Author Archives: Tracey Koepke

Highlights of the week:

Turek Named to TIME 100

Congratulations to Dr. Joseph Turek, chief, pediatric cardiac surgery in the division of cardiovascular and thoracic surgery at Duke!

Turek has been named to the 2026 TIME100 Health List— recognizing the 100 most influential world leaders in health this year. The list was revealed online this past week and appears in the Feb. 23 issue of TIME magazine, which arrived at newsstands on Friday.

Turek is recognized for his and his team’s contributions toward expanding the heart transplant donor pool for infants with the use of new surgical techniques and approaches. It is believed these efforts could expand the donor pool by up to 20 percent.

“It’s wonderful to have this life-saving technique recognized with the hope that it can spread to help more babies in desperate need for heart transplant.”

Congratulations, Joe!

R01 Funding Received for HFpEF Trial

Congratulations to Marat Fudim, MD, MHS, associate professor of medicine in cardiology at Duke and to Andrew Ambrosy, MD, a former Duke cardiology fellow now with Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research. 

Fudim and Ambrosy have received R01 funding for the INFUSE HFpEF study, which will explore the use of intravenous iron in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) using ferric derisomaltose. According to Fudim, this will be the first multicenter study to evaluate whether IV iron improves function and quality of life in HFpEF patients. IV iron showed benefit to patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, or HFrEF, in the HEART FID trial.

Fudim and Ambrosy trained together at Duke as cardiology fellows and at the Duke Clinical Research Institute where, in various capacities, they each worked on the HEART FID trial during fellowship – now, five years later, they will serve as co-PIs on INFUSE HFPEF.

The multicenter research trial will be run out of the Duke Cardiology Clinical Research Unit.

Congratulations Marat and Andrew!

 

Karra Recognized for Teaching Excellence

Congratulations to Ravi Karra, MD, associate professor of medicine and pathology! We were recently notified by the Office of Biomedical Graduate Education at Duke that his course,  CMB-710A-03: CELL & MOLEC BIO MODULE I, is one of the most highly rated courses throughout the Duke School of Medicine and that Karra is rated one of the top instructors in the School of Medicine.

His teaching efforts make a big difference to students – and therefore to the academic mission of Duke.

Outstanding work, Ravi!

 

Shout-out to Salah

A big shout-out to Dr. Husam Salah for helping to cover (in a pinch!) a busy cardiac catheterization lab on Friday — from Dr. Jennifer Rymer.

Great teamwork, Husam!

 

Upcoming Events & Opportunities

February is Heart Month!

 

CD Fellows Core Curriculum Conference

Feb 18: HF/Tx case with Krunal Amin. Noon, DMP 7E39 and via Zoom.

Feb. 20: EP Case Presentation with Dorothy Avoke and Marcus Threadcraft. Noon, Zoom only.

Feb. 25: EP Case Presentation with Tess Mischler and Jemi Galani. Noon, DMP 7E39 and via Zoom.

MMCVI Grand Rounds

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

Feb. 19: LV Strain with Fawaz Alenezi

Feb. 26: Mitral Valve Pre-Interventional Imaging Screening with Fawaz Alenezi

Upcoming CME Activities:

2026 Duke Heart CMEs

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

• June 6: Duke Heart Failure Symposium — Course directors are Marat Fudim, Rob Mentz, Richa Agarwal, and Stephanie Barnes. Location: Durham Convention Center, Durham, NC.

 

• October 30: 18^th Annual NC Research Triangle Pulmonary Hypertension Symposium – Course directors are Terry Fortin, Sudar Rajagopal, and Jimmy Ford. Location: Durham Convention Center, Durham, NC.

Please save the dates!

 

Have news to share?

If you have news to share with the Pulse readership, please contact Tracey Koepke, director of communications for Duke Heart & Vascular at tracey.koepke@duke.edu. We would love to hear about your latest accomplishments, professional news, cool happenings, and any events or opportunities that may be of interest to our team. Please call me with any questions: 919-681-2868. Feedback on Pulse is welcome and encouraged. Submissions by Noon on Wednesdays will be considered for weekend inclusion.

 

Duke Heart in the News: 

February 3 — Harry Severance

ACEP Now

Are Hospital On-Call Services Still Sustainable?

February 5 — Nishant Shah

Medscape

Recent Dyslipidemia Research Prompts New Guidance

February 6 — Robert Califf

STAT/Morning Rounds

Food dye, TrumpRx, gender affirming care: Morning Rounds

February 6 — Jennifer Rymer

tctMD

In-Hospital STEMI Patients Face Reperfusion Delays and Worse Outcomes

February 9 — Robert Califf

The New York Times

A.I. Is Making Doctors Answer a Question: What Are They Really Good For?

February 9 — Larry Jackson

AHA Newsroom/Heart.org

How serious are heart palpitations? Causes, symptoms and when to worry

February 10 — Nishant Shah

Medscape

Cardiometabolic Control Eludes Many Adults With Hypertension

February 10 — Stephen Greene

Medscape

Burden of Heart Failure Persists Despite Quadruple Therapy

February 11 — Nishant Shah

TIME

The New Way to Predict Your Risk of a Heart Attack

February 11 — Joseph Turek

TIME

TIME 100 Health 2026

February 11 — Duke Clinical Research Institute

The Warren Record

Warren County to participate in effort to break the CPR training world record

February 11 — Amanda Randles

The EP Edit/EP Lab Digest

From Monitoring to Prediction: How Cardiovascular Digital Twins Could Transform Arrhythmia Care

February 12 — Joseph Turek

The Advisory Board

TIME names the 100 ‘Most Influential People in Health’

February 12 — Nishant Shah

Impacto Castex

Nueva calculadora online estima el riesgo cardíaco a 30 años: una alerta temprana ante amenazas silenciosas

February 12 — Marat Fudim

The American Scholar

The Heart of the Matter

 

Highlights of the week:

Celebrating National Wear Red Day

Thank you to everyone who participated in National Wear Red Day on Friday, Feb. 6, and to those who shared photos of their teams with us! Please continue to share photos with us as you raise awareness and celebrate National Heart Month throughout February.

Great job, everyone!

 

Stokes to Serve as Nurse Manager, DUH 6 East, Effective February 16, 2026

The Duke Heart & Vascular leadership team is pleased to announce that Jason Stokes, BSN, RN, CCRN, CN IV will become Nurse Manager Operations for Duke University Hospital’s Cardiothoracic Stepdown Unit 6 East effective February 16, 2026.

