Author Archives: Tracey Koepke

Highlights of the Week

Pompili Joins Duke Heart & Vascular at Lake Norman

Vincent Pompili, MD, has joined Duke Health as medical director of Heart & Vascular Services at Duke Health Lake Norman and clinical professor in the Duke University School of Medicine. He will begin seeing patients at Lake Norman on Oct. 19.

An interventional cardiologist and longtime academic physician-leader, Pompili brings extensive experience in cardiovascular clinical care, research, education, and program development to this new role.  His career has also included senior leadership roles at several academic medical centers, including serving as chief of cardiovascular medicine at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and chief of interventional cardiovascular medicine and director of the cardiac catheterization laboratories at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. He later served as chair of cardiovascular medicine at Deborah Heart and Lung Center in New Jersey.

Pompili earned his medical degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and completed his internal medicine residency at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. He completed fellowship training in cardiovascular medicine at the University of Michigan and in interventional cardiology at Mayo Clinic.

Most recently, Pompili served as medical director of Catawba Valley Cardiology in Conover, NC, where he helped develop cardiovascular services in a community setting while building connections with a larger academic medical center. That experience brought together two themes that have run throughout his career: developing high-quality cardiovascular programs and connecting clinical care with the broader resources of academic medicine.

At Duke Health Lake Norman, Pompili will work with clinical, operational, and administrative leaders to support the continued development of cardiovascular services, with a focus on quality, access, and patient experience. He will also help strengthen connections between Lake Norman and the broader Duke Heart & Vascular team.

As he begins that work, Pompili says collaboration with the existing team will be central to his approach.

“I think of myself as a servant leader,” Pompili said. “I’m not going to ask anyone to do something I would not be willing to do myself. I’m going to be in the weeds with the team as we grow, develop and build things together.”

The opportunity also has a strong personal connection for Pompili. He and his wife have lived in the Lake Norman area since 2018 and make their home in Cornelius. Outside of work, they enjoy life on the lake, including boating and water sports. They also love to travel — particularly to Italy — cook, entertain, and spend time with their two adult daughters and extended family.

Welcome to Duke Heart & Vascular, Vincent! We’re delighted to have you on the team.

 

Date Honored by AATS

Congratulations to cardiothoracic surgeon Hiroshi Date, MD! Date was recently recognized by the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) with their Innovation Award for his work in living-donor lobar lung transplantation. The award was presented at the 2026 Mechanical Support and Thoracic Transplantation Summit held Oct. 2-3 in Toronto, Canada.

Date has had an exceptional career – he performed Japan’s first successful living-donor lobar lung transplantation in 1998 and went on to serve as chair and professor of thoracic surgery at Kyoto University. He has been a faculty member at Duke University School of Medicine and Duke Health since February 2025.

The AATS Innovation Award celebrates and recognizes visionary leaders whose groundbreaking ideas advance mechanical circulatory support and thoracic transplantation. Recipients demonstrate a commitment to innovation through contributions that advance technology, clinical practice, or patient care in these fields.

Well-deserved, Hiroshi!

 

Lung Transplant Team Celebrates Two Exceptional Cases

Congratulations to Duke’s lung transplant team on two remarkable achievements this past week!

On Friday, Hiroshi Date, MD, whose recent AATS Innovation Award is highlighted above, led a successful lung transplant for a 3-year-old girl. She was reported to be doing very well following surgery.

Earlier in the week, the team performed a combined lung–liver transplant to address high levels of anti-HLA antibodies in the lung recipient, followed by a domino liver transplant for a second recipient. Both patients were reported to be doing well. According to Carmelo Milano, MD, this approach has previously been described for sensitized heart transplant recipients and may represent its first use in a sensitized lung transplant recipient.

Milano praised the program leadership of Jacob Klapper, MD, and John Reynolds, MD, and thanked the anesthesia and critical care teams for supporting these complex patients.

Please join us in congratulating the entire team on these exceptional cases!

 

Rymer, Swaminathan Elected to International Andreas Gruentzig Society

Congratulations to Jennifer Rymer, MD, MBA, and Rajesh Swaminathan, MD, on their election as active members of the International Andreas Gruentzig Society (IAGS)!

The society brings together physicians and scientists dedicated to advancing cardiovascular care through research, education, and collaboration, including the development of innovative treatments for cardiac, vascular, and structural disease.

Rymer and Swaminathan will be formally welcomed during the society’s September 12, 2027, welcome dinner in Sardinia, Italy. The dinner opens the IAGS meeting, scheduled for September 12–17, which will commemorate the 50th anniversary of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA).

Well-deserved, Jennifer and Raj!

 

Cardiologists Invited to Support Student NASA Design Project

Three Maryland high school students are seeking input from clinical cardiologists to help shape a medical device accessory intended for use in space.

Colin Scott, Jack Iannarino, and Darsh Patel, seniors in Glenelg High School’s Project Lead The Way engineering program, are working with NASA HUNCH (High School Students United with NASA to Create Hardware) to design a specialized holster for the KardiaMobile 6L portable ECG monitor for astronauts. Duke cardiologist Nishant Shah, MD, has agreed to provide guidance and answer questions throughout the project.

The team’s brief survey includes healthcare-specific questions about device accessibility, emergency response times, and equipment handling. Input from cardiologists with ECG experience will help inform their design requirements and final proposal to NASA.

Please consider sharing your expertise and supporting these aspiring engineers. There is no fixed deadline, but responses as soon as possible would help the team move forward.

Take the survey.

 

Shout-out to All Team Leaders & Culture Pulse Participants

Thank you to the leaders who partnered with staff to encourage engagement with this year’s annual Culture Pulse survey and special thanks to all team members who took part. Our service line reached 75% participation – a terrific improvement over last year.

This survey is one of the critical ways of making sure we hear the voices of our team members. We genuinely appreciate everyone who took time to provide feedback – it matters!

 

ICYMI: Dyslipidemia Management Presented by Shah at MGR

Friday, October 9^th’s Medicine Grand Rounds was delivered by Nishant Shah, MD. He presented Dyslipidemia Management in 2026: Are We Where We Need to Be? In case you missed it, you can watch a recording in Warpwire: https://warpwire.duke.edu/w/73MJAA/

Nicely done, Nishant!

 

2027 Open Enrollment Opens Tomorrow

All Duke employees who are eligible for benefits have the opportunity to enroll or make changes in their medical, dental, vision, and reimbursement account benefits during the annual open enrollment period starting tomorrow, October 12, at 8 a.m. and running through October 30, 2026, at 6 p.m. Changes made during the annual open enrollment period will take effect January 1, 2027. Learn more on Duke Health Now.

This is the time to review your personal and family needs for medical, dental, vision, and reimbursement account benefits for next year. As a reminder, the annual Open Enrollment period is the only time to enroll or update benefits outside of a qualifying life event such as marriage or the birth of a child. Please contact Duke Benefits at DukeOpenEnrollment@duke.edu with any questions.

 

Reminder: Flu Vaccinations Underway

Duke University Health System is committed to protecting our patients, visitors, and one another during flu season. In accordance with the Healthcare Worker Flu Vaccination Policy, all healthcare workers are required to either receive an annual flu vaccination or obtain an approved medical or religious exemption. Compliance with the flu vaccination policy is a condition of employment for all DUHS team members and the ability to access Duke Health facilities and information systems.

Mark your calendar with the following key dates:

Thursday, October 8: Team member flu vaccination campaign begins.

Thursday, October 29 at 11:59 p.m.: Team members should submit medical and religious exemption requests for review by this date.

Tuesday, November 17 at 10 a.m.: Deadline for flu vaccination policy compliance

If you get your flu vaccine from a primary care provider — including a Duke Health provider — a retail pharmacy, or another location, you must submit documentation of your vaccination to the Outside Documentation Portal for review.

Learn more about flu vaccination sites, exemptions, and policies on Duke Health Now.

 

Upcoming Events & Other Opportunities

• October is Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Month and Disability Employment Awareness Month
• Hispanic Heritage Month runs through October 15.
• Flu vaccination for employees: Now – Nov. 17.
• Dept. of Medicine Research Day: Oct. 23.

Cardiology Grand Rounds

Oct. 13: V-Intervention and LEADER PAD with Dennis Narcisse, MD, and Jennifer Rymer, MD. 5 p.m., DN 2002 and via Zoom.

Oct. 20: New Insights in Pathophysiology and Treatment of Pulmonary Vascular Disease in HFpEF with Barry Borlaug, MD. 5 p.m., DN 2002 and via Zoom.

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

Oct. 15: AOV Disorders with Jon Owensby. Noon-1 p.m. via Zoom.

Oct. 22: TBD with Fawaz Alenezi. Noon-1 p.m. via Zoom.

Oct. 29: Peri-Device Leak Post-Watchman Device LAAC: Echo vs. Cardiac CT with Anita Sadeghpour. 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.

• 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!

 

NC Biotechnology Center Grants Information Session, Oct. 15

Faculty and research teams interested in funding opportunities through the North Carolina Biotechnology Center are invited to a grant information session on Thursday, Oct. 15, from noon–1 p.m. in the Bolton Family Tower Room at the Brodhead Center. Lunch will be provided.

Tracey du Laney, PhD, senior vice president for science and technology development at the North Carolina Biotechnology Center and a Duke alumna, will provide an overview of funding opportunities available through the center, including its Flash Grant, Translational Research Grant, and Innovation Impact Grant programs.

To RSVP, contact Kylie Snyder, assistant director, at kylie.snyder@duke.edu.

DIHI 2027 RFA – Deadline Oct. 17

The Duke Institute for Health Innovation (DIHI) has opened its 2027 Request for Applications (RFA), seeking practical, scalable solutions to high-priority challenges across Duke’s clinical enterprise.

The 2027 RFA seeks proposals in three focus areas: AI-powered solutions for a virtual care platform; automation and workflow redesign; and sustainable, patient-facing AI solutions. The opportunity is open to faculty, staff, students and trainees across Duke University and Duke University Health System.

Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 17. Finalists are expected to present to leadership in February 2027, with funding beginning in May.

Learn more, download the information packet, and apply

 

Duke-Exeter Collaboration Grants Open for Applications

Duke faculty are invited to apply for the next round of Duke-Exeter Collaboration Grants, a joint funding opportunity from Duke University and the University of Exeter designed to support faculty-led international research partnerships.

The grants provide early-stage funding to help promising collaborations launch or grow, with an emphasis on innovative research with the potential for meaningful global impact. Proposals that engage additional institutional partners, foster international research networks, and strengthen collaborations with organizations and scholars in the Global South are particularly encouraged.

Two funding tracks are available:

• Initiator Grants: up to $7,500 to support new collaborations and exploratory activities.
• Accelerator Grants: up to $15,000 to advance established partnerships toward larger research initiatives and external funding.

Applications are due Oct. 30, 2026. Applicants will be notified of funding decisions by Nov. 30.

Full application guidelines, eligibility information, and application forms are available through Duke Global.

For questions, contact Katherine Black Conte, senior program coordinator for international partnerships with Duke Global, at kb206@duke.edu.

 

Duke Football to Celebrate Healthcare Professionals Oct. 17

Duke Football will celebrate healthcare professionals during its Healthcare Appreciation Game 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. Duke is currently 4-0 and this is a big home game: Duke vs University of North Carolina!

Limited tickets are still available. We’d love to see a strong Duke Heart & Vascular presence at Wallace Wade!

 

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.

Chief’s message:  Visiting Professor, Dean Announcement, and Heart Walk

Another busy week for the Duke Health system and Duke Heart.  We had the week start with a visiting professor from Canada – Jeff Healey – as the Greenfield visiting cardiology professor.  It was a great visit with a conversation about where health care is going, the science of Atrial Fibrillation management, and the collaboration and trials that we have conducted at DCRI with the partnership with PHRI and Jeff and team.  

We also had an announcement you will see below from Dean Klotman on her stepping down after 10 years of service and leadership to the organization as Dean of the School of Medicine.

Finally you will see other important updates across the Duke Heart and Vascular groups including the Heart Walk on Saturday, Duke Imaging Symposium, and continued quality work in the health system for our patients.  Please find those stories and more below…

Highlights of the week:

Thank You, Heart Walk Participants!

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the American Heart Association’s 2026 Triangle Heart Walk on Saturday, Oct. 3! We had a great turnout from Duke Health and appreciate everyone who came out to support the AHA’s mission.

A special shout-out to Julie Yamadi, a long-time supporter of Duke Raleigh Hospital’s AHA fundraising efforts, for her work on fundraising baskets and other activities supporting the event. We also recognize Kimberly Hinton, CVIS, for championing and leading the Duke Raleigh team’s fundraising activities.

In the coming weeks, we will announce our final fundraising tally for Duke Health. It is not too late to raise additional support — donations will be collected through the end of October.

