physician-scientists and advanced Duke’s longstanding commitment to developing the next generation of clinician-researchers.
With Rajagopal at the helm, the program is well positioned to continue cultivating physician-scientists whose research will drive future advances in medicine and health.
Well-deserved, Sudar!
Welcome to Duke Cardiology of Raleigh, Blake!
Blake Wilcock, PA-C, joined Duke Cardiology of Raleigh on Aug. 17. He will support Radha Kachhy, MD, and Deepa Upadhyaya, MD, caring for patients with a range of cardiovascular conditions.
Blake’s interest in cardiology has a personal connection: His grandfather experienced a severe and unexpected heart attack when Blake was a teenager. Watching his grandfather’s recovery — and experiencing the uncertainty that a cardiac event can bring to an entire family — helped inspire Blake’s interest in heart care.
Originally from Tucson, Arizona, Blake and his wife, Abby, have been married for 10 years. Abby recently completed PA school, and the couple has two children, Jackson, 5, and Hayden, who joined the family at the end of May.
Outside of work, Blake enjoys spending time with his family, and basketball is a big part of the Wilcock household. Each year, the family holds its own March Madness bracket competition — and Jackson has quickly become the one to beat. This year, they took the tradition to another level, creating an 8-by-12-foot bracket on a wall in their home.
Blake says he is excited to join Duke Cardiology of Raleigh and looks forward to building relationships with his new colleagues.
Welcome to Duke Cardiology, Blake! We’re glad to have you on the team.
Luggage Drive Success
The luggage drive to support the 2026 Heart for Honduras medical mission went well! The team collected about a dozen suitcases and now has everything needed for the mission, taking place Sept. 19-26.
This will be Duke’s fifth mission trip in collaboration with Dr. Hugo Orellana, chief of cardiothoracic surgery at Hospital Escuela and president of the Honduran Red Cross. A 27-member Duke team will participate.
We wish them safe travels and look forward to hearing all about it when they return!
Culture Pulse Survey Opens Sept. 14
The annual Culture Pulse survey opens Monday, Sept. 14, and runs through Sept. 28. The survey takes about five minutes to complete and is an important opportunity to share your experience working at Duke Health.
Your feedback helps identify what’s working well, where team members need greater support and where there are opportunities to improve. Strong participation gives us a more complete picture of our workplace culture and helps inform efforts to make Duke Health an even better place to work. Our goal is participation of 80% or higher, so please take a few minutes to make your voice heard.
Survey responses are confidential, so we encourage you to provide thoughtful, candid feedback.
Eligible team members will receive an email from Culture Amp with a link to the survey. The survey includes DUHS, School of Medicine and School of Nursing team members. Affiliate-site employees, team members who have been with Duke Health for fewer than 90 days and those on continuous leave during the survey period will not participate in this survey cycle.
Watch for the Culture Pulse survey in your inbox beginning Sept. 14 — and please take five minutes to participate!
Join Us at the 2026 Triangle Heart Walk
Duke Health once again is serving as a lead sponsor of the 2026 Triangle Heart Walk. On Saturday, October 3, please join us again as we walk alongside our colleagues, family members, friends, and many of our cardiovascular patients to celebrate our community.
The Heart Walk is the American Heart Association’s premier fundraising event, drawing communities together from across the U.S. to raise funds and celebrate progress in the fight against heart disease and stroke. This year’s Triangle Heart Walk will unite us in our commitment to living heart-healthy lifestyles and raising lifesaving funds, all while having a fun time together!
This year, the goal for Duke Health is 250 teams, with 10 people per team, and to raise $170,000. We need your help to accomplish this. Please consider signing up as a team captain to lead a Heart Walk team or simply join one as a walker.
The American Heart Association is one of the largest non-federal funding sources of cardiovascular research in the country. AHA-supported research informs the guidelines, treatments and prevention efforts our teams use every day, so the dollars we raise come back to our own patients, our colleagues and our community.
We hope you’ll join us on Saturday, October 3, at Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek as we walk together in support of healthier hearts and healthier communities.
Let’s support Manesh Patel – current AHA volunteer president – by making this year the most successful showing for Duke Heart & Vascular yet!
Duke Football to Celebrate Healthcare Professionals Oct. 17
Duke Football will celebrate healthcare professionals during its Healthcare Appreciation Game against North Carolina on Saturday, Oct. 17 at Wallace Wade Stadium. The annual event recognizes the dedication and contributions of healthcare professionals throughout our community.
A special discounted ticket offer is available for healthcare professionals, along with their families, friends, and colleagues — and interest is already strong, with nearly 1,000 tickets sold through the promotional offer.
We’d love to see a strong Duke Heart & Vascular presence at Wallace Wade!
Upcoming CME Events & Other Opportunities
- September is national Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) Awareness Month and national Atrial Fibrillation Awareness Month.
- The annual Duke Health Culture Pulse survey will be conducted 14-28.
- Flu vaccination for employees: 8-Nov.17, 10 a.m.
- Duke Dept. of Medicine Research Day: October 23.
Cardiology Grand Rounds
Sept. 8: ESC Updates with Christopher Granger, MD. 5 p.m., DN2002 and via Zoom.
Sept. 15: Powering Genomics with Health IT with Jeffrey Balser, MD, PhD, President and CEO, Vanderbilt University Medical Center. 5 p.m., DN2002 and via Zoom.
Sept. 22: Cardiology, Immunology and Rheumatology with Antonio Abbate, MD, PhD, of UVA Health. 5 p.m., DN2002 and via Zoom.
Sept. 23: A Primate Genetic Model Organism for Cardiovascular Disease with Stephen Chang, MD, PhD, of Stanford Medicine. 5 p.m., HAFS 7683. This special CGR session will be in person only.
All Duke CGR Recordings (except for those containing PHI) can be found on Duke Warpwire by year: 2026, 2025, 2024. Questions about recordings? Contact Tracey Koepke.
Multi-Modality Cardiovascular Imaging Grand Rounds
Sept. 10: Mitral Regurgitation with Richard Palma. Noon-1 p.m. via Zoom.
Sept. 17: Differentiating LVH with Fawaz Alenezi. Noon-1 p.m. via Zoom.
Oct. 1: Quality in Echo Lab with Ashlee Davis. Noon-1 p.m. via Zoom.
Upcoming Symposia
The dates for the following 2026 Duke Heart symposia have been set. We will announce others as they are added.
- September 26: Duke Case-Based Multimodality Imaging Symposium – Registration is now open. Course directors are Sreekanth 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.
- January 9, 2027: Duke EP Symposium. Course director is Jon Piccini. Location: JB Duke Hotel.
Please save the dates!
Triangle Heart Walk
The American Heart Association’s 2026 Triangle Heart Walk will take place on Saturday, October 3, 2026, at Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek, 3801 Rock Quarry Road, Raleigh.
For more information or to register as a walker or a team captain, please visit: Triangle Heart Walk 2026.
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.