Stokes earned an ADN in 2009 and began his nursing career at Maria Parham Medical Center. He then joined the Duke Heart Team in 2012 on Unit 3100, the Cardiothoracic Stepdown Unit. In 2015, he moved to the Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit. In 2021 he obtained his BSN from Winston Salem State University. He then transitioned into the leadership role of Clinical Lead/Assistant Nurse Manager/CN IV Leader.

During his time at Duke, Stokes advanced on the clinical ladder by becoming a CNIV and has held a variety of roles on 7 West including Preceptor, Charge Nurse, Bed Flow Charge Nurse, Duke Moves Champion, Healthy Work Environment Facilitator/Champion, and Research Committee Facilitator. He continued to grow his skills both clinically and professionally by joining the Patient Response Team.

As a leader, he has been heavily involved with safety and quality initiatives, including pressure injury prevention. In collaboration with an interdisciplinary team, he helped create a first-of-its-kind lifting technique to “levitate” patients with an open chest. He went on to publish outcomes based on this initiative.

Stokes has assisted on many priorities via the research committee, including efforts to prevent delirium in ICU patients; improve patient/family satisfaction within the ICU; and to improve patient mobility using Virtual Reality technologies.

In 2024, Stokes was the recipient of the Mary Ann & Robert H. Peter award for Excellence in Nursing Practice through Duke Friends of Nursing. He has encouraged team building using the framework from the AACN to promote a Healthy Work Environment using team recognition and, with the help of the 7West HWE committee, has hosted an annual softball tournament that includes units and departments from across Duke University Health System to raise money for the American Heart Association.

Please join us in congratulating and welcoming Jason to his new role!

 

DUHS Updates:

Masking for Duke Heart

After discussion with our infection prevention colleagues, the Heart Center has ceased mandatory masking in the inpatient and procedural areas as of Tuesday, Feb. 3. Staff continue to have the option of masking for personal preference or per recommendation of EOHW. We will continue to monitor respiratory illnesses and communicable illness in partnership with our IP colleagues.

Thank you for your support to keep our staff and patients safe.

 

Community Organizers Must Adhere to Visitation, Solicitation Policies

The important work you and your teams do every day is closely connected to maintaining a safe, respectful, and secure environment for everyone at our facilities.

This week, community organizers were observed onsite at Duke University Hospital approaching staff, distributing flyers, and asking questions related to employment. While team members have the right to support or oppose community activism, all individuals onsite must comply with DUHS visitation and access policies. As you know, Duke has a longstanding practice of not permitting third party solicitation on our property.

Given this recent activity, we want to remind everyone that if you encounter individuals who appear to be onsite with no business purpose – or if something does not feel right – we ask that you follow our guidance that if you see something, say something. Concerns should be escalated through your leadership.

Thank you for continuing to show up for your people and for helping ensure our environment remains safe and focused on patient care. We appreciate your leadership and partnership.

With gratitude, DUHS Leadership

 

Upcoming Events & Opportunities

February is Heart Month!

CD Fellows Core Curriculum Conference

Feb. 11: DHP Case Presentation with Jonathan Kusner. Noon, DMP 7E39 and via Zoom.

Feb. 13: Nuclear Physics with Robert Reiman. Noon, Zoom only.

Feb 18: HF/Tx case with Krunal Amin. Noon, DMP 7E39 and via Zoom.

Feb. 20: EP Case Presentation with Dorothy Avoke and Marcus Threadcraft. Noon, Zoom only.

Feb. 25: EP Case Presentation with Tess Mischler and Jemi Galani. Noon, DMP 7E39 and via Zoom.

 

MMCVI Grand Rounds

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

Feb. 12: Mitral Stenosis with Jon Mark

Feb. 19: LV Strain with Fawaz Alenezi

Feb. 26: Mitral Valve Pre-Interventional Imaging Screening with Fawaz Alenezi

 

Upcoming CME Activities:

2026 Duke Heart CMEs

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

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

Please save the dates!

 

Have news to share?

If you have news to share with the Pulse readership, please contact Tracey Koepke, director of communications for Duke Heart & Vascular at tracey.koepke@duke.edu. We would love to hear about your latest accomplishments, professional news, cool happenings, and any events or opportunities that may be of interest to our team. Please call me with any questions: 919-681-2868. Feedback on Pulse is welcome and encouraged. Submissions by Noon on Wednesdays will be considered for weekend inclusion.

 

Duke Heart in the News: 

January 30 — Stephen Greene

tctMD

Even With Optimized GDMT, HFrEF Prognosis Remains Dire

February 2 — Stephen Greene

HCP Live

Addressing the Limitations of Quadruple Therapy in HFrEF, With Stephen Greene, MD

February 3 — Jay Lusk (PI/Margolis Institute)

Medscape

CGRPs for Migraine Tied to ‘Modest’ Heart Risk

February 4 — Duke University Hospital (Heart Care)

WNCN-TV (Raleigh/Durham)

Duke University Hospital ranks in the top 50 hospitals in the entire country for heart care

February 6 — Robert Califf

STAT/First Opinion

Former FDA commissioner: HHS leadership is focused on policy-based evidence, not evidence-based policy

Chief’s message:  Heart Month Begins

February kicks off Heart Month with a variety of activities and events to raise awareness for cardiovascular disease and the impact it has on so many of our communities.  We will have a wear Red day (Friday Februaary 6th), some outreach events in our community, there is a Triangle Heart ball at end of the month, and multiple CPR trainings, and BP check events.  I was also fortunate to be able to attend the Go Red – Red Dress Event in New York City this last week at the Lincoln center where Laura Linney hosted with Amy Grant and others performing.  Damar Hamlin was in attendance to raise awareness for resuscitation efforts and science, and we even had the winner of Best in Show from the Westminster Dog Show.  Some photos included from the event.

Highlights of the week:

Weather Update — Staying Safe

We hope all of you are enjoying the snow in central NC today! Looks like most of us got 3-4” of powdery snow – with some areas in the region getting nearly 10”. Stay safe and warm, and for emergency alert updates, please check the DukeALERT webpage.  

CT Surgery Team Members Receive Awards at STS 2026

The 62nd Society of Thoracic Surgeons Annual Meeting is being held this weekend (Jan. 29-Feb. 1, 2026) in New Orleans. We are thrilled to announce that several Duke Heart & Vascular team members have received Thoracic Surgery Foundation (TSF) awards  — these were announced during the meeting this weekend. TSF is the charitable arm of the STS, supporting research, education, innovation, and humanitarian outreach.