Thank you, Julie and Kimberly, and all our walkers, team captains, and supporters from across the University and the Health System, for your time, energy, and commitment! Way to go!!!  We have to get ready for Next Year as our own Greg Pauly will be the Chair of the Triangle Heart Walk!

 

Duke Imaging Symposium Brings Clinicians Together Around Real-World Cases

The Duke Heart community gathered on Saturday, Sept. 26, for the Duke Case-Based Multimodality Imaging Symposium, a full day of collaborative learning focused on how cardiovascular imaging informs diagnosis, clinical decision-making, and patient care.

Led by course directors Sreekanth Vemulapalli, MD, and Anita Kelsey, MD, with planning committee members Ashlee Davis, Alicia Armour, and Richie Palma, the program brought together physicians, sonographers, fellows, advanced practice providers, and trainees. Sessions explored valvular heart disease, complex imaging cases, cardiomyopathies, point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS), guidelines, and imaging stewardship through interactive case presentations and panel discussions featuring faculty from across Duke Heart.

A highlight was the opportunity to move beyond the traditional lecture format. Duke physicians and cardiac sonographers worked side by side as presenters, moderators, discussants, and hands-on instructors. Attendees also rotated through imaging stations during small-group breakout sessions for practical learning.

Faculty and presenters shared expertise in echocardiography, structural heart imaging, CT, MRI, POCUS, and heart failure, creating a multidisciplinary learning environment grounded in real-world cases.

Thank you to our course directors, planning committee, faculty, presenters, hands-on instructors, and everyone who attended for an engaging day of learning and collaboration! Solid work!

 

CTS APPs Present at Duke Transplant APP Symposium

Cardiothoracic surgery advanced practice providers Catherine McKnight and Courtney Welch delivered outstanding presentations at the Duke Transplant APP Symposium on Saturday, Sept. 26, at the Duke School of Nursing, sharing their knowledge and expertise with colleagues.

The symposium offered opportunities to connect with fellow professionals, exchange insights, learn about new developments, and bring fresh ideas back to the team.

Congratulations, Catherine and Courtney, and thank you for representing our team and showcasing our work!

If you are interested in presenting at next year’s symposium, please contact Jade Clausen.

 

Heart & Vascular Shares Pressure Injury Prevention Work at Duke Hospital Town Hall

Mary Lindsay, DNP, associate chief nursing officer for Heart, Vascular, and Respiratory Care Services, and Laura Dickerson, MSN, clinical operations director for Heart Services at Duke University Hospital, presented the Heart & Vascular Service Line’s A3 quality improvement work to reduce hospital-acquired pressure injuries (HAPI) at the Duke University Hospital Town Hall on Wednesday, Sept. 30.

The presentation highlighted a multidisciplinary approach to strengthening prevention and patient safety. The team identified accurate, timely skin assessments as a critical first step. Incomplete or inaccurate assessments can lead to missed opportunities to reposition patients, apply protective padding, rotate devices away from pressure points, and escalate care when patients decline preventive measures.

Targeted interventions included daily sacral imaging for patients in the cardiothoracic and cardiac intensive care units (CTICU and CICU), admission skin assessments completed by two nurses, and revised nursing documentation to capture pressure injury prevention measures for respiratory devices. The team also placed prevention supplies at the point of device use to support immediate application.

Work continues to align nursing and respiratory care skin assessment policies, reduce confusion, and promote consistent practices. Together, these efforts support earlier identification of risk, stronger interdisciplinary collaboration, and safer care across the service line.

Thanks for presenting our latest work, Mary and Laura!

 

Klotman to Step Down as Dean, Executive VP for Health Affairs in June 2027

Mary Klotman, MD, will step down as dean of the Duke University School of Medicine, executive vice president for health affairs at Duke University, and chief academic officer for Duke Health in June 2027, completing 10 years as dean.

During her tenure, Klotman has strengthened connections among scientific discovery, education, clinical care, and community service. She has supported investments in biomedical research, interdisciplinary collaboration, data science, and artificial intelligence, while guiding the school through the COVID-19 pandemic. The School of Medicine also secured more than $1 billion in philanthropic support during her leadership.

In a personal message to the Duke Health community, Klotman expressed gratitude for her time at Duke and emphasized her continued commitment to advancing shared priorities in the months ahead. Her message includes a video reflecting on the decision and the transition.

Details of the search for her successor will be announced in the coming weeks.

Read the full announcement on Duke Today and view Klotman’s personal message.

 

Sprinkel Joins DUHS as Durham Market Chief Financial Officer

George Sprinkel joined Duke University Health System on Monday, Sept. 28, as vice president and chief financial officer for the Durham market.

His appointment is part of DUHS’s new market-based finance model for acute care, bringing financial leadership closer to patients, teams, and communities. For the first time, Duke University Hospital and Duke Regional Hospital will share one market finance leader. Sprinkel will serve on both hospitals’ leadership teams and the system finance leadership team.

Sprinkel brings more than 25 years of hospital CFO experience, most recently as senior vice president and chief financial officer for the University of Maryland Medical Center. There, he led financial and operational initiatives supporting performance and strategic growth, including financial planning for the world’s first heart xenotransplant. He previously served as CFO at The George Washington University Hospital and New Hanover Health Network and holds an MBA from the University of North Carolina Wilmington.

DUHS leaders also thanked Paul Cruess, who served as interim CFO for Duke University Hospital, and Shannon Baker, director of finance at Duke Regional Hospital, for maintaining strong financial operations throughout the transition.

Welcome to Duke, George!

 

Flu Vax Campaign Starts Thursday

Flu vaccination season will take place from Thursday, October 8 – November 17; all staff must have completed the annual vaccination or have an approved exemption by 10 a.m. on Nov. 17. Duke University Health System requires all healthcare workers to comply with our Healthcare Worker Flu Vaccination policy by receiving an annual vaccination or an approved medical or religious exemption. Review the policy and related information here.

 

2027 Duke Benefits Open Enrollment Opens Next Week

All Duke employees who are eligible for benefits will have the opportunity to enroll or make changes in their medical, dental, vision and reimbursement account benefits during the annual open enrollment period (October 12 – October 30, 2026). Changes made during the annual open enrollment period will take effect January 1, 2027.

 

Department of Medicine Research Day Set for Oct. 23

The Duke Department of Medicine will hold its 2026 Research Day on Friday, Oct. 23, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Trent Semans Center Great Hall. Faculty, trainees, students, and staff are invited to attend a day of oral presentations, poster sessions, lightning talks, and awards highlighting research across the department.

Keynote speaker Lynn M. Schnapp, MD, ATSF, is professor and chair of the Department of Medicine at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. An NIH-funded investigator with expertise in lung injury and repair, Schnapp is a former president of the American Thoracic Society.

Please register by Oct. 16. For additional details, including abstract submission information, visit the Research Day event page.

 

DUHS Reminder: Political Activity, Engagement with Government Officials, Lobbying, and Voting

As we approach election season this fall, Duke Health Government Relations reminds the Duke community to review Duke’s policies on Political Activity, Engagement with Government Officials, Lobbying, and Voting.

As a nonprofit, tax-exempt entity, Duke must abide by federal and state laws regarding political activities, including restrictions on the use of Duke facilities, funds, services, personnel, or other resources to support or oppose individuals or organizations campaigning for public office. The policies guide permissible political activity on campus, visits by government officials and lobbying, and apply specifically to Duke faculty, staff, and contractors.

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Early voting begins Thursday, Oct. 15, and runs through Saturday, Oct. 31. The Karsh Alumni and Visitors Center on Duke’s campus will serve as an early-voting location in Durham County.

Additional information and voting resources are available through Duke Votes.

Questions about specific situations may be directed to Duke University Government Relations, Duke Health Government Relations, or Duke State Relations.

 

Upcoming Events & Other Opportunities

• October is Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Month and Disability Employment Awareness Month
• Hispanic Heritage Month runs through October 15.
• Flu vaccination for employees: Oct. 8 – Nov. 17.
• Duke Dept. of Medicine Research Day: Oct. 23.

 

Cardiology Grand Rounds

Oct. 6: The Role of Ischemia in SCD: Implications for the Role of Coronary Revascularization and the ICD with Bernard Gersh, MD. 5 p.m., DN 2002 and via Zoom.

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

Oct. 8: RV with Willard Applefeld. Noon-1 p.m. via Zoom.

Oct. 15: AOV Disorders with Jon Owensby. Noon-1 p.m. via Zoom.

Oct. 22: TBD with Fawaz Alenezi. Noon-1 p.m. via Zoom.

Oct. 29: Peri-Device Leak Post-Watchman Device LAAC: Echo vs. Cardiac CT with Anita Sadeghpour. Noon-1 p.m. via Zoom.

 

DCRI Research Forum

The October DCRI Research Forum will feature Kenneth Stein, MD, senior vice president and global chief medical officer at Boston Scientific, for a fireside chat co-hosted by DCRI Executive Director Adrian Hernandez, MD, MHS, and faculty member Jonathan Piccini, MD, MHS. 

What: DCRI Research Forum: A Fireside Chat with Kenneth Stein, MD

When: Tuesday, Oct. 6, noon to 1 p.m. ET

Who: Featuring Dr. Kenneth Stein, Senior Vice President and Global Chief Medical Officer, Boston Scientific

Where: Held remotely via Zoom

Zoom link: https://duke.zoom.us/j/92693016776?pwd=8VTVfo4MUfG1ai4Ngcs7aMA6RojmaX.1

Webinar ID: 926 9301 6776

Passcode: 379186

 

Upcoming Symposia

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

• 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!

 

NC Biotechnology Center Grants Information Session, Oct. 15

Faculty and research teams interested in funding opportunities through the North Carolina Biotechnology Center are invited to a grant information session on Thursday, Oct. 15, from noon–1 p.m. in the Bolton Family Tower Room at the Brodhead Center. Lunch will be provided.

Tracey du Laney, PhD, senior vice president for science and technology development at the North Carolina Biotechnology Center and a Duke alumna, will provide an overview of funding opportunities available through the center, including its Flash Grant, Translational Research Grant, and Innovation Impact Grant programs.

To RSVP, contact Kylie Snyder, assistant director, at kylie.snyder@duke.edu.

 

DIHI 2027 RFA – Deadline Oct. 17

The Duke Institute for Health Innovation (DIHI) has opened its 2027 Request for Applications (RFA), seeking practical, scalable solutions to high-priority challenges across Duke’s clinical enterprise.

The 2027 RFA seeks proposals in three focus areas: AI-powered solutions for a virtual care platform; automation and workflow redesign; and sustainable, patient-facing AI solutions. The opportunity is open to faculty, staff, students, and trainees across Duke University and Duke University Health System.

Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 17. Finalists are expected to present to leadership in February 2027, with funding beginning in May.

Learn more, download the information packet, and apply

 

Duke-Exeter Collaboration Grants Open for Applications

Duke faculty are invited to apply for the next round of Duke-Exeter Collaboration Grants, a joint funding opportunity from Duke University and the University of Exeter designed to support faculty-led international research partnerships.

The grants provide early-stage funding to help promising collaborations launch or grow, with an emphasis on innovative research with the potential for meaningful global impact. Proposals that engage additional institutional partners, foster international research networks, and strengthen collaborations with organizations and scholars in the Global South are particularly encouraged.

Two funding tracks are available:

• Initiator Grants: up to $7,500 to support new collaborations and exploratory activities.
• Accelerator Grants: up to $15,000 to advance established partnerships toward larger research initiatives and external funding.

Applications are due Oct. 30, 2026. Applicants will be notified of funding decisions by Nov. 30.

Full application guidelines, eligibility information, and application forms are available through Duke Global.

For questions, contact Katherine Black Conte, senior program coordinator for international partnerships with Duke Global, at kb206@duke.edu.

 

Duke Football to Celebrate Healthcare Professionals Oct. 17

Duke Football will celebrate healthcare professionals during its Healthcare Appreciation Game 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. Duke is currently 4-0, and this is a big home game: Duke vs. the University of North Carolina!

Limited tickets are still available. We’d love to see a strong Duke Heart & Vascular presence at Wallace Wade!

 

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.

Highlights of the week:

Triangle Heart Walk is Saturday!

Dear Duke Heart Colleagues,

As you may know, I am currently serving as Volunteer President of the American Heart Association, and I am extending an invitation to join me in supporting Duke Health’s Triangle Heart Walk campaign.

Duke Health has set a goal of raising $170,000 to fund lifesaving research, scientific innovation, and community health programs. Whether or not you can join us at the walk on October 3rd, you can make a meaningful impact by:

• Joining my team – Duke Heart (see fun videos here and here) and support our fundraising goal: Join My Team
• Creating your own team: Create Your Own Team here
• Join another Duke team

The American Heart Association is the largest non-federal funder of cardiovascular research in the country, supporting the kind of discovery that Duke scientists and clinicians contribute to. 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.  Currently AHA supports 38 grants at Duke for research from basic to clinical science.

I hope you will join me.

Thanks for considering,

Manesh

For those who registered by the T-shirt deadline, shirts are being distributed via team captains this week! Please join us on Saturday, Oct. 3, at Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek as we walk together in support of healthier hearts and healthier communities. 

From Japan to Duke: Building Connections in Heart Failure Research

When Satoshi Shoji, MD, PhD, came to Duke from Japan in 2023, he already knew how to use clinical research to identify gaps in cardiovascular care. What he wanted to learn was how to take the next step: developing and testing interventions that could actually close those gaps and improve patient care.

Three years later, Shoji is preparing to take what he has learned at Duke into the next stage of his research career.

Now another cardiologist and researcher from Japan, Sho Suzuki, MD, PhD, has arrived at Duke with goals of his own — deepening his experience in heart failure research, learning from Duke investigators, and building relationships that could lead to future international collaborations.

The two physicians are at different points in their Duke experience, but they share interests in heart failure research and a common mentor in Marat Fudim, MD, MHS.

From Identifying Gaps to Testing Solutions

Before coming to Duke, Shoji was a cardiologist at Keio University, where his research used large clinical registries to identify gaps between evidence-based recommendations and everyday clinical practice. He also established and led a multidisciplinary heart failure palliative care team.

Caring for older patients with advanced heart failure helped shape the research questions he would eventually bring to Duke.

“I realized that simply identifying these gaps was not enough to change clinical practice,” Shoji said. “I wanted to learn how to develop and evaluate interventions that could actually improve patient care.”

Shoji found an approach that interested him in CONNECT-HF, a pragmatic clinical trial led by Adam DeVore, MD, MHS. He came to Duke in 2023 to develop expertise in pragmatic trials and implementation science, with DeVore serving as his primary mentor.

At Duke, Shoji has studied the implementation of guideline-directed medical therapy and other challenges in delivering evidence-based heart failure care. His work with Duke investigators has also expanded his experience in heart failure clinical trials and patient-centered research.

Underlying much of that work is a question that grew out of his clinical experience in Japan:

“How can we make patients’ voices an integral part of everyday clinical care?”

Shoji is particularly interested in developing digital interventions that help patients communicate what matters most to them, enabling clinicians to provide evidence-based care that also reflects each patient’s individual values and goals.

More recently, he joined Fudim’s team to gain hands-on experience in clinical trial operations, including protocol development and patient enrollment — an important step toward designing and leading prospective clinical trials of his own.

“My experience at Duke has helped me grow from a researcher primarily focused on identifying problems in cardiovascular care into someone who wants to develop and test practical solutions,” Shoji said.

His long-term goal is to become an independent investigator in patient-centered implementation science, developing strategies that integrate patients’ symptoms, priorities, and preferences into routine heart failure care.

A New Duke Chapter

Suzuki comes to Duke after a decade of clinical practice as a cardiologist in Japan. Born and raised in Tokyo, he earned his medical degree from Shinshu University School of Medicine and completed a fellowship at Japan’s National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center before earning his PhD at Shinshu University.

His clinical and research work has centered on heart failure, with particular expertise in hemodynamics, cardiogenic shock, and advanced heart failure.

Like Shoji before him, Suzuki saw Duke as a place where he could expand his clinical research skills while learning directly from cardiovascular investigators.

“I was especially drawn to Duke’s strong track record in cardiovascular research, its outstanding clinical research environment, and the opportunity to learn directly from leaders in the field,” Suzuki said. “I also saw Duke as a place where I could build relationships that may lead to future international collaborations.”

At Duke, Suzuki is working under Fudim’s mentorship on clinical research involving heart failure hemodynamics and nonpharmacological therapies. He also spends time in outpatient clinics and cardiac catheterization labs and occasionally joins rounds, giving him a chance to see how Duke approaches heart failure care and research.

During his time here, Suzuki hopes to deepen his clinical and research experience while building professional relationships with researchers from around the world. Ultimately, he hopes to take those skills and an expanded international perspective back to colleagues in Japan and create opportunities for future collaboration.

He is also adjusting to a few less scientific aspects of life in the United States.

“I have been surprised by how cold it can be indoors compared with Japan,” Suzuki said. “I am quickly learning that carrying a jacket in the middle of summer is an essential American survival skill.”

Outside of medicine, Suzuki has always enjoyed sports and played baseball throughout his school years. These days, however, his 16-month-old son keeps him busy. On his days off, he hopes to explore new places with his family and make the most of their time together in the United States.

Shoji’s Duke experience has become an important chapter for his family, too. He and his wife welcomed their third child — and first daughter — while living in Durham. Their two older boys, ages 6 and 4, have enjoyed everything from swimming and soccer to experiencing American traditions such as Halloween and Christmas.

One particularly memorable adventure was a week-long family road trip to Yellowstone National Park — in a rented RV. Driving such a large vehicle was a new experience for Shoji, but once he got used to piloting the RV, he found he enjoyed it.

“The kids loved the adventure, and it became an unforgettable family trip,” he said.

As Shoji looks toward the next stage of his research career, he hopes the relationships he has developed at Duke will continue well beyond his time in Durham.

“I hope to share what I have learned with my colleagues in Japan and continue building international collaborations to advance patient-centered cardiovascular research across different healthcare settings,” he said.

Satoshi and Sho, we are so glad to have you here with us!

 

Chang Visits CVRC, Shares Novel Approach to Studying Cardiovascular Disease

The Duke Cardiovascular Research Center (CVRC) welcomed Stephen Chang, MD, PhD, of Stanford University School of Medicine for a two-day visit Sept. 23-24 to share his research using mouse lemurs — the smallest non-human primates — as a model for studying cardiovascular disease.

Chang is an instructor in biochemistry and medicine (cardiovascular medicine) and an attending cardiologist at Stanford. His research is exploring the potential of mouse lemurs as a genetic model for aspects of human cardiovascular biology and disease that are not well represented by traditional laboratory mice.

During his visit, Chang presented “A Primate Genetic Model Organism for Cardiovascular Disease” as part of the Victor J. Dzau Cardiovascular Research Seminar series and also spoke at Cardiology Grand Rounds.

His recent work has included research into cardiac arrhythmias and the role of the magnesium transporter SLC41A2 in pacemaker function.

Chang was hosted by Howard Rockman, MD, director of the Duke Cardiovascular Research Center.

Thank you to Dr. Chang for visiting Duke and sharing his fascinating work with our cardiovascular research community!

 

Cardiac Ultrasound Program Celebrates Graduates, Welcomes New Class

Congratulations to the ten members of the Duke Cardiac Ultrasound Certificate Program Class of 2026, who celebrated their graduation on Aug. 20 at the Mary Duke Biddle Trent Semans Center for Health Education.

The class capped off a successful year with a 100 percent pass rate on national examinations and 100 percent job placement.

Seven of the ten graduates are staying within Duke Health, including five at Duke University Hospital, one at Duke Regional Hospital and one at Duke Raleigh Hospital. Other graduates have accepted positions at UNC Hospitals, Atrium Health in Charlotte and Stanford University in California, where one graduate will work in the pediatric echo lab.

Laura Miller, BS, RCS, received the Joseph Kisslo, MD Outstanding Student Award.

As the Class of 2026 moves into the next stage of their careers, the Cardiac Ultrasound Certificate Program has already welcomed its next group of students. Ten new students began the program on Aug. 3:

Janelle Bryant, Tiffany Christensen, Tram Enyeart, Jacob Finkbonner, Taiana Round, Leah Themistokleous, Brianna Weidler, Hayle Whaley, Molly Wilson, and Larissa Zhang.

Congratulations to our graduates on their outstanding accomplishments, and a warm welcome to our newest cardiac ultrasound students. We look forward to following their progress in the year ahead!

 

Wu Earns AHA Travel Stipend, Pratt Gardner Fellowship

Congratulations to David Wu, a first-year PhD student in biomedical engineering in the laboratory of Ching Zhu, MD, PhD, who has received two honors just three months after joining Zhu’s lab.

Wu has been selected to receive a 2026 American Heart Association Council on Basic Cardiovascular Sciences (BCVS) Travel Stipend to attend AHA Scientific Sessions in Chicago this November. He will present the abstract “Disinhibition of Post-Infarct Nerve Sprouting Promotes Ventricular Arrhythmia” and will be recognized as a travel stipend recipient during the BCVS Council Dinner on Nov. 7.

Wu is also a recipient of this semester’s Pratt Gardner Fellowship, a $10,000 merit-based award from Duke’s Pratt School of Engineering.

A recent Cornell University graduate, Wu joined Zhu’s laboratory this summer. Zhu’s entire lab will attend Scientific Sessions this year and will be there to cheer him on.

Congratulations, David!

 

Humphrey Featured Among Duke’s ‘Workplace Rays of Sunshine’

Congratulations to Adair Humphrey, cardiovascular intervention specialist with Duke Heart’s cardiac invasive labs! She was recently featured by Duke Today and Working@Duke as one of several Duke colleagues who make the workday brighter through kindness, encouragement, and positivity.

Humphrey was nominated by Chad Ragains, CRNA manager, who has worked alongside her for more than two decades. “Whether you’re her co-worker or patient, your day will be better because of Adair,” Ragains said.

For Humphrey, kindness is intentional. “I enjoy making a conscious decision to be kind,” she said. “It is not optional.”

Her Duke Heart colleagues were equally enthusiastic about the recognition.

“She is truly a VIP on our team!” said Jonathan Piccini, MD, MHS, director of cardiac electrophysiology. Jane Schutz, nurse practitioner with electrophysiology, agreed: “Adair is amazing, helpful, considerate and a strong patient advocate.”

Read more about Adair and the other Duke colleagues recognized for bringing encouragement and positivity to the workplace in Duke Today.

Congratulations, Adair! We’re delighted to see you recognized for the difference you make for your colleagues and patients each day.

 

Culture Pulse Survey Extended; Will Close Oct. 3

The new Culture Pulse 2026 survey is still going strong and has been extended until Oct. 3 to give teams a little more time to take it. Please take a few minutes to complete the survey! To access, you can use the link you were sent via email or you can capture the QR code and take the survey right on your cell phone. You will need to use your Duke unique ID to launch the survey. You can find that on the back of your work badge.

Within our service line, we saw some solid efforts last week – the EP and Cath Lab teams really surged, with EP swiftly overtaking the Center of Excellence team. Congrats to Pulmonary Function now in the top spot with 100% of their team taking the survey as of Friday afternoon. Will any other Heart & Vascular team reach the top by next weekend?? Let’s go APPs, DMP 7E and 7W, Cardiac Rehab!!! Get those surveys done!

 

Duke-Exeter Collaboration Grants Open for Applications

Duke faculty are invited to apply for the next round of Duke-Exeter Collaboration Grants, a joint funding opportunity from Duke University and the University of Exeter designed to support faculty-led international research partnerships.

The grants provide early-stage funding to help promising collaborations launch or grow, with an emphasis on innovative research with the potential for meaningful global impact. Proposals that engage additional institutional partners, foster international research networks, and strengthen collaborations with organizations and scholars in the Global South are particularly encouraged.

Two funding tracks are available:

• Initiator Grants: up to $7,500 to support new collaborations and exploratory activities.
• Accelerator Grants: up to $15,000 to advance established partnerships toward larger research initiatives and external funding.

Applications are due Oct. 30, 2026. Applicants will be notified of funding decisions by Nov. 30.

Full application guidelines, eligibility information, and application forms are available through Duke Global.

For questions, contact Katherine Black Conte, senior program coordinator for international partnerships with Duke Global, at kb206@duke.edu.

 

Upcoming Flu Vax Campaign

Flu vaccination season will take place from Thursday, Oct. 8 – Nov. 17 and must be completed by 10 a.m. on Nov. 17. Duke University Health System requires all healthcare workers to comply with our Healthcare Worker Flu Vaccination policy by receiving an annual vaccination or an approved medical or religious exemption. Review the policy and related information here.

 

DUHS Reminder: Political Activity, Engagement with Government Officials, Lobbying, and Voting

As we approach election season this fall, Duke Health Government Relations reminds the Duke community to review Duke’s policies on Political Activity, Engagement with Government Officials, Lobbying, and Voting.

As a nonprofit, tax-exempt entity, Duke must abide by federal and state laws regarding political activities, including restrictions on the use of Duke facilities, funds, services, personnel, or other resources to support or oppose individuals or organizations campaigning for public office. The policies provide guidance regarding permissible political activity on campus, visits by government officials and lobbying, and apply specifically to Duke faculty, staff, and contractors.