• Adam Williams, MD and Rebekah Boyd, MD — Every Heartbeat Matters Award. This award, made possible by the Edwards Lifesciences Foundation, provides support of up to $35,000 for qualified surgeons who conduct humanitarian work in underserved regions and populations. Williams helps lead our Duke Heart in Honduras outreach mission. Boyd is an active participant in the program. 
• Gabriel Esmailian, MD — Southern Thoracic Surgical Association (STSA) Resident Research Award. The STSA award provides up to $40,000 per year for up to two years to support the research fellowship of a resident who has not yet completed CT surgical training.
• Hiba Ghandour, MD — Catalyst Award for Data Access. This award provides support of up to $10,000 to cover data access costs and other direct costs.
• Kateryna Krynychka, MD — the Nina Starr Braunwald Research Fellowship Award. Nina Starr Braunwald, MD was the first woman to be certified by the American Board of Thoracic Surgery and the first woman to conduct open heart surgery. This research award in her name supports up to $55,000 per year for up to two years for a woman resident working in a cardiac surgical clinic or laboratory research program who has not yet completed cardiothoracic surgical training. Since the award’s inception, Braunwald Fellows have gone on to become established leaders within the field. The Braunwald Award is widely recognized as one of the specialty’s most prestigious research fellowships.

These awards highlight some of the great research and humanitarian efforts that are taking place within Duke’s Division of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery.

Congratulations to Adam, Kateryna, Hiba, Gabriel, and Rebekah!

 

MD-PhD Student Earns Competitive Fellowship to Advance Heart Regeneration Research

A Duke MD-PhD student has received a highly competitive American Heart Association predoctoral fellowship to support a collaborative research project aimed at understanding why the human heart loses its ability to regenerate after birth — a limitation that underlies heart failure and many cardiovascular diseases.

Ashley Williams, a fifth-year Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) student now in her third year of PhD training, earned the award for a project co-mentored by cardiologist Ravi Karra, MD, associate professor of medicine and pathology, and Yarui Diao, PhD, associate professor of cell biology. The project, Modulating ERBB2 Enhancers and Downstream Effectors to Promote Human Cardiomyocyte Proliferation in Cardiac Organoids, brings together advanced genomics technologies and a human cardiac organoid model to investigate how cardiomyocytes — the muscle cells of the heart — stop dividing shortly after birth.

“Heart failure affects more than six million Americans, and one of the biggest challenges is that the adult heart doesn’t regenerate,” Williams said. “My work focuses on understanding why cardiomyocytes lose that ability and whether we can identify genetic programs that could potentially be reactivated.”

Williams’ project uses stem-cell–derived cardiac organoids to model human heart tissue and applies innovative genomic tools developed in Diao’s lab — technology recently accepted for publication in Nature Biotechnology. The approach allows the team to study the genetic mechanisms that regulate cardiomyocyte proliferation in unprecedented detail.

“This project really sits at the intersection of basic science and clinical relevance,” said Karra, a principal investigator in the Duke Cardiovascular Research Center. “If we can understand the genetic wiring that allows the heart to regenerate early in life, it opens the door to therapies that could one day be truly curative.”

The fellowship provides partial stipend and tuition support and is awarded through a highly competitive national review process. Karra noted that Williams’ application scored in the eighth percentile. The fellowship award was effective Jan. 1.

“It’s a major achievement for a trainee,” he said. “It reflects both the strength of the science and Ashley’s potential as a future physician-scientist.”

Both mentors emphasized that Williams herself initiated the collaboration.

“She came to us with this idea and was brave enough to take on an extremely complex experimental system,” said Diao. “Very few trainees — even postdocs — can do this kind of work. She learned it, and she made the collaboration work.”

That collaboration has since expanded beyond a single project. According to Karra, Williams’ work helped catalyze ongoing partnerships between the two labs, multiple joint grant submissions, and the formation of a cardiac functional genomics group involving seven labs across campus.

“What’s remarkable is that this all started with a student,” Karra said. “Ashley is really the catalyst.”

Williams said the experience reflects the broader research culture at Duke.

“I had this idea, and instead of being told it wouldn’t work, people leaned in,” she said. “My mentors were open-minded, invested, and willing to build something new. That spirit of collaboration has been essential to the project’s success.”

As a future cardiologist and physician-scientist, Williams plans to continue caring for patients with heart failure and hopes to lead a research program focused on uncovering the biological mechanisms that drive disease.

“The goal is to connect discovery to patient care,” she said. “Being able to work in both spaces — the clinic and the lab — is what drew me to this path.”

For Diao, Williams represents the kind of trainee who defines the next generation of biomedical research.

“She’s not only a promising scientist,” he said. “She’s an amazing person — generous with her time, committed to mentorship, and driven by a desire to help others succeed.”

Congratulations, Ashley!

 

New Schedule for Structural Heart Inpatient Consults

The Duke Heart & Vascular Structural Heart Disease team is excited to introduce a new weekly schedule for inpatient consultations, starting Monday, February 2, 2026.

Each week, one structural attending will be assigned to staff consultations with the DHP fellow. In the event a procedure is required during the same admission, the advanced structural fellow will be involved. This new weekly schedule is designed to streamline the inpatient consult process, enhance the experience for referring providers, and provide greater access to SHD faculty for general fellows.

The full schedule is now available on Qgenda under the “SHD Consult Attending” section.

 

Great Catch Awarded to Erickson

Congratulations to Daniel Erickson, CNII, Cardiothoracic Surgery, Duke Hospital 6300! Daniel noticed that the medication barcode scan showed an incorrect dose, which could have led to a dosing error. By reporting the issue and escalating it to pharmacy, Daniel helped implement a system-wide fix so future doses scan correctly and generate appropriate warnings—preventing similar risks and improving safety for all patients.

Way to go, Daniel!

 

 

 

 

Kudos to Kim and Threadcraft

We received a wonderful note of kudos this week regarding the work of two outstanding cardiology fellows:

“I wanted to send kudos for the outstanding work Yoo Jin Kim and Marcus Threadcraft did this past week in the CICU. We had a week of great but complex pathology and physiology. The leadership of Yoo Jin and Marcus was unbelievable and their engagement really made a difference in the patients’ clinical care. They took ownership of all the patients on our side and diligently led their management. I was extremely impressed at how much they knew about the patients. In addition to extensive chart review, they also looked into the literature to help manage some complex and rare pathology. They also helped our APPs manage very tough cases and made exceptional contributions to care. Additionally, they both had amazing bedside manner and really made an effort to get to know both patients and families. They also anticipated next steps early and coordinated care between consulting and procedural teams masterfully. During code or peri-code situations I had no doubt either both would be at my side or be there before I got there. They took control of these situations effortlessly as well. Multiple patients, family members, nurses, APPs, and staff also complimented their excellent work to me during the course of the week. Both fellows certainly lived up to the standard of excellence we strive for at Duke Cardiology. I couldn’t be more proud of their work.” – Nishant Shah, MD

Way to go, Yoo Jin and Marcus!