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Early voting begins Thursday, Oct. 15, and runs through Saturday, Oct. 31. The Karsh Alumni and Visitors Center on Duke’s campus will serve as an early-voting location in Durham County.

Additional information and voting resources are available through Duke Votes.

Questions about specific situations may be directed to Duke University Government Relations, Duke Health Government Relations or Duke State Relations.

 

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 Sept. 14- Oct. 3.
• Hispanic Heritage Month runs from Sept. 15 – Oct. 15.
• Flu vaccination for employees: Oct. 8-Nov.17 (deadline Nov. 17 is 10 a.m.)
• Department of Medicine Annual Research Day: Oct. 23.

 

Cardiology Grand Rounds

Sept. 29: Present and Future of Stroke Prevention Therapy in Atrial Fibrillation with Jeff Healy, MD. 5 p.m. DN 2002 and via Zoom.

Oct. 6: The Role of Ischemia in SCD: Implications for the Role of Coronary Revascularization and the ICD with Bernard Gersh, MD. 5 p.m. DN 2002 and via Zoom .

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

Oct. 1: Quality in Echo Lab with Ashlee Davis. Noon-1 p.m. via Zoom.

Oct. 8: RV with Willard Applefeld. Noon-1 p.m. via Zoom.

Oct. 15: AOV Disorders with Jon Owensby. Noon-1 p.m. via Zoom.

Oct. 22: TBD with Fawaz Alenezi. Noon-1 p.m. via Zoom.

Oct. 29: Peri-Device Leak Post-Watchman Device LAAC: Echo vs. Cardiac CT with Anita Sadeghpour. Noon-1 p.m. via Zoom.

 

DCRI Research Forum

The October DCRI Research Forum will feature Kenneth Stein, MD, senior vice president and global chief medical officer at Boston Scientific, for a fireside chat co-hosted by DCRI Executive Director Adrian Hernandez, MD, MHS, and DCRI cardiology faculty member Jonathan Piccini, MD, MHS. 

What: DCRI Research Forum: A Fireside Chat with Kenneth Stein, MD

When: Tuesday, Oct. 6, noon to 1 p.m. ET

Who: Featuring Dr. Kenneth Stein, Senior Vice President and Global Chief Medical Officer, Boston Scientific

Where: Held remotely via Zoom

Zoom link: https://duke.zoom.us/j/92693016776?pwd=8VTVfo4MUfG1ai4Ngcs7aMA6RojmaX.1

Webinar ID: 926 9301 6776

Passcode: 379186

 

Upcoming Symposia

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

• 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!

 

‘Disagree Better’ Forum, Sept. 29

Duke will host “Disagree Better,” a university forum focused on healthy conflict and constructive dialogue across political differences, on Tuesday, Sept. 29, at 5:45 p.m. in Page Auditorium.

The discussion will bring together New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, and Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon, a Republican, for a conversation about strengthening American democracy through civil discourse. Judy Woodruff, journalist and Duke alumna, will moderate the discussion, and North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein will deliver a video message.

The event is sponsored by the Provost’s Initiative on Pluralism, Free Inquiry, and Belonging and is open to members of the Duke, Durham, and Triangle communities.

Learn more and register for tickets.

 

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.

 

 

 

 

NC Biotechnology Center Grants Information Session, Oct. 15

Faculty and research teams interested in funding opportunities through the North Carolina Biotechnology Center are invited to a grant information session on Thursday, Oct. 15, from noon–1 p.m. in the Bolton Family Tower Room at the Brodhead Center. Lunch will be provided.

Tracey du Laney, PhD, senior vice president for science and technology development at the North Carolina Biotechnology Center and a Duke alumna, will provide an overview of funding opportunities available through the center, including its Flash Grant, Translational Research Grant, and Innovation Impact Grant programs.

To RSVP, contact Kylie Snyder, assistant director, at kylie.snyder@duke.edu.

 

DIHI 2027 RFA – Deadline Oct. 17

The Duke Institute for Health Innovation (DIHI) has opened its 2027 Request for Applications (RFA), seeking practical, scalable solutions to high-priority challenges across Duke’s clinical enterprise.

The 2027 RFA seeks proposals in three focus areas: AI-powered solutions for a virtual care platform; automation and workflow redesign; and sustainable, patient-facing AI solutions. The opportunity is open to faculty, staff, students and trainees across Duke University and Duke University Health System.

Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 17. Finalists are expected to present to leadership in February 2027, with funding beginning in May.

Learn more, download the information packet and apply

 

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.

We’d love to see a strong Duke Heart & Vascular presence at Wallace Wade!

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.

Chief’s message: Visiting Reeves Lecture, Rally for Medical Research, Heart Walk,  Duke Heart AI work noted in NY Times

Hope you are all having a restful weekend with family and likely sports – watching, playing, or taking kids to games.  This was another busy week with Duke Heart with announcements around new faculty (Aarti Thakkar, MD), new awards on teamwork and collaboration, and multiple shout outs for recognition of care.  We were also lucky to have Dr. Jeff Balser, CEO of Vanderbilt Health and Dean of the School of Medicine as the Visiting Jerry Reves Lecturer, and cardiology grand rounds this week.  He provided the story of how Vanderbilt became a global leader in health information technology and precision medicine, with research funding approaching $1 billion annually and NIH rankings rising from 28th to 7th by 2025. Dr. Balser helped establish key precision medicine initiatives, including BioVU, the nation’s largest single-site whole-genome sequenced DNA repository linked to deidentified health records. He serves on the boards of Vanderbilt Health and CVS Health.

He provided an amazing overview of the evolution of academic medicine, the work Vanderbilt has done to truly put in data science, precision medicine, and AI in to broad growth and clinical care strategies. He also shared how in 2016, he led Vanderbilt Health’s $1.2 billion debt issuance, enabling the purchase of Vanderbilt University’s health-related assets and creating an independent not-for-profit health system. Vanderbilt Health now integrates the clinical, research, and educational activities of more than 5,000 clinicians and scientists and 43,000 staff. 

Additionally this week, I was lucky to be able to participate as the Volunteer President of the American Heart Assocation in the Rally for Medical Research.  This is a lobby day where multiple medical associations, American Cancer Research Society, the American Heart Association, and multiple other groups spend the day on capital hill with patients, scientists, and advocates to ensure both the NIH spending on medical research and the importance of independent peer review of grants.  I was able to introduce Senator Dick Durbin from Illinois, also the NIH director was present, providing remarks – Dr. Jay Bhattacharya.  There was also an important video message from Senator Ben Sasse on value of cancer research and some recent breakthroughs with Pancreatic Cancer.  Finally, Reed Jobs, son of Steve Jobs also presented on public-private partnerships and the importance of NIH research to improve health. Some Pictures from the important event are shown below.  

AHA Heart Walk is 2 weeks away (Saturday October 3rd)  – please join teams, support Duke Health and come out and walk for a good cause.  I will be sending out my team if anyone wants to join – and as fun the DCRI and Duke Heart will be releasing a video from me each week to get people excited over the next two weeks.

Finally, Duke was highlighted in the NY times this week highlighted work we are doing with others around testing medical AI for heart failure patients.  This was part of the ongoing story on regulation and proof in AI.  The key for our teams is that the philanthropic support from the Duke Heart board provided to the heart center helped build a testing lab and partnerships that now are leading to large grants and national presence in this importance space.  Thanks to all that have and continue to support our work to ensure we can improve health with all available tools.

 

Highlights of the week:

Thakkar Joins Duke Cardiology Faculty

At her very first medical school interview, Aarti Thakkar, MD, said there was one specialty she knew she didn’t want to pursue: cardiology.

“And here we are, 16 years later!” she says.

Tomorrow, Sept. 21, Thakkar will officially join the Duke Division of Cardiology, transitioning from cardiology fellow to a faculty member in our Cardiometabolic Prevention Section.

Despite her early determination to avoid cardiology, the field was part of Thakkar’s life from an early age. She remembers her father, Duke cardiologist Maitreya Thakkar, MD, drawing heart diagrams on napkins at the dinner table when she was growing up. Ultimately, though, it was her own experiences — including time in the cardiac intensive care unit as a medical student and work on a public health project in Kenya with Gerald Bloomfield, MD — that began drawing her toward the field.

During her internal medicine residency at Johns Hopkins, that interest solidified.

“I spent more and more time around cardiology and realized just how much I loved the physiology and how beautifully everything fits together,” Thakkar said. “I also realized that cardiology gave me a way to bring together a lot of the things I care about, from the clinical pathophysiology to prevention and implementation.”

Thakkar will bring together interests in cardiovascular prevention, imaging, and structural heart disease in her clinical practice. She is particularly interested in identifying cardiovascular risk earlier and using imaging and other tools to personalize prevention and care.

Her academic work has spanned cardiovascular prevention, women’s cardiovascular health, cardio-obstetrics and cardiometabolic health, with research examining questions ranging from cardiovascular risk following adverse pregnancy outcomes to disparities in lipid management and cardiometabolic risk.

As a faculty member, she hopes to build on that work through implementation projects within the Cardiometabolic Prevention Section and by helping bring evidence-based medications and clinical trials into practice.

“I’m especially interested in the space between what we know works and how we can make sure our patients actually have access to it,” she said.

That focus was recognized in 2025 when Thakkar received a NewAmsterdam Pharma Young Researcher Award for work addressing disparities in lipid management through health-system interventions, including remote monitoring.

Joining the faculty is the latest chapter in a Duke connection that stretches back to Thakkar’s undergraduate years. She earned both her undergraduate and medical degrees at Duke before completing her internal medicine residency at Johns Hopkins and returning to Duke for cardiology fellowship.

Hopkins also has an important place in her story: it’s where she says she truly grew into a physician — and where she met her husband, Eric Xie, MD, now a Duke electrophysiology fellow.

When it was time to choose a cardiology fellowship, Thakkar knew she wanted to return to Duke. She points to mentors including Bloomfield and Nishant Shah, MD, whose careers helped her envision her own path in cardiovascular prevention and imaging.

“I knew I wanted to come back to Duke … well, back home,” she said.

Now, the place where she trained is becoming the place where she will begin establishing herself as an attending and faculty member.

“Duke is where I grew up professionally, where I found mentors who shaped — and continue to shape — the physician I wanted to become, and where I’ve had the opportunity to learn from some truly incredible people,” she said. “It feels very special to now come full circle and have the opportunity to give back to the place that has given me so much.”

Outside of work, Thakkar enjoys spending time with Xie and their daughter, Asha, as well as her parents, who live nearby. She still loves being outdoors, whether exploring a new walking path, finding a trail or taking Asha to a park. She also enjoys gym classes, swimming and, naturally, Duke basketball.

“I’m incredibly excited to continue being part of the Duke family,” Thakkar said. “I’m excited to begin developing my own identity as an attending and to find new ways to contribute to the community that has given me so much.”

Please join us in welcoming Aarti to Duke Heart & Vascular!

 

Celebrating Our Advanced Practice Providers During APP Week

In recognition of national APP Week, Duke Heart & Vascular Services celebrates our advanced practice providers and the vital role they play across our service line:

Every day, our APPs bring exceptional clinical expertise, compassion, professionalism and dedication to the patients and families we serve. They are integral members of our multidisciplinary teams, providing direct patient care, coordinating complex treatment plans, supporting quality initiatives, educating patients and colleagues, and advancing our clinical programs.

Thank you for your dedication, resilience, and leadership. Duke Heart & Vascular Services is stronger because of your expertise and commitment, and we are deeply grateful for all that you do. — Diane Sauro, Jill Engel, Manesh Patel, MD, and the Heart & Vascular Service Line team

Inaugural Heart APP Team Awards

This year’s APP Week celebration includes the recipients of our inaugural Heart APP Team Awards. Congratulations to the following team members and colleagues:

Cardiology
Team Spirit Award: Chelsey Weinbrecht
Preceptor of the Year: Sandy Anton
Excellence Award: Jade Clausen
APP Collaboration and Support: Alyssa Vora, PharmD, and Amanda Ball, PharmD

CTICU
Team Spirit Award: Russell Perkins
Preceptor of the Year: Jackie Narron
Excellence Award: Lynn McGugan and Teresa Wood
APP Collaboration and Support: Mihai Podgoreanu, MD

CTSDU
Team Spirit Award: Braylee Moore
Preceptor of the Year: Laura Shpak
Excellence Award: Laura Sisson
APP Collaboration and Support: Kristi Beerman, PharmD

CICU
Team Spirit Award: Leslie Beer
Excellence Award: Erika Schwengel
APP Collaboration and Support: Akshay Pendyal, MD

Duke Raleigh
Team Spirit Award: Hannah King
Excellence Award: Hannah Walker
APP Collaboration and Support: Sean Pokorney, MD

Please join us in celebrating and recognizing our Advanced Practice Providers for the invaluable contributions they make each and every day!