 

Kudos to Applefeld and 7E APPs

We received a note of appreciation this week regarding care provided by Willard Applefeld, MD and the APPs on DMP 7East.

“I am writing to express my gratitude for Dr. Willard Applefeld. My mother has had a complicated admission. She was taken care of on 7East for a few days. During her time on 7East, she was cared for by Dr. Applefeld. He took time to really understand her case and listen to us. He was able to develop a good plan of care for her and get what she needs. He was always very respectful and caring. The APPs are wonderful as well, especially Taylor, Erika, Dave and Jordan.

Again, I am very thankful my mom was cared for by Dr. Applefeld. He is truly wonderful and an asset to your team.” — name withheld to protect patient privacy

Great work, Willard, Taylor, Erika, Dave & Jordan!

 

DUHS Updates

Responding to Critical Platelet Shortage

There is currently a critical nationwide shortage of platelets, primarily due to the impact of the recent winter weather disrupting donation drives and flight schedules. The American Red Cross, Duke’s primary supplier, predicts the situation will continue into the coming week. Winter weather this weekend could extend the shortage.

As a result, Duke leadership team members are closely monitoring inventory and actively reviewing the projected need for platelets within OR and clinic platforms on a daily basis. At the same time, they are working on mitigation strategies to maximize the distribution of all available product and exploring every available option for receiving additional supplies.

To ensure our ability to meet the demand for the highest priority patient cases, the team is reviewing every order for platelets. Pease only order in urgent/emergent circumstances.

We can all help improve the critical shortage by donating. The Red Cross Durham Platelet Donation Center, located on University Drive, has multiple donation opportunities in the coming days; other locations are available throughout the Triangle area. Please visit https://duke.is/4/fcs4 to visit the Red Cross website, make an appointment, and please encourage your friends and family members to donate as well. Thank you!

 

Upcoming Events & Opportunities

National Wear Red Day & Heart Month

February is Heart Month – and National Wear Red Day — part of the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women awareness campaign — is Friday, Feb. 6^th. Wear your red and get some team selfies – submit them to Tracey Koepke for inclusion in Pulse!

 

 

Cardiology Grand Rounds

Feb. 3: RV-PA Coupling- State of the Art with Khodr Tello, MD. 5 p.m., DN 2002 and via Zoom.

CD Fellows Core Curriculum Conference

Feb. 11: DHP Case Presentation with Jonathan Kusner. Noon, DMP 7E39 and via Zoom.

Feb. 13: Nuclear Physics with Robert Reiman. Noon, Zoom only.

Feb 18: HF/Tx case with Krunal Amin. Noon, DMP 7E39 and via Zoom.

Feb. 20: EP Case Presentation with Dorothy Avoke and Marcus Threadcraft. Noon, Zoom only.

Feb. 25: EP Case Presentation with Tess Mischler and Jemi Galani. Noon, DMP 7E39 and via Zoom.

 

MMCVI Grand Rounds

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

Feb. 5: Quality in the Echo lab with Ashlee Davis

Feb. 12: Mitral Stenosis with Jon Mark

Feb. 19: LV Strain with Fawaz Alenezi

Feb. 26: Mitral Valve Pre-Interventional Imaging Screening with Fawaz Alenezi

 

School of Medicine Events:

Research Symposium: Metabolism and Health Across the Lifespan

February 5, 2026 from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Great Hall, Trent Semans Center for Health Education

The event includes the Dr. Robert J. Lefkowitz Distinguished Lecture by Dr. Daniel Drucker: “Emerging Indications, Molecules, and Mechanisms for GLP-1 Medicines.” Scheduled speakers also include Leanna Ross, PhD and Svati Shah, MD, MHS.

Registration

Upcoming CME Activities:

2026 Duke Heart CMEs

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

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

Please save the dates!

Have news to share?

If you have news to share with the Pulse readership, please contact Tracey Koepke, director of communications for Duke Heart & Vascular at tracey.koepke@duke.edu. We would love to hear about your latest accomplishments, professional news, cool happenings, and any events or opportunities that may be of interest to our team. Please call me with any questions: 919-681-2868. Feedback on Pulse is welcome and encouraged. Submissions by Noon on Wednesdays will be considered for weekend inclusion.

Duke Heart in the News: 

January 24 — Nina Nouhravesh

El Debate

Cuantos huevos se pueden comer a la semana sin afectar la salud?

January 26 — Krish Dewan

Cardiovascular Business

Heavy cannabis use may not impact heart surgery outcomes

January 26 — Mugdha Joshi

tctMD

Telemedicine May Adversely Impact Care Quality for HF Patients

January 28 — Adrian Hernandez and Danny Benjamin

The Duke Chronicle

NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya talks ‘replication crisis’ at Duke panel, omits funding cuts

January 28 — Stephen Greene

Cardiovascular Business

Heart failure patients on quadruple medical therapy still face considerable risks

January 29 — Matthew Hartwig

Scientific American

Doctors keep patient alive using ‘artificial lungs’ for two days

January 29 — Stephen Greene

Conexiant

Quadruple Therapy in HFrEF: What Happens Next?

Chief’s message:  Winter storms  

 Hope everyone is staying warm as winter storms come across the east coast.  Please note our Health systems activation of essential services until 11:30 AM currently Monday.  We will continue to re-assess over the weekend. As we get ready for February and heart month we will be sure to share updates and work of our teams across the multiple areas that we connect with our community.  Stay warm.

Highlights of the week:

Weather Update — Staying Safe

We hope all of you are staying safe and warm as winter storm Fern approaches our area.

As a result of expected hazardous conditions resulting from accumulations of ice, Duke University and Duke University Health System has activated the severe weather and emergency conditions policy from 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 24 through 11:30 a.m. Monday, Jan. 26. A decision will be made on Sunday, Jan. 25, on whether to extend the policy based on conditions across the region.

During times of severe weather, some staff positions require on-site presence to continue operations. All jobs should be assigned a service category by their manager to ensure continuous operations of patient care, student support, and research functions. The three categories are:

• Essential Service: during severe weather/emergency conditions, essential service staff report or remain at work. Transportation service and childcare services may be provided for those required to work during severe weather/emergency conditions.
• Reserve Service: during severe weather/emergency conditions, reserve service staff are assigned a status at the time of severe weather/emergency conditions.
• Delayed Service: during severe weather/emergency conditions, delayed service staff do not report to work or remain at work.