 

Shout-out — Patient Praises CT SDU Team for Exceptional Care

We love hearing when our teams make a difference — and a recent message shared publicly by a Duke University Hospital patient offered an especially moving example.

Following a three-week hospitalization, the patient wrote about the exceptional care and compassion she received from members of our cardiothoracic step-down team. She described team members who comforted and encouraged her through difficult moments, celebrated her progress, listened to her concerns, helped her feel safe and cared for, and stepped in as a source of support when family and friends could not always be at her bedside.

She offered special thanks to nurses Womi, Nia, Rylee, Sarah, Kelsie and Sheba, along with two team members she affectionately called “the Kristens — one C and one K.” She also recognized nurse practitioners Roman and Mallory, and expressed gratitude for the entire team involved in her care, including Jacob Schroder, MD, and Geoffroy Sisk, MD.

Perhaps the greatest testament to their care’s impact: the patient said her experience at Duke inspired her to pursue a career in nursing. She hopes one day to provide another patient with the same compassion, encouragement, and sense of safety that the Duke team provided to her.

What an incredible reflection of the difference our teams make — not only through the care they provide, but through the way they make people feel during some of the most difficult moments of their lives.

Outstanding work, and congratulations to everyone involved!

 

Culture Pulse Survey Closes Sept. 28

The new Culture Pulse 2026 survey opened on Monday. Please take a few minutes to complete the survey before it closes on Sept. 28! To access it, you can use the link you were sent via email, or you can capture the QR code and take the survey right on your cell phone. You will need to use your Duke unique ID to launch the survey. You can find that on the back of your work badge.

 

Within our service line, the Center of Excellence team is leading, with 88% of their team having taken the survey as of Friday morning. Can any other Duke Heart & Vascular team beat them this weekend?? Come on EP, Cath Lab, DMP 7E, and 7W! Get those surveys done and take the lead!

 

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, Oct. 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 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.

For those who registered by the t-shirt deadline, shirts will be distributed via team captains during the last week of September!

We hope you’ll join us on Saturday, Oct. 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!

 

Upcoming Flu Vax Campaign

Flu vaccination season will take place from Thursday, October 8 – November 17 at 10 a.m. Duke University Health System requires all healthcare workers to comply with our Healthcare Worker Flu Vaccination policy by receiving an annual vaccination or an approved medical or religious exemption. Review the policy and related information here.

 

DUHS Reminder: Political Activity, Engagement with Government Officials, Lobbying, and Voting

As we approach election season this fall, Duke Health Government Relations reminds the Duke community to review Duke’s policies on Political Activity, Engagement with Government Officials, Lobbying, and Voting.

As a nonprofit, tax-exempt entity, Duke must abide by federal and state laws regarding political activities, including restrictions on the use of Duke facilities, funds, services, personnel or other resources to support or oppose individuals or organizations campaigning for public office. The policies provide guidance regarding permissible political activity on campus, visits by government officials and lobbying, and apply specifically to Duke faculty, staff and contractors.

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Early voting begins Thursday, Oct. 15, and runs through Saturday, Oct. 31. The Karsh Alumni and Visitors Center on Duke’s campus will serve as an early-voting location in Durham County.

Additional information and voting resources are available through Duke Votes.

Questions about specific situations may be directed to Duke University Government Relations, Duke Health Government Relations or Duke State Relations.

 

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.
• Hispanic Heritage Month runs from 15 – Oct. 15.
• National APP Week is 21-25.
• Flu vaccination for employees: 8-Nov.17, 10 a.m.
• of Medicine Research Day: Oct. 23.

 

Cardiology Grand Rounds

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

Oct. 1: Quality in Echo Lab with Ashlee Davis. Noon-1 p.m. via Zoom.

Oct. 8: RV with Willard Applefeld. Noon-1 p.m. via Zoom.

Oct. 15: AOV Disorders with Jon Owensby. Noon-1 p.m. via Zoom.

Oct. 22: TBD with Fawaz Alenezi. Noon-1 p.m. via Zoom.

Oct. 29: Peri-Device Leak Post-Watchman Device LAAC: Echo vs. Cardiac CT with Anita Sadeghpour. Noon-1 p.m. via Zoom.

 

DCRI Research Forum

September Forum — John Sundy, MD, PhD

The FY27 DCRI Research Forum season kicks off next week with a fireside chat featuring John Sundy, MD, PhD, chief medical officer and head of research and development at Seismic Therapeutic, from noon-1 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Sept. 22. This forum will be co-hosted by DCRI executive director Adrian Hernandez, MD, MHS, and DCRI respiratory faculty member and Medicine Plus Therapeutic Area Director Scott Palmer, MD, MHS.

What: DCRI Research Forum: A Fireside Chat with John Sundy, MD, PhD

When: Noon-1 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 22

Where: Held remotely via Zoom

Zoom link: https://duke.zoom.us/j/92576878437?pwd=eXwbZ2n6V6GF9prymmUgVkem4LIdzg.1

Webinar ID: 925 7687 8437

Passcode: 534206

 

October Forum — Kenneth Stein, MD

The October DCRI Research Forum will feature Kenneth Stein, MD, senior vice president and global chief medical officer at Boston Scientific, for a fireside chat co-hosted by DCRI Executive Director Adrian Hernandez, MD, MHS, and DCRI cardiology faculty member Jonathan Piccini, MD, MHS. 

What: DCRI Research Forum: A Fireside Chat with Kenneth Stein, MD

When: Tuesday, Oct. 6, noon to 1 p.m. ET

Who: Featuring Dr. Kenneth Stein, Senior Vice President and Global Chief Medical Officer, Boston Scientific

Where: Held remotely via Zoom

Zoom link: https://duke.zoom.us/j/92693016776?pwd=8VTVfo4MUfG1ai4Ngcs7aMA6RojmaX.1

Webinar ID: 926 9301 6776

Passcode: 379186

 

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!

 

¡DALHE! Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month Sept. 22

¡DALHE!, Duke University School of Medicine’s employee resource group dedicated to advancing Latine/Hispanic excellence, will host its annual Hispanic Heritage Month event, “Celebrating Culture, Inspiring Careers,” on Tuesday, Sept. 22, from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. in Trent Semans Great Hall.

This year’s event will feature three panelists who will share insights into their roles at Duke, their career paths, and the ways their cultural backgrounds have influenced and shaped their professional journeys. Panelists are Stephanie Lopez, director of the Duke Health News Office; Kevin D’Arco, senior associate dean of international students at Duke University; and Iris Padilla, clinical professor in the Duke University School of Nursing.

Jeannet Constante, M.Ed., with Faculty Development, DAPT & Wellness Coordination in the Department of Pediatrics, will moderate the discussion, which will conclude with a Q&A session.

The event will also highlight the work of artist Anthony Garza. Lunch will be provided.

 

‘Disagree Better’ Forum, Sept. 29

Duke will host “Disagree Better,” a university forum focused on healthy conflict and constructive dialogue across political differences, on Tuesday, Sept. 29, at 5:45 p.m. in Page Auditorium.

The discussion will bring together New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, and Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon, a Republican, for a conversation about strengthening American democracy through civil discourse. Judy Woodruff, journalist and Duke alumna, will moderate the discussion, and North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein will deliver a video message.

The event is sponsored by the Provost’s Initiative on Pluralism, Free Inquiry, and Belonging and is open to members of the Duke, Durham, and Triangle communities.

Learn more and register for tickets.

 

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.

 

NC Biotechnology Center Grants Information Session, Oct. 15

Faculty and research teams interested in funding opportunities through the North Carolina Biotechnology Center are invited to a grant information session on Thursday, Oct. 15, from noon–1 p.m. in the Bolton Family Tower Room at the Brodhead Center. Lunch will be provided.

Tracey du Laney, PhD, senior vice president for science and technology development at the North Carolina Biotechnology Center and a Duke alumna, will provide an overview of funding opportunities available through the center, including its Flash Grant, Translational Research Grant, and Innovation Impact Grant programs.

To RSVP, contact Kylie Snyder, assistant director, at kylie.snyder@duke.edu.

 

DIHI 2027 RFA – Deadline Oct. 17

The Duke Institute for Health Innovation (DIHI) has opened its 2027 Request for Applications (RFA), seeking practical, scalable solutions to high-priority challenges across Duke’s clinical enterprise.

The 2027 RFA seeks proposals in three focus areas: AI-powered solutions for a virtual care platform; automation and workflow redesign; and sustainable, patient-facing AI solutions. The opportunity is open to faculty, staff, students, and trainees across Duke University and Duke University Health System.

Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 17. Finalists are expected to present to leadership in February 2027, with funding beginning in May.

Learn more, download the information packet, and apply

 

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.

We’d love to see a strong Duke Heart & Vascular presence at Wallace Wade!

 

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.

Highlights of the week:

Robotic Cardiac Surgery Team Marks Growth, New Milestones

Duke’s robotic cardiac surgery program has reached a series of new milestones in 2026, expanding both the volume and types of procedures performed using the robotic platform.

In 2025, the program performed 25 robotic mitral valve repairs. Through Sept. 9 of this year, the team has performed 40 intracardiac robotic procedures, including 27 mitral valve repairs, seven mitral valve replacements, two redo mitral valve replacements, three left atrial mass resections, and one tricuspid valve repair.

The program has also expanded to include MAZE procedures and left atrial appendage closure performed alongside other robotic cardiac procedures.

Brittany Zwischenberger, MD, MHSc, associate professor of surgery in the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, performs the robotic cardiac surgery cases, working alongside a multidisciplinary team of nurses, surgical technologists and physician assistants. Together, the team has expanded the robotic program in both volume and case mix over the past year.

Zwischenberger recently hosted team members at her home to celebrate their accomplishments and the program’s continued growth.

Congratulations to all!

 

HVSL Team Takes Part in ACLS, BLS Training

Physicians participated in Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) and Basic Life Support (BLS) training on Sept. 8 as part of Duke Heart & Vascular’s biannual training.

The session, taught by Kristin Newby, Jill Engel, Laura Dickerson and Mary Lindsay, was one of two ACLS and BLS training opportunities being offered in September.

Way to go!

 

Lewis Featured in PCNA Podcast on ATTR-CM

Morgan Lewis, RN, with Duke’s Advanced Heart Failure team, is featured in a new podcast from the Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association (PCNA) focused on transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM).

Lewis joined PCNA for “Turning the Tide on ATTR Matters,” an episode of the association’s Heart to Heart Nurses podcast. The episode is part of a three-part series providing information about ATTR-CM, a form of cardiac amyloidosis that can lead to heart failure.

The podcast is available in both audio and video formats through PCNA and can also be found through major podcast platforms.

Listen to “Turning the Tide on ATTR Matters”:
https://pcna.net/podcast/turning-the-tide-on-attr-matters/

Great job, Morgan!

 

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, Oct. 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!

 

Upcoming Flu Vax Campaign

Flu vaccination season will take place from Thursday, October 8 – November 17 at 10 a.m. Duke University Health System requires all healthcare workers to comply with our Healthcare Worker Flu Vaccination policy by receiving an annual vaccination or an approved medical or religious exemption. Review the policy and related information here.

  

Culture Pulse Launches Tomorrow, Sept. 14

The new Culture Pulse 2026 opens on Monday, September 14 and closes September 28.

Your feedback will help shape a variety of Duke Health initiatives, including support for GME trainees, and we need your input. All survey results are confidential. Your opinion is important! Your Voice Matters. Be Heard. Take the Survey.

Watch for the Culture Pulse survey in your inbox beginning Sept. 14 — and please take five minutes to participate!

 

¡DALHE! Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month Sept. 22

¡DALHE!, Duke University School of Medicine’s employee resource group dedicated to advancing Latine/Hispanic excellence, will host its annual Hispanic Heritage Month event, “Celebrating Culture, Inspiring Careers,” on Tuesday, Sept. 22, from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. in Trent Semans Great Hall.

This year’s event will feature three panelists who will share insights into their roles at Duke, their career paths, and the ways their cultural backgrounds have influenced and shaped their professional journeys. Panelists are Stephanie Lopez, director of the Duke Health News Office; Kevin D’Arco, senior associate dean of international students at Duke University; and Iris Padilla, PhD, MBA, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, FAANP, clinical professor in the Duke University School of Nursing.

Jeannet Constante, M.Ed., with Faculty Development, DAPT & Wellness Coordination in the Department of Pediatrics, will moderate the discussion, which will conclude with a Q&A session.

The event will also showcase the work of artist Anthony Garza. Lunch will be provided.

 

 

‘Disagree Better’ Duke University Forum Set for Sept. 29

Duke will host “Disagree Better,” a university forum focused on healthy conflict and constructive dialogue across political differences, on Tuesday, Sept. 29, at 5:45 p.m. in Page Auditorium.