Roads, especially bridges and overpasses, are likely to become slick and hazardous during this time as overnight temperatures are projected to drop into single digits Monday night into Tuesday morning. Individuals should also avoid walking under trees that may be stressed with ice accumulations.

Duke crews are pre-treating and applying brine solution to campus streets, outdoor stairways, walkways, and entries to parking facilities. Crews will be on-site ready to respond during the weekend.

Operational Updates:

• Parking: medical staff should avoid parking in surface lots throughout the weekend so that crews can safely remove snow and ice. Access to all Medical Center garages (PG1, PG2, PG3, and Research Drive Garage) began on Friday with any parking permit.
• Bus routes: continued operation will depend on weather and road conditions. Every effort will be made to maintain service on the C-1 route; Duke community members should monitor Duke TransLoc for real-time updates on transit routes.
• Downed trees: Downed trees or large limbs should be reported to the Facilities Snow Desk (919-660-4280), and crews will be prepared to respond, as needed.

Duke community members are encouraged to stay informed by checking the DukeALERT website (https://emergency.duke.edu), as well as the Campus Service Updates web page for additional updates on parking lots, bus routes, dining facilities, and stores.

Thank you to everyone who is staying on-site to care for inpatients during the storm – we appreciate you!

 

December Funding Awards — Cardiology

Congratulations to the following cardiology faculty for receiving sponsored and industry-sponsored research awards in December 2025.

Sponsored Research

• Sudarshan Rajagopal has received a sub-award (1UG3HL180990-01) through Stanford University for a project entitled “1/2 A Phase 2 Study of Elafin (Tiprelestat) for the Treatment of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH).” Total funding will be $82,989.

Industry-Sponsored Research

• Stephen Greene has received an award from AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, LP for a project entitled “REFOCUS-HTN US.” Total funding will be $2,022,948.
• Neha Pagidipati has received an award from Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH for a project entitled “BI OBESITY+ DESIGN STUDIO – MASLD, Switch, Women’s Health.” Total funding will be $100,685.
• Sean Pokorney has received an award from Biotronik, Inc. for a project entitled “Independent Core Lab.” Total funding will be $584,644.
• Nishant Shah has received an award from Kardigan Inc. for a project entitled “Biomarkers in Acute Severe Hypertension (ASH): Analysis of Clinical Blood Samples from patients presenting to the ED and/or admitted with a diagnosis of Acute Severe Hypertension or recorded SBP � 180 mmHg.” Total funding will be $219,675.
• Sreekanth Vemulapalli has received an award from the American Heart Association for a project entitled “AHA AI HCM.” Total funding will be $543,793.

Congratulations to all!

 

Join Pagidipati and Research Goes Red

Neha Pagidipati, MD, is serving as a 2026 Clinical Lead for the American Heart Association’s (AHA) Research Goes Red initiative. Let’s help her with her recruitment push so that Duke can have a great showing this year!

What is Research Goes Red?

Historically, clinical studies haven’t included enough women, particularly women of color. As of 2020, women represent only 38% of research participants. We need women to be equally represented, allowing us to understand their specific risks, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment.

Research Goes Red is an AHA-led initiative calling on women across the United States to contribute to health research. The AHA’s vision for Research Goes Red is to create the world’s most engaged and largest women’s health registry and research platform designed to put women directly in the driver’s seat to accelerate our understanding of how cardiovascular disease uniquely impacts women.

Both healthy women and those with an episodic or chronic health condition are encouraged to participate in research. The more we know about women and their overall health and well-being, the better we can treat, beat, and prevent cardiovascular disease.

Be on the lookout for flyers, posters, and postcards in the clinics. It’s easy for anyone to sign up for Research Goes Red – just look for the QR code and scan it. If you have any questions regarding how best to support Neha in this recruitment drive, please let her know.

 

Cardiac Sarcoidosis and Arrhythmias Support Meeting Held

Our Duke Heart Sarcoidosis team held a successful second gathering of their Sarcoidosis Patient Support Group this week. The event, Cardiac Sarcoidosis and Arrhythmias, was held on Wednesday, Jan. 21, with excellent presentations — including one by electrophysiologist Daniel Friedman, MD, who was the key presenter on heart abnormalities that can be seen in this patient population. Johana Fajardo, one of our excellent Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Nurse Practitioners, planned and moderated the meeting, which had more than 40 patients registered to attend.

Great job, everyone!

 

 

ICYMI: Duke Network Services Becomes Duke Health Affiliations & Networks

For more than 30 years, Duke Network Services has supported a wide range of community-based specialty and hospital affiliations by connecting them with the world-class expertise of Duke Health. However, the department’s name caused many people to think it was responsible for IT or technology at Duke.

As a result, Duke Network Services is now known as Duke Health Affiliations & Networks – a new name that better conveys the department’s mission to collaborate with community hospitals that advance patient safety and clinical quality, improve community health, and facilitate access to expert care and research.

We look forward to our continued partnership with the team!

 

Mandatory Masking on Heart Units; Tier 2 Visitation Restrictions

As of Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, Duke Heart has implemented mandatory masking for staff and is strongly recommending them for visitors. Meanwhile, Duke has moved to Tier 2 Visitation Restrictions as of Jan. 6. Complete information is available on Duke Health Now.

 

Upcoming Events & Opportunities

National Wear Red Day & Heart Month

February is Heart Month – and National Wear Red Day — part of the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women awareness campaign — is Friday, Feb. 6^th. Wear your red and get some team selfies – submit them to Tracey Koepke for inclusion in Pulse!

 

 

Cardiology Grand Rounds

Feb. 3: RV-PA Coupling- State of the Art with Khodr Tello, MD. 5 p.m., DN 2002 and via Zoom.

CD Fellows Core Curriculum Conference

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

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

 

MMCVI Grand Rounds

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

Jan. 29: NO CONFERENCE

Feb. 5: Quality in the Echo lab with Ashlee Davis

Feb. 12: Mitral Stenosis with Jon Mark

Feb. 19: LV Strain with Fawaz Alenezi

Feb. 26: Mitral Valve Pre-Interventional Imaging Screening with Fawaz Alenezi

Medicine Grand Rounds

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

 

DCRI 30^th Anniversary Forum Series

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

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

School of Medicine Events:

School of Medicine Forum

January 29, 2026 at 12:00 PM

Join leadership to discuss strategic priorities for education, research, clinical care, and community partnership. Your input is essential as we shape the future together.

Join the Webinar  |  Add to Your Calendar

Research Symposium: Metabolism and Health Across the Lifespan*

*Speakers include Leanna Ross, PhD and Svati Shah, MD, MHS

February 5, 2026 from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Great Hall, Trent Semans Center for Health Education

Includes the Dr. Robert J. Lefkowitz Distinguished Lecture by Dr. Daniel Drucker: “Emerging Indications, Molecules, and Mechanisms for GLP-1 Medicines.”

Registration

 

Upcoming CME Activities:

2026 Duke Heart CMEs

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

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

Please save the dates!

 

Have news to share?

If you have news to share with the Pulse readership, please contact Tracey Koepke, director of communications for Duke Heart & Vascular at tracey.koepke@duke.edu. We would love to hear about your latest accomplishments, professional news, cool happenings, and any events or opportunities that may be of interest to our team. Please call me with any questions: 919-681-2868. Feedback on Pulse is welcome and encouraged. Submissions by Noon on Wednesdays will be considered for weekend inclusion.

Duke Heart in the News: 

January 20 — Nishant Shah

Everyday Health

Heartburn or Heart Attack? How to Tell the Difference

January 21 — Neha Pagidipati

Science Friday podcast

Looking Beyond Statins For New Ways To Lower Cholesterol

January 22 — Duke Health

Becker’s Hospital Review

100 hospitals and health systems with great heart programs (2025)

Highlights of the week:

CVRC Mandel Awards

We’re excited to share the Duke Cardiovascular Research Center’s latest Mandel Award winners. These awards have a one-year project period starting January 1, 2026.  The awards include five Mandel Seed Awards at $51,656 and two Mandel Bridge Awards at $53,178.

Our Mandel Seed Award winners are:

Rohit Singh, PhD, Assistant Professor in the Departments of Biostatistics & Bioinformatics and Cell Biology, with Charles Gersbach, PhD, John W. Strohbehn Distinguished Professor of Biomedical Engineering, for the project: Comprehensive Characterization of the Genetic Contributions to Dilated Cardiomyopathy.

Heart failure is a major public health burden and is projected to affect nearly 8 million Americans by 2030. Hypertension is known to cause dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), which accounts for 30– 40% of all heart failure cases. DCM has a strong genetic basis, with both familial and sporadic forms linked to pathogenic variants or mutations in genes. However, only ~25% of all DCM cases have a genetic cause that has been identified. Moreover, large-scale studies recently identified over 100 genetic regions and sequences associated with increased risk of developing DCM, though the vast majority of causal genetic variants within these regions and others remain unmapped. Together these data provide strong evidence that there are many unknown genes and related sequences yet to be discovered that cause DCM. The goal of our study is to establish a comprehensive genetic map of drivers of DCM, providing novel insights into disease processes, new tools for evaluating patient risk, and a foundation for developing genetically informed therapies.

 

Stephanie Kereliuk, PhD, a Mandel Fellow and post-doctoral associate in surgery, with Walter J. Koch, PhD, professor in Surgery, Pharmacology and Cancer Biology for the project: Heart to Fat Communication: Defining the Cardiac Secretome in Obesity and Beyond

Obesity is a key risk factor in the development of heart disease, yet the mechanisms linking excess body fat to cardiac dysfunction remain poorly understood. Recent research shows that the heart releases signaling molecules that allows it to communicate with other organs, especially during metabolic stress such as obesity. However, the identity of these cardiac signaling molecules, and how they change in disease are still unknown. Our lab has developed a novel mouse that allows us to tag and identify proteins secreted by heart cells. This powerful tool allows us to map, for the first time, the molecules that the heart releases, known as the cardiac secretome, under both healthy and diseased conditions. With support from the Mandel Foundation and this Seed Grant, we will use our innovative mouse to identify the cardiac secreted factors altered by obesity and determine how they affect fat tissue and metabolism. By uncovering these molecular signals, we aim to reveal new ways the heart communicates with fat and other organs, leading the way for the development of future treatments for cardiovascular and metabolic disease.

 

Guofang Zhang, PhD, associate professor in endocrinology, metabolism, and nutrition, with Deborah Muoio, PhD, George Barth Geller Distinguished Professor of Cardiovascular Disease for the project: Exploring the interplay between ketolysis and heme biosynthesis in hypertrophied and failing hearts

Due to its vital role as a continuously working muscle that pumps blood to all other organs in the body, the heart requires an enormous amount of energy. Accordingly, cardiac muscle is densely packed with tiny biological batteries called mitochondria–cellular powerhouses that transform energy from the food we eat to a form of biochemical energy that keeps the heart pumping. When the heart is healthy, its mitochondria are metabolically omnivorous, feeding indiscriminately off sugar, fat, and/or fat-derived ketones. By contrast, when hearts become abnormally enlarged due to high blood pressure, their mitochondria become less metabolically flexible and more heavily dependent on ketones. Concomitantly, in an effort to adapt to new physiological circumstances, stressed hearts attempt to expand and remodel their mitochondria via a process that requires an essential building block known as heme. Recently, our lab uncovered new evidence that a high rate of heme synthesis, needed to bolster mitochondrial power output, is incompatible with heavy dependence on ketone metabolism. This setting of metabolic inflexibility, ketone dependency, and a simultaneous need for the heart to rebuild its electrical grid appears to create an energy crisis that triggers a downward spiral towards cardiac decline and heart failure. The proposed SEED project aims to develop new research methods and tools that will help us fully understand and ultimately combat the foregoing mitochondrial energy crisis, thereby advancing our long-term goal of guiding novel therapeutic strategies for treating and preventing cardiometabolic diseases.

 

Andrew Cangelosi, PhD, post-doctoral associate in the Duke Molecular Physiology Institute, with Christopher Newgard, PhD, W. David and Sarah W. Stedman Distinguished Professor of Nutrition in the School of Medicine and professor of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology for the project: Investigating Chchd5 as a novel regulator of cardiovascular disease through a liver-heart axis

To better prevent and treat cardiovascular diseases (CVD) – the top cause of death worldwide – we must find new ways to improve heart health. Heart function is closely connected to and influenced by other organs, particularly the liver. For instance, liver disease caused by obesity is increasingly common and is strongly associated with CVD. Our lab has recently discovered a gene (Chchd5) that controls the health of liver cells during obesity. Blocking this gene alters liver metabolism and improves liver health, but the potential impact on heart health and disease is unknown. This project will study how Chchd5 affects heart metabolism, and how this influences heart function and the development of CVD. Understanding how Chchd5 affects liver and heart health may provide a new avenue to fight the CVD epidemic.