The discussion will bring together New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, and Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon, a Republican, for a conversation about strengthening American democracy through civil discourse. Judy Woodruff, journalist and Duke alumna, will moderate the discussion, and North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein will deliver a video message.

The event is sponsored by the Provost’s Initiative on Pluralism, Free Inquiry, and Belonging and is open to members of the Duke, Durham, and Triangle communities.

Learn more and register for tickets.

 

NC Biotechnology Center Grants Information Session Set for Oct. 15

Faculty and research teams interested in funding opportunities through the North Carolina Biotechnology Center are invited to a grants information session on Thursday, Oct. 15, from noon–1 p.m. in the Bolton Family Tower Room at the Brodhead Center. Lunch will be provided.

Tracey du Laney, PhD, senior vice president for science and technology development at the North Carolina Biotechnology Center and a Duke alumna, will provide an overview of funding opportunities available through the center, including its Flash Grant, Translational Research Grant, and Innovation Impact Grant programs.

The session will offer an opportunity to learn more about the programs, the types of projects they support, and how NC Biotechnology Center funding may help advance research and innovation.

The session is hosted by Duke University Foundation Relations, the Duke Health Office of Foundation Relations and Strategic Partnerships (FRASP), Duke’s Office for External Partnerships, and the Office for Translation & Commercialization.

To RSVP, contact Kylie Snyder, assistant director, at kylie.snyder@duke.edu.

 

DIHI Opens 2027 Request for Innovation Applications

The Duke Institute for Health Innovation (DIHI) has opened its 2027 Request for Applications (RFA), seeking practical, scalable solutions to high-priority challenges across Duke’s clinical enterprise.

The 2027 RFA seeks proposals in three focus areas: AI-powered solutions for a virtual care platform; automation and workflow redesign; and sustainable, patient-facing AI solutions. The opportunity is open to faculty, staff, students, and trainees across Duke University and Duke University Health System.

Up to 10 applications will be selected for support, with most projects expected to request $25,000–$60,000 in funding for one year. Funding does not cover faculty time. Each proposal must also have a DUHS operational lead as a co-sponsor to be considered for review.

DIHI encourages teams to engage with its staff as they develop proposals. The team can help refine early ideas, assess alignment with this year’s focus areas, identify operational partners, and strengthen plans for moving an idea toward measurable impact.

Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 17. Finalists are expected to present to leadership in February 2027, with funding beginning in May.

Learn more, download the information packet, and apply

 

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.
• of Medicine Research Day: October 23.

 

Cardiology Grand Rounds

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. 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, Oct. 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.

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.

Highlights of the week:

Honoring the Life and Legacy of Joe Evans

For more than four decades, Joe Evans was part of the fabric of Duke — building a remarkable career while helping shape the cardiothoracic operating room and generations of colleagues who worked there.

Evans, a longtime CT OR nurse who died unexpectedly Aug. 15 at age 61, joined Duke on May 28, 1985. A Durham native and graduate of Hillside High School, he began his Duke career in Dining Services before moving to telemetry. He later became an operating room scrub technician, went to nursing school and became a registered nurse. During more than 41 years at Duke, he made significant contributions to Duke’s ventricular assist device (VAD), heart transplant and aortic surgery programs.

“Some people work at an institution. Others become part of the institution. Joe was one of those people,” said Chad Hughes, MD, section chief of Aortic Surgery and co-director of the Duke Center for Aortic Disease, who worked with Evans for nearly 30 years.

In the CT OR, Evans became known for his deep knowledge, meticulous preparation and high standards — and for expecting the same commitment from those around him.

As the CT OR’s VAD champion, Evans oversaw staff education and validation requirements and helped create VAD learning modules for staff, which he continued to review and update. He also helped ensure the team was prepared for accreditation visits. Evans contributed to the planning of Duke’s hybrid operating rooms, providing input regarding equipment, room configuration and the resources the clinical team would need.

“He was a very dedicated employee — dedicated to his patients, his surgeons and his fellow staff members,” said Rachel Knoll, nurse manager of operations for the cardiothoracic operating room. “He just really applied himself.”

Evans was also a preceptor, educator and trusted resource for colleagues. Younger staff members have described him to Knoll as their “work dad,” someone they sought out not only for clinical questions but also for advice regarding education, finances and life. He encouraged them to continue their education and keep challenging themselves.

Kevin Harrison, MD, professor of medicine in the Division of Cardiology and a structural heart disease specialist, described Evans as “a pillar of the Duke operating rooms” who combined kindness with an unwavering commitment to excellence.

“I watched him be kind, but he did not yield on trying to make every individual live up to the high standard that he set for himself,” Harrison said.

One small ritual captured that philosophy.

At the beginning of a procedure, during the surgical timeout, Harrison remembers Evans identifying the patient as a patient of the physicians involved — and then adding four words: “and all of us.”

“That was Joe Evans,” Harrison said. “By adding those four words, he immediately engaged everybody in the operating room to achieve the best result for that patient.”

For Hughes, Evans’s preparation frequently began before the workday. Before a complicated case, Evans would text him around 6 a.m. to confirm what was needed and make certain the room was ready.

“He was already thinking ahead, making certain the room was prepared and looking after both the patient and the team,” Hughes recalled.

On the morning of Evans’s funeral, Hughes performed one of those complicated cases. This time, the familiar early-morning message did not arrive.

“I missed it,” Hughes said, “and I know I will miss it for a very long time.”

Evans brought that same devotion to his family. An avid traveler and devoted husband, father and grandfather, he regularly shared stories and photographs of his grandson with colleagues. He was also a devoted Carolina basketball fan — something his Duke colleagues knew particularly well the morning after a Tar Heel victory.

The reach of Evans’s relationships was evident at his Aug. 24 funeral at Peace Missionary Baptist Church, where family, friends and a large contingent of Duke colleagues gathered to remember him.

Back in the CT OR, his absence is already deeply felt. Knoll described Evans’s death as a loss of both a colleague and a friend. Staff members have talked about instinctively wanting to find him during the workday — the person they could approach with a question, ask for help or simply talk with.

His influence, however, remains embedded in the people he taught, the programs he supported and the operating rooms he helped shape. Members of the CT OR team are planning a memorial plaque in the control room of ORs 53 and 54, spaces Evans helped plan.

“Great institutions are built by people like Joe,” Hughes said. “People who remain for decades. People who pass their knowledge from one generation to the next.”

For more than 41 years, Joe Evans did exactly that.

Read Joe Evans’s obituary.

Our deepest sympathy goes to Joe’s family, friends and colleagues across Duke.

 

Mysore Joins Duke Cardiology Faculty

Duke Heart is pleased to welcome Manu Mysore, MD, to the Duke Cardiology faculty. Mysore joins Duke as an assistant professor of medicine and will work at Duke University Hospital beginning tomorrow, Monday, Aug. 31.

For Mysore, the move marks a return to Duke. He earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Duke University in 2012 before receiving his medical degree from Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans. He completed his internal medicine residency at the University of Virginia Medical Center and his cardiovascular medicine fellowship at the University of Maryland Medical Center.

Mysore returns to Duke from the University of Maryland School of Medicine, where he has served as an assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine since 2022. He also served as co-director of cardio-oncology and held several roles in cardiovascular medicine education, including associate program director for the cardiovascular medicine fellowship.

His clinical and academic experience includes preventive cardiology, noninvasive cardiac imaging, and cardio-oncology, with research focused on cardiovascular risk among patients with cancer. His recent work includes studies examining cardiovascular risk and outcomes associated with cancer and cancer therapies. He also co-authored a JAMA Oncology patient education article, Caring for Your Heart During Cancer Treatment, which provides patients with an overview of cardio-oncology and ways cardiovascular health is monitored and managed during cancer treatment.

Mysore has maintained his connection to Duke over the years, serving as a Duke Alumni Admissions Committee volunteer since 2013.

Please join us in welcoming Dr. Mysore back to Duke!

 

Duke Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Hosts Heart Team from Honduras

Our pediatric cardiac surgery team recently welcomed a group of 10 physicians from Hospital María in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, for a week-long observership focused on pediatric cardiac care.

During their visit, the physicians participated in multidisciplinary rounds, case-based discussions, and daily debriefs, culminating in a capstone session focused on identifying practices that could be adapted to strengthen pediatric cardiac care in Honduras.

The visiting team also had the opportunity to observe several highly complex cases and procedures, including a pediatric heart transplant using ex-vivo perfusion, two Norwood procedures, and the Sustained Total All-Region (STAR) perfusion procedure — developed at Duke — during complex aortic arch reconstructions.

The visit comes as Duke Heart teams continue to build connections in Honduras. Members of Duke’s adult cardiac surgery Heart for Honduras team are also preparing for a medical mission to Tegucigalpa this fall.

Many thanks to Rebekah Boyd, MD; Brian Clark, MD; Tracy Geoffrion, MD, MPH; Carmelo Milano, MD; Douglas Overbey, MD, MPH; and Joseph Turek, MD, PhD, MBA, for hosting and coordinating the visit, and to Maria Fryar and Sherry Gunter for managing the day-to-day logistics.

Way to go!

 

Minc, Heidt Receive Healthcare Disparities Award

Congratulations to Samantha Minc, MD, MPH, associate professor of surgery in the Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, and Nicole “Nikki” Heidt, MD, assistant professor of surgery, who have received the inaugural Richard McCann Healthcare Disparities Award in support of the expansion of Duke’s CHAMPIONS vascular screening and outreach program.

Their proposal will support six community-based screening events over the next year, reaching an estimated 300 people in medically underserved urban and rural communities across the region.

Working with local churches, community organizations, and health fairs, the CHAMPIONS program will provide cardiovascular and peripheral arterial disease screening, culturally and linguistically appropriate health education, referral pathways for ongoing care, and longitudinal follow-up to assess health literacy and care-seeking behaviors.

Congratulations, Samantha and Nikki!

 

Patel Receives Pepper Center Career Development Award

Congratulations to Kunal Patel, MD, PhD, assistant professor of surgery in the Division of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, who has received a two-year Research Education Component (REC) career development award from the Duke Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center. 

Patel’s project will examine the role of biological aging in lung transplant outcomes.

Patel is one of three Duke Surgery faculty members to receive a REC award this year, along with Rishi Kamaleswaran, PhD, associate professor of surgery, and Hadiza Kazaure, MD, MMCi, associate professor of surgery. Together, Duke Surgery faculty received three of the four REC awards granted by the Pepper Center this year.

Congratulations, Kunal!

 

Southerland Honored for Excellence in Vascular Surgery Education

Congratulations to Kevin Southerland, MD, associate professor of surgery, on receiving the Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery’s 2026 “Bloody Apple” Award.

The award, voted on by graduating vascular trainees, recognizes the year’s most outstanding educator in the division.

Congratulations, Kevin!

 

 

 

Kunz Named Duke Health APP Preceptor of the Year

Congratulations to Erin M. Kunz, PA-C, MHS, a physician assistant with Duke Thoracic Surgery, who has been named the Duke Health APP Preceptor of the Year! The award recognizes her outstanding work as a preceptor and her commitment to supporting and educating APP colleagues and learners.

The news was enthusiastically shared by S. Scott Balderson, PA-C, TSU APP team lead, who says the recognition could not be more deserved.

Congratulations, Erin!

 

Hitting with Heart Marks 10 Years!

The annual Hitting with Heart softball tournament celebrated its 10th anniversary last weekend on Aug. 22, bringing teams from across Duke together for a fun day of friendly competition and camaraderie. Duke Engineering & Operations captured the tournament championship for the third consecutive year, completing a three-peat!

The annual event also raises funds, a portion of which supports the Triangle Heart Walk.

Thanks to everyone who played, participated, and helped make the 10th anniversary of Hitting with Heart a great one — and congratulations to E&O on the three-peat!

 

Join Us at the 2026 Triangle Heart Walk

Duke Health is once again 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 & Opportunities

 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.

 

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.

Chief’s message: Duke Heart in the News and Week Highlights

Hopefully you all had another busy and impactful week.  This weekend the NY Times Athletic and CBS Morning News featured a segment on USA Runner Jenny Simpson who, unfortunately developed a cardiac arrest during a charity race/run in Raleigh. She was transferred to the Duke CICU post-arrest where they note the exceptional care by our team that resulted in an excellent neurologic recovery as well as a definitive diagnosis of ARVC. This story highlights the care and compassion of our entire team and specifically our physicians including Dr. Albert Sun, her electrophysiologist.  Her diagnosis spells the end of her running career, which has been her identity up to this point, yet she expresses profound gratitude at how our team helped her come to understand and accept her condition. It also highlights the amazing work Duke is doing in the congenital surgery front.  The story demonstrates how care at Duke Heart is clearly a team effort extending across Duke Raleigh, the CICU, HF team, EP service, invasive evaluation, surgical teams, PT/OT, Respiratory therapy, residents, APPs, and Fellows. With increasing patient volume, and multiple stressors our teams face on a daily basis, we should be proud of the work all of Duke Heart does on a daily basis.