 

Jessica Regan, MD, assistant professor of medicine in cardiology, with Svati Shah, MD, MHS, Ursula Geller Distinguished Professor of Research in Cardiovascular Diseases and professor of medicine in cardiology, and William Kraus, MD, Richard and Pat Johnson University Distinguished Professor and professor of medicine in cardiology for the project: Skeletal Muscle Cellular Composition and Molecular Pathways at a Single Cell Level in Clonal Hematopoiesis and Exercise Response

Clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) is the age-related accumulation of DNA mutations in blood cells and has been associated with higher levels of inflammation and increased risk of heart disease. Traditional risk factors for heart disease are primarily metabolic in origin, including obesity, sedentary lifestyle and pre-diabetes. These conditions are associated with higher levels of inflammation and exercise training can decrease this inflammation. Healthy skeletal muscle function is a critical element for exercise capacity and training but has been understudied in heart disease. CHIP can impact multiple organ systems, including heart, liver and kidney, but the potential impact of inflammation on skeletal muscle and changes with exercise training have not been explored. In this study, we will use skeletal muscle from participants who are overweight with pre-diabetes who joined a 6-month exercise program. We will evaluate RNA changes at a single-cell level to understand detailed composition and differences with both CHIP and exercise training. Paired analysis of baseline and follow-up samples will allow us to understand skeletal muscle predictors of response to exercise training. This knowledge may uncover new ways to treat heart and metabolic diseases.

 

Our two Mandel Bridge Award winners are:

Christopher D. Kontos, MD, professor of medicine in cardiology for his project: The Role of Caskin2 in Prevention of Vascular Calcification

Atherosclerosis causes obstruction of coronary, peripheral, and cerebral blood vessels and remains a leading cause of death and disability as it results in heart attacks, strokes, and limb amputations. Atherosclerosis is often associated with vascular calcification in each of these vascular beds, and the presence of calcification in blood vessels is associated with worse outcomes. How vascular calcification occurs remains poorly understood, but better understanding of this process may lead to improved treatments for cardiovascular diseases. We have identified a protein in vascular cells called Caskin2 and have found that it is required for quiescence of endothelial cells, which line all blood vessels. We have recently found that Caskin2 is also in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), which make up the muscular layer of blood vessels and are largely responsible for the calcification that occurs in atherosclerosis. We have discovered that loss of Caskin2 in these VSMCs results in increased calcification in isolated smooth muscle cells, suggesting that Caskin2 may be a natural inhibitor of vascular calcification. In this application, we propose to identify mechanisms by which Caskin2 may have its beneficial effects on vascular calcification. In addition, we have generated mice in which Caskin2 can be deleted or increased specifically in VSMCs, and we will test its effects on vascular calcification in these mice. Completing these studies will shed light on this important process and may lead to the development of treatments for the harmful calcium deposits that occur in many patients with cardiovascular disease.

 

Sudha K. Shenoy, PhD, professor of medicine in cardiology, for her project: Biased Allosteric Modulators of the Glucagon Receptor: A Novel Strategy to Improve Cardiac Function and Glucose Homeostasis

Heart disease and type 2 diabetes (T2D) are among the most prevalent and serious health challenges, affecting millions of individuals worldwide. A key hormone called glucagon helps regulate blood sugar levels, but when its signaling becomes dysregulated, it can contribute to both hyperglycemia and heart failure. While current drugs that activate or block the glucagon receptor (GCGR) can offer therapeutic benefits, they often come with significant side effects due to their broad and non-selective actions. Our research focuses on discovering novel small molecule compounds that can fine-tune GCGR signaling— rather than fully activating or inhibiting the receptor. These compounds aim to preserve beneficial effects on blood sugar and heart function while minimizing adverse outcomes. This innovative approach could lead to safer and more effective treatments for both diabetes and cardiovascular disease. This project was initially supported by a Mandel Seed Award, which enabled us to generate key preliminary data and submit an NIH R01 grant application. Unfortunately, the review of this application has been delayed due to the ongoing government shutdown and associated funding disruptions. Bridge support from the Mandel Foundation would allow us to continue critical experiments during this gap period, ensuring momentum toward developing transformative therapies for heart failure and diabetes.

Congratulations to all!

 

DUHS Update: Prioritizing Safety: Parking & Vehicle Security Awareness

Duke University Hospital Operations leadership issued a notice on Friday, Jan. 16, to make the Duke Health community aware of recent vehicle break-ins occurring across Durham, including areas around Duke University Hospital and some of our surrounding locations.

Duke teams are actively working with local law enforcement and security partners, increasing patrols where appropriate, and following up on available information. While this activity is not isolated to any one location, the team shared practical reminders that can help reduce risk:

Parking Safety Tips

• Avoid leaving valuables in your vehicle whenever possible.
• If items must be left in a vehicle, place them in the trunk before arriving.
• Lock your vehicle and ensure windows are fully closed.
• Be mindful of your surroundings when parking or returning to your vehicle, especially in larger or less-populated lots.
• Take note of individuals sitting in vehicles for extended periods or vehicles parked unusually close when other spaces are available.
• Whenever possible, park near lighting, entrances, or other vehicles.
• Trust your instincts — if something doesn’t look right, report it promptly.

Across the health system, we continue to work collaboratively on enhanced security measures, informed by ongoing assessments and coordination with our partners. Adjustments will continue as needed to support safety across our locations. If you observe suspicious behavior, have concerns, or need assistance, please contact local law enforcement, security at your location, or use the LiveSafe app.

Thank you for your continued awareness and partnership in helping keep our Duke Health community safe.

 

Mandatory Masking on Heart Units; Tier 2 Visitation Restrictions

As of Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, Duke Heart has implemented mandatory masking for staff and is strongly recommending them for visitors. Meanwhile, Duke has moved to Tier 2 Visitation Restrictions as of Jan. 6. Complete information is available on Duke Health Now.

 

Upcoming Events & Opportunities

National Wear Red Day & Heart Month

February is Heart Month – and National Wear Red Day — part of the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women awareness campaign — is Friday, Feb. 6^th. Wear your red and get some team selfies – submit them to Tracey Koepke for inclusion in Pulse!

 

Cardiology Grand Rounds

Feb. 3: RV-PA Coupling- State of the Art with Khodr Tello, MD. 5 p.m., DN 2002 and via Zoom.

 

CD Fellows Core Curriculum Conference

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

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

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

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

 

MMCVI Grand Rounds

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

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

Jan. 29: NO CONFERENCE

Feb. 5: Quality in the Echo lab with Ashlee Davis

Feb. 12: Mitral Stenosis with Jon Mark

Feb. 19: LV Strain with Fawaz Alenezi

Feb. 26: Mitral Valve Pre-Interventional Imaging Screening with Fawaz Alenezi

 

Medicine Grand Rounds

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

 

DCRI Research Forum: A Fireside Chat with Jag Singh, MD, PhD

Please join us for DCRI Research Forum on Thursday, Jan. 22, when they will host cardiologist and author Jag Singh, MD, PhD for a fireside chat.