Equally important is the message on the Chain of Survival from CPR, AED use, and continued support throughout recovery.  The speed of team to perform CPR, get an AED and provide lifesaving defibrillation are inspiring and the work of the amazing community and story.  The American Heart Association has spearheaded the national movement on cardiac arrest survival with CPR, AED, and Nation of Lifesavers work.  This chain of survival has been seen to be effective, and on-call this weekend – I have personally seen it continue to save lives in our community.  Below you will see the visit from the AHA “Heart Ma’am” mascot and ability for everyone to sign up and join us for the Triangle Heart Walk.   We look forward to seeing you all there as we continued to work to make a heart healthy community.  
In the upcoming weeks we will share the best Science from the European Society of Cardiology.

Links are provided below.  

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7529658/2026/08/22/jenny-simpson-collapse-running-heart-condition/?searchResultPosition=1

https://youtu.be/e2xPCejolwQ?is=lldYVRs9BwVG9zHH

Highlights of the week:

Elliott Joins Duke Cardiology Faculty

David Elliott, MD, PhD, is officially joining the Duke Cardiology faculty as an associate professor of medicine tomorrow, Monday, Aug. 24.

Elliott is well known to Duke, having completed medical school, internal medicine residency, cardiovascular disease fellowship, and advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology fellowship here. During his residency, he was also selected for Duke’s SCI-StARR R38 Resident Physician-Scientist Program, where he conducted research in the White-McGarrah Lab with Robert McGarrah, MD, of Duke Cardiology, and Phillip White, PhD, of Duke Endocrinology, Metabolism and Nutrition.

As an advanced heart failure and transplant cardiologist, Elliott’s clinical interests include the care of patients with end-stage heart failure, cardiogenic shock, mechanical circulatory support, and heart transplantation. He will see patients in Duke Cardiology clinics 2F/2G and at Duke Cardiology Arringdon.

Elliott also brings a strong research background to his faculty role. He earned a PhD in biomedical sciences from the University of South Carolina School of Medicine before attending Duke for medical school. His research interests span cardiovascular disease and transplant immunology, building on his training as both a scientist and clinician.

Please join us in welcoming David to the Duke Heart & Vascular faculty!

 

Jackson Recognized for National AHA/ACC Quality Measures Work

Kudos to Larry Jackson II, MD, for his contributions to the development of the 2026 AHA/ACC Clinical Performance and Quality Measures for Patients With Atrial Fibrillation.

Jackson was recently recognized by the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology for the time, expertise and leadership he contributed to the national performance measures development process. The AHA/ACC performance measurement sets are designed to help cardiovascular clinicians and institutions assess quality of care and identify opportunities for improvement.

In a commendation letter sent to Jonathan Piccini, MD, director of Duke Electrophysiology, leaders of the AHA/ACC Joint Committee on Performance Measures praised Jackson’s dedication to the effort and described participation in the initiative as an important example of “exceptional academic citizenship.”

Congratulations, Larry, and thank you for representing Duke Heart & Vascular in this important national work!

 

Kudos to Tulp

A big shout-out to Adam Tulp, who recently received a Kudos Kard from colleague Ashley Arrington recognizing his outstanding support of patients and nursing team members.

Arrington praised Tulp for his clinical knowledge, kindness, and attentiveness, noting that he listens carefully to concerns, regularly checks in with patients and nurses throughout his shift, and keeps a close eye on changes in his patients’ conditions. “He knows his patients and does not dismiss any of my concerns,” she wrote. “I really appreciate this. Thank you, Adam!”

Jill Engel, DNP, service line vice president for Heart & Vascular, also congratulated Tulp on the recognition, noting the particular significance of praise from a colleague and team member.

Kudos, Adam, and thank you for all you do each day for our patients and team!

 

Kudos to Emily Towery

A big shout-out to Emily Towery, who recently received a Kudos Kard from Danielle Forrest recognizing her exceptional support of patients and colleagues within the cardiac MRI space in Duke Medicine Pavilion.

When device representative coverage was limited, Towery stepped in to assist with programming Abbott cardiac implantable electronic devices into and out of MRI mode, helping ensure patients could receive their scheduled scans without unnecessary delays. Forrest described Towery’s assistance as “crucial” and thanked her for ensuring cases were completed in a timely manner.

Her efforts also drew praise from Duke Heart leadership. Jill Engel, DNP, service line vice president for Heart & Vascular, thanked Towery for her tremendous support of patients and the team, adding, “You exemplify what living the Duke values looks like.”

Jonathan Piccini, MD, director of Duke Electrophysiology, also recognized Towery for consistently going above and beyond for the EP team and Heart Center. “Our patients are very lucky to have you!” he said.

Way to go, Emily!

 

Heart Ma’am, AHA Torch Visit on Journey Across Triangle

The AHA mascot (“Heart Ma’am”) and the AHA Triangle Torch were at Duke Heart & Vascular this week. There were treats galore and a great deal of spirited interaction that will hopefully translate into an excellent showing at the upcoming Triangle Heart Walk on Saturday, October 3!

Let’s go, team!!!

 

Join Us at the 2026 Triangle Heart Walk

Duke Health is once again 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 make this year the most successful showing for Duke Heart & Vascular yet!

 

Luggage Donations Needed for Duke Heart for Honduras

The Duke Heart for Honduras team is seeking donations of old or gently used suitcases and luggage to help transport medical supplies and equipment during its upcoming mission trip to Tegucigalpa, Honduras, in September.

Duke Heart for Honduras is a volunteer cardiac surgery mission led by Duke physicians, trainees and staff in partnership with local healthcare providers. This year, the team plans to perform approximately 15 lifesaving cardiac surgeries at no cost to patients while also providing education and training opportunities for Honduran healthcare colleagues.

Donated luggage will be used to transport needed medical supplies and equipment to Honduras and will remain there for continued use by local healthcare providers and hospitals. Donated luggage will not be returned.

Have a suitcase to spare? Please bring donations to Lauren Parker in CARL Room 250 by Aug. 30. Those for whom CARL is not convenient may contact Lauren at 804-332-4723 or lep52@duke.edu to coordinate an alternate pick-up time and location.

Thank you for helping Duke Heart for Honduras prepare for another important mission!

 

Upcoming CME Events & Opportunities

 

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.

 

2026 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: 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.

The Walk is expected to start around 9:30 a.m., but that may change. Stay tuned for a more formal announcement from the AHA. Meanwhile, registration for team captains and walkers is open!

 

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.

Chief’s message:  Highlights and some updates on the cardiology field

Hope you all had a good week.  This episode of the pulse will welcome a new CT surgery faculty member, we will have a few highlights from the week, and we will be working to get everyone excited for the Triangle Heart Walk with the American Heart Association on October 3^rd.  Register a team, join us for the walk.

The story dominating the cardiology conversation this week continues to be ZEUS: Novo Nordisk’s trial with ziltivekimab (IL-6 ligand inhibitor) that missed its primary endpoint in the phase 3 outcomes trial — HR 0.99 for 3-point MACE in ASCVD/CKD patients with elevated inflammation, despite confirmed target engagement (hs-CRP and free IL-6 both dropped as expected). Given the inflammatory hypothesis – with evident data around relationship – it’s forcing a real reckoning with the inflammatory hypothesis of atherosclerosis less than a year after ACC’s own scientific statement endorsed factoring inflammation into risk assessment. CANTOS gave the hypothesis its first foothold in 2017; ZEUS is arguably the cleanest, largest test of direct IL-6 blockade since, and it came back neutral. Two related trials are still live — HERMES in HFpEF and ARTEMIS post-AMI — both reading out in H1 2027, so this isn’t necessarily the final word on the target in this pathway, but it’s a gut-check moment.  I also think there are some upstream targets that will be important test. We will also in this upcoming week faculty meeting be discussing some prevention and science at the start of the meeting and can discuss with faculty at that time.

Other things crossing the cardiology wire this week for me:

• TAVR at 10 years — JACC published a look-back at long-term TAVR durability data (Aug 14), reopening the durability-vs-SAVR debate for younger, lower-risk patients — relevant given our structural volume.
• Some data that under 30 minutes/day of moderate-vigorous activity may be enough to offset most inactivity-related CV risk — useful soundbite for our prevention/rehab messaging.
• Continued conversations on social media and some pushback on the 2026 AHA/ACC/Multi-society dyslipidemia guideline — worth having our groups think about how we can continue to clarify for our patients.
• Smaller items: a case report on a HYROX competitor’s cardiac arrest prompting sports cardiology warnings about ignoring prodromal symptoms during competition including this high-intensity competition; new data suggesting PREVENT risk equations outperform legacy models in Native American populations; and a study noting LLMs generate inadequate dietary plans for hypertensive patients — the latter is a cautionary note for our teams working on AI management tools and evaluation systems.

Highlights of the week:

Vigneshwar to Join Cardiothoracic Surgery Faculty

Navin G. Vigneshwar, MD, MPH, will join the Duke Department of Surgery faculty as an assistant professor in the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery in September, following completion of his cardiothoracic surgery fellowship at Duke.

Vigneshwar’s practice will include heart and lung transplantation, mechanical circulatory support — including ventricular assist devices (VAD) and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) — and adult cardiac surgery.

“I’m looking forward to finally practicing cardiac surgery after 10 years of training,” Vigneshwar said. He is also eager to work with Duke residents and pursue opportunities for research collaboration across the university.

Among his early areas of focus will be helping bring a novel donor heart recovery technique to Duke known as Rapid Recovery with Extended Ultra-Oxygenated Preservation (REUP). The technique allows for recovery of hearts donated after circulatory death without reanimation before transplant and has enabled extended ischemic times. Vigneshwar is particularly interested in investigating the mechanisms underlying the approach and its potential applications in transplantation.

For Vigneshwar, remaining at Duke also means beginning his faculty career alongside the colleagues and mentors with whom he has trained.

“The mentorship from senior surgeons as I start a career in heart and lung transplant and adult cardiac surgery is the main reason I chose to stay,” he said. He also pointed to the strength of Duke’s multidisciplinary teams, including colleagues in cardiac anesthesia, heart failure and interventional cardiology, and the OR and ICU.

“I can’t imagine surrounding myself with a better group of colleagues to start my career.”

Vigneshwar earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia and his medical degree from Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine. He completed general surgery residency at the University of Colorado, where he also earned an MPH in applied biostatistics, before coming to Duke for cardiothoracic surgery fellowship. His academic interests include heart and lung transplantation, mechanical circulatory support, and organ preservation.

Outside the hospital, Vigneshwar is an avid mountain biker and enjoys playing guitar.

Please join us in congratulating Navin on completing his fellowship and in welcoming him to the Duke Heart & Vascular faculty!

 

Duke Among Top Enrolling Sites for RECHARGE Trial

Duke is among the nation’s leading enrolling sites for a clinical trial designed to address an important evidence gap in coronary revascularization among women and Black and Hispanic patients.

Duke has enrolled 19 participants in the RECHARGE Trial (REvascularization CHoices Among underRepresented Groups Evaluation) and is currently the second-highest enroller among approximately 96 participating sites.

RECHARGE is a Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI)-funded research program comparing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) with multivessel percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in two parallel randomized trials: one enrolling women of any race or ethnicity and another enrolling Black or Hispanic patients of any sex. These populations have historically been underrepresented in randomized trials comparing coronary revascularization strategies.

The study is designed to help fill that evidence gap by examining survival and health-related quality of life following CABG or PCI. Participants are followed for a minimum of three years.

At Duke, RECHARGE is led by site co-principal investigators Brittany A. Zwischenberger, MD, MHSc, associate professor in the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, and Andres M. Pineda Maldonado, MD, assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Cardiology.

Potential participants must be at least 18 years old and have multivessel or left main coronary artery disease for which revascularization is intended, and the care team determines that either CABG or PCI would be an appropriate treatment option.

The national study is led by Mario Gaudino, MD, of Weill Cornell Medicine, and Gregg Stone, MD, of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Recruitment is expected to continue for at least two more years or until the study’s overall enrollment goal is reached.

Help Duke keep the momentum going: Clinicians who identify a potentially eligible patient can contact Zwischenberger or Pineda, or reach out to study research coordinator Camryn Black.

 

Join Us at the 2026 Triangle Heart Walk

At Duke Health, nothing unites us like doing good together! It’s what each one of you does each and every day, and for that, we are so grateful.

We want to thank all those who served as Heart Walk coaches and walkers in our 2025 walk. It was a terrific event! Together, we raised more than $123,000 for the American Heart Association, with 1,013 Duke Health team members participating.

We are pleased to share that Duke Health 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.

We are honored to support this fun, family-friendly event again and look forward to your participation this fall. 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, we have set a goal for Duke Health to register 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.

Register for the Heart Walk by Wednesday, Aug. 19, to receive a Duke Health Heart Walk T-shirt. Shirts will be distributed in advance of the Walk through Duke Health team captains.

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 make this year the most successful showing for Duke Heart & Vascular yet!

 

Heart Ma’am, AHA Torch Back at Duke This Week

The AHA mascot (“Heart Ma’am”) and the AHA Triangle Torch will be at Duke this week – so be on the lookout! Heart Ma’am will be at Duke North and the Duke Medicine Pavilion on Tuesday, Aug. 18, for visits to Heart & Vascular units. There will be treats, a lot of AHA spirit, and opportunities for photos. The Torch will also arrive Tuesday and spend the week on the 8th floor of the HAFS building.

The visits are part of generating enthusiasm and participation ahead of the 2026 Triangle Heart Walk, set for Saturday, Oct. 3. Register for the Triangle Heart Walk by Aug. 19 to be guaranteed a Duke Heart Walk T-shirt.

Let’s go, team!!!

 

Luggage Donations Needed for Duke Heart for Honduras

The Duke Heart for Honduras team is seeking donations of old or gently used suitcases and luggage to help transport medical supplies and equipment during its upcoming mission trip to Tegucigalpa, Honduras, in September.

Duke Heart for Honduras is a volunteer cardiac surgery mission led by Duke physicians, trainees, and staff in partnership with local healthcare providers. This year, the team plans to perform approximately 15 lifesaving cardiac surgeries at no cost to patients while also providing education and training opportunities for Honduran healthcare colleagues.

Donated luggage will be used to transport needed medical supplies and equipment to Honduras and will remain there for continued use by local healthcare providers and hospitals. Donated luggage will not be returned.

Have a suitcase to spare? Please bring donations to Lauren Parker in CARL Room 250 by Aug. 30. Those for whom CARL is not convenient may contact Lauren at 804-332-4723 or lep52@duke.edu to coordinate an alternate pick-up time and location.

Thank you for helping Duke Heart for Honduras prepare for another important mission!

 

Kudos to Shah, Team for Outstanding Patient Care

Kudos to Nishant Shah, MD, and a multidisciplinary Duke Heart team for their exceptional teamwork and dedication to patient care during a recent unexpected situation.

A patient with stable but sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT) was scheduled for a transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) and direct-current cardioversion (DCCV), but the procedure could not be completed during regular operating hours. When notified, Shah and team quickly coordinated to perform the procedure after hours, successfully cardioverting the patient.

Janny Sweetow, DNP, recognized the team for their initiative, professionalism, and collaboration, noting that their response exemplified Duke University Hospital’s core values.

Team members recognized include:

• Nishant Shah, MD
• Jordan Franklin, MD, Cardiology fellow
• Hedva Katz, RN
• Emily Luis, RN
• Caroline Burchett, RN
• Jeff Mills, CRNA
• Anne Cherry, MD, Anesthesiology
• Crosby Culp, MD, Anesthesiology
• Danielle McCarthy, Sonography

Thank you to the entire team for going above and beyond to ensure this patient received the care they needed. Great job!

 

Kudos to CVICU Team for Exceptional Care

A heartfelt shout-out to members of our Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU) and Heart teams for the exceptional care they recently provided to a patient and her family during a frightening and uncertain time.

The patient’s family member, who is also a nurse, shared her gratitude for a team that not only provided outstanding clinical care, but also recognized and supported her needs as both a loved one and a healthcare professional.

She particularly recognized Clara, her family member’s primary nurse, who patiently answered questions, talked through assessments and other aspects of care, and understood her need to remain involved.

“She spoke with me as though I was a colleague and a family member,” she shared. “Her allowing me to ask questions and talk with her gave me a sense of purpose and control in a time where I had no control and felt helpless.”

She also recognized Taylor for her confident and compassionate care and for helping make transitions in care feel seamless, and Cheryl, whose “wit and humor” and comforting confidence came at just the right time.

She expressed gratitude to Dr. Etter and team for keeping the family involved in care and decision-making, listening to concerns and making themselves available to answer questions. She also thanked Jason Koontz, MD, and the EP team, as well as the many others who cared for her family member during the hospitalization.

“I cannot thank the team enough,” she wrote.

Thank you to everyone involved for providing this patient and family with skillful, compassionate care — and for demonstrating how much communication, kindness, and inclusion matter during some of our patients’ and families’ most difficult moments.

Way to go!

 

Upcoming CME Events & Opportunities

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.

Until then, please enjoy past recordings. 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.

 

2026 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: Duke EP Symposium. Course director is Jon Piccini. Location: JB Duke Hotel.

Please save the dates!

 

Hitting with Heart Softball Tournament

The 10^th 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.

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.

The Walk is expected to start around 9:30 a.m., but that may change. Stay tuned for a more formal announcement from the AHA. Meanwhile, registration for team captains and walkers is open!

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.

Chief’s message:   Heart walk and impactful science – ongoing story of White Blood Cell Count and Acute MI 

Please see the notes below about the AHA Heart Walk.  We will be setting up teams and sending a note to the broader community tomorrow.  We are really looking forward to a tremendous local Duke Turnout at the Heart walk this year and have some fun competitions and videos coming to engage everyone.

In the science of CV this week – I was interested by a continuing story around immune cell interactions around Acute Myocardial Infarction. 

Worth a read this week: A paper worth your attention is the STEMI neutrophil progenitor work out of the Richter group, published in Nature Cardiovascular Research with a News & Views from Thurston and Mills on August 3rd. The core finding: emergency granulopoiesis after STEMI pushes genuinely immature preneutrophils — not just the usual left-shift neutrophilia we already track — into peripheral blood, and the degree of that mobilization outperforms our established biomarkers for predicting 30-day mortality. Detectable on a standard automated blood counter, this isn’t a research-only assay sitting years from the bedside.

Worth noting: this is really the third act of a story our own institution helped write. Our DCRI teams and  colleagues (Barron, Cannon, and later Chris Granger, Paul Armstrong and others via CARDINAL and APEX-AMI – a trial I was a DCRI Fellow on) established over 20 years ago that elevated WBC count on admission independently predicts in-hospital and 30-day mortality after AMI, and later tied that signal mechanistically to reduced epicardial flow and larger infarct size. That descriptive WBC-mortality association is what motivated our complement-inhibition push with pexelizumab — the hypothesis that blocking C5 activation upstream would blunt the leukocyte-driven reperfusion injury we were seeing in the WBC data. APEX-AMI (we were fortunate to also have the MRI substudy with biomarkers) ultimately didn’t move the needle on clinical outcomes, and Martel/Granger’s substudy gave us the mechanistic postmortem: pexelizumab suppressed C5a but failed to inhibit terminal complement complex (sC5b-9) assembly, which likely explains why downstream leukocyte activation, and mortality, weren’t meaningfully affected. In hindsight, we were looking at the right signal (leukocyte burden as a marker of injury severity) but intervening at the wrong node, and with a drug that didn’t fully hit its target.

The Richter paper essentially picks up where we left off — swapping a crude WBC count for a maturation-stage-resolved readout (preneutrophils specifically) that’s mechanistically closer to the bone marrow stress response itself, which may be why it’s outperforming legacy markers. Given our own history here, I think there’s a natural translational angle for Duke Heart, Precision Health, and DCRI to revisit: could preneutrophil fraction identify the subgroup of STEMI patients who would benefit from a complement- or neutrophil-targeted therapy, in a way unselected enrollment in APEX-AMI couldn’t?

The clinically relevant core finding: emergency granulopoiesis after STEMI pushes genuinely immature preneutrophils — not just the usual left-shift neutrophilia we already track — into peripheral blood, and the degree of that mobilization outperforms our established biomarkers for predicting 30-day mortality – is something that we could both follow, test, and target therapies for today.  I write this with the knowledge that this last week also saw a study in patients with chronic Kidney disease not get benefit from IL-6 inhibiiton (the Zeus) trial.  Lots of reasons for that – that we can discuss.  All of this is for our teams to think about with ESC coming up at the end of the month.

Highlights of the week:

Davis Leads New ASE Guideline on Sonographer Safety

Congratulations to Ashlee Davis, chief technologist for the Cardiac Diagnostic Unit at Duke University Hospital, who served as chair of a new American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) guideline focused on protecting the long-term health of cardiac sonographers.

Guidelines for the Prevention of Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders for Cardiac Sonographers: Recommendations from the American Society of Echocardiography provides evidence-based recommendations for addressing a significant occupational health concern: work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) affect up to 90% of cardiovascular sonographers.

The guideline addresses ergonomic equipment and workplace design, safe scanning practices, scheduling strategies, early recognition of symptoms, and emerging technologies that may help reduce injury risk. Importantly, it emphasizes that preventing these injuries is a shared responsibility among sonographers, healthcare organizations and administrators, educators, and equipment manufacturers.

“For too long, musculoskeletal injury has been viewed as an expected part of being a cardiac sonographer,” Davis said. “This guideline challenges that mindset by demonstrating that many of these injuries are preventable through thoughtful design, education and organizational commitment.”

Congratulations to Ashlee on her national leadership in this important work to support the health, safety and longevity of the cardiac sonography workforce. Excellent work!

 

Heart Ma’am Brings Heart Walk Spirit to Duke Heart

Heart Walk season is underway, and a familiar red friend helped spread the word across Duke University Hospital this week!

Heart Ma’am joined Duke Heart team members for visits to 7100, 7200, 7300 and 6300, bringing plenty of Heart Walk spirit — along with opportunities for photos and selfies with teams across the units.

The visits are part of Duke Heart’s efforts to build excitement and participation ahead of the 2026 Triangle Heart Walk, set for Saturday, Oct. 3.

Missed her this time? Heart Ma’am will return to DUH on Tuesday, Aug. 18, for another round of visits with Duke Heart & Vascular units.

Ready to join us? Register for the Triangle Heart Walk by Aug. 19 to be guaranteed a Duke Heart Walk T-shirt!

Let’s go, team!!!

 

DUHS & SOM Updates:

Brandon to Retire as DUHS Chief People Officer

Rhonda Brandon, senior vice president and chief people officer for Duke University Health System, has announced plans to retire at the end of June 2027 after more than a decade of leadership at Duke Health.

Since joining Duke Health in 2016, Brandon has led the transformation of the DUHS Human Resources function, including the development of systemwide approaches to recruitment, performance coaching, employee engagement and HR business partnerships. She also championed affinity groups, Duke Health’s Culture Commitment work and efforts to foster an inclusive workplace centered on the belief that “we are people taking care of people.”

DUHS will launch a national search for its next senior vice president and chief people officer. Additional opportunities to celebrate Brandon and her contributions to Duke Health will be shared in the months ahead.

 

Paulson to Step Down as Chair of Radiology

Erik K. Paulson, MD, Robert J. Reeves Distinguished Professor of Radiology, will step down as chair of the Duke Department of Radiology on March 31, 2027, after 13 years of leadership. He will remain at Duke as a faculty member, continuing to contribute to the School of Medicine’s academic, research and clinical missions.

During Paulson’s tenure, the department experienced significant growth, with the number of clinical faculty more than doubling and imaging services expanding across Duke Health. The department also strengthened its education and research programs and is recognized as an international leader in laboratory and clinical investigation.

A national search for the next chair will be led by Ben Alman, MD, chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery.

 

Meet Our Newest Colleagues: Flobot, R2-DU and Wall-D

This fall, three new team members join Duke University Hospital — though you won’t find them on the schedule. Flobot, R2-DU and Wall-D are autonomous delivery robots, introduced through the Duke Care Innovation Collaborative, that will carry medications and supplies throughout the hospital.

Tasks like these can take up to 30% of nurses’ time each shift. By taking them on, the robots are designed to give frontline teams more time for what matters most: caring for patients.

“Every minute a nurse spends walking across the hospital for supplies is a minute not spent with a patient,” said Chantal Howard, chief nursing and patient care services officer. “Flobot, R2-DU, and Wall-D are here to give that time back, so our teams can focus on what they do best.”

Thank you to everyone who helped name our new colleagues and to the teams preparing to pilot them across DUH.

 

Upcoming CME Events & Opportunities

 

Cardiology Grand Rounds

CGRs have concluded for the summer. We will return in the fall! Meanwhile, please enjoy past recordings.

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.

 

2026 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: Duke EP Symposium. Course director is Jon Piccini. Location: JB Duke Hotel.

Please save the dates!

 

Hitting with Heart Softball Tournament

The 10^th 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.

 

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.

The Walk is expected to start around 9:30 a.m., but that may change. Stay tuned for a more formal announcement from the AHA. Meanwhile, registration for team captains and walkers is open!

 

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.