Singh is a Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and former Clinical Director of the Cardiology Division and the Roman W. DeSanctis Endowed Chair in Cardiology at Mass General Hospital, Boston. Singh is also the author of the book Future Care: Sensors, Artificial Intelligence, and the Reinvention of Medicine, which explores the upswell of virtual care, the evolving role of sensors, and the impact of artificial intelligence in medicine, targeted at patients, healthcare professionals, caregivers and readers interested in big ideas and the future of humankind.

What: DCRI Research Forum: A Fireside Chat with Jag Singh, MD, PhD

When: Noon-1 p.m., Thursday, January 22.

Where: Zoom

Webinar ID: 940 1213 9236 | Passcode: 649097

DCRI 30^th Anniversary Forum Series

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

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

School of Medicine Events:

School of Medicine Forum

January 29, 2026 at 12:00 PM

Join leadership to discuss strategic priorities for education, research, clinical care, and community partnership. Your input is essential as we shape the future together.

Join the Webinar  |  Add to Your Calendar

Research Symposium: Metabolism and Health Across the Lifespan*

*Speakers include Leanna Ross, PhD and Svati Shah, MD, MHS

February 5, 2026 from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Great Hall, Trent Semans Center for Health Education

Includes the Dr. Robert J. Lefkowitz Distinguished Lecture by Dr. Daniel Drucker: “Emerging Indications, Molecules, and Mechanisms for GLP-1 Medicines.”

Registration

Upcoming CME Activities:

2026 Duke Heart CMEs

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

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

Please save the dates!

 

Have news to share?

If you have news to share with the Pulse readership, please contact Tracey Koepke, director of communications for Duke Heart & Vascular at tracey.koepke@duke.edu. We would love to hear about your latest accomplishments, professional news, cool happenings, and any events or opportunities that may be of interest to our team. Please call me with any questions: 919-681-2868. Feedback on Pulse is welcome and encouraged. Submissions by Noon on Wednesdays will be considered for weekend inclusion.

Duke Heart in the News: 

January 9 — William Kraus

Men’s Health

Which Workout Helps Cholesterol More: Weights or Cardio?

January 11 — Monique Starks

The Duke Chronicle

Duke researchers deploy drones to speed AED delivery in cardiac emergencies

January 12 — Monique Starks

Dronelife

Duke Researchers Deploy Drones for AED Delivery in Cardiac Arrest Study

January 12 — Duke Health

Victoria Advocate (TX)

How Heart Attacks Differ in Women and How the Community Can Take Action

January 12 — William Kraus

Men’s Health (en Espanol)

¿Qué entrenamiento ayuda más al colesterol: pesas o cardio?

January 13 — William Kraus

Men’s Health SA

Lower Your Cholesterol with These Workouts Backed by Science

January 14 — Brian MacGrory

Breaking Med

Migraine CGRP Inhibitors Tied to Modest Cardiovascular Events

January 15 — William Kraus

Today

Try 1 Simple Diet Change to Reduce Heart Disease Risk and Lose Weight

January 15 — Harry Severance

Medscape

‘There’s No Help’: How Doctors Cope With Workplace Violence

Chief’s message:  Happy New Year and End of Era

We return with the weekly Pulse for 2026 and hope you all had a happy and healthy new year.  We return with great energy and work towards our goals.  We appreciate all the faculty, fellows, residents, and staff that helped cover the holiday weeks.

We have several updates below.  The most notable being that Saturday night there was an event to honor Dr. Donald Glower and his wife Sue Ann Glower as he is retiring for CT surgery.  Dr. Glower has been a consistent north star in our heart center and cardio-thoracic surgical division – expanding and innovating mitral valve surgery including bringing minimally invasive surgery to our group, training countless surgical residents, and serving our patients and community over 45 years while performing over 7500 heart surgeries.  It was telling to hear the number of surgeons, cardiologists, anesthesiologists,APPs, OR nurses, ICU team members, perfusionists, and others that attended and provided their appreciation for the teamwork, culture and patient centered care that Dr. Glower embodied.  Funny stores, gifts and Jumbo Honey Buns were shared. We hope Dr. Glower has a wonderful time in retirement.

Highlights of the week:

Happy New Year!

On behalf of the leadership team for Duke Heart & Vascular, we wish each of you a very happy, healthy, and safe 2026!

Glower Celebrated, Officially Retires from Duke

Last night, members of the Division of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, leadership of Duke Heart & Vascular, CT Anesthesiology, and supporting teams from across Duke gathered to celebrate surgeon Dr. Donald Glower and his wife, Sue Ann Glower as he retires from Duke. The gathering was held on Saturday, Jan. 10 at the University Club in Durham.

After a reception and dinner, remarks in celebration of his long career were made by numerous colleagues and former trainees. Led by Dr. Carmelo Milano, speakers included senior surgeons Drs. Peter Smith, David Harpole, and Tommy D’Amico; Drs. Manesh Patel, Andrew Wang (who read four patient letters honoring Glower), and Jill Engel from cardiology and Duke Heart & Vascular leadership; Drs. Jeff Gaca, Chad Hughes, Jeff Keenan, Adam Williams, Shu Lin, Brittany Zwischenberger, Andrew Vekstein, and Joe Turek from Duke CT Surgery; Drs. Mihai Podgoreanu and Mark Newman of anesthesiology; Richard Sabulsky spoke, representing the CT Surgery physician assistants; Jennifer Ritz spoke, representing OR nursing, as did Sandra Halloway, representing the perfusion team.

The evening was filled with camaraderie, gratitude, well-deserved accolades, lots of laughter, and tributes to his much-loved honey-buns and driver’s caps.

  

Congratulations, Dr. Glower – you will be missed in the OR!

A longer piece in recognition of Dr. Glower’s accomplishments and contributions to the field of cardiovascular and thoracic surgery will appear in the coming weeks.

Rymer Named Program Director, IC Fellowship

Congratulations to interventional cardiologist Jennifer Rymer, MD, MBA! She has been named program director of our Interventional Cardiology Fellowship program. She is taking the reins from Schuyler Jones, MD, who continues to serve as medical director of the cardiac catheterization lab.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shout-outs to Kusner, Haywood, Akunor, Arshad, Sink & Champion!

A big shout-out to cardiology fellows Jon Kusner and Hubie Haywood from the Cardiac Diagnostic Unit for being spectacular fellows and making December a wonderful month!

Also, a shout-out to Harriet Akunor, Verda Arshad, Josh Sink, and Cosette Champion for filling in spots where we needed backup.

Having only two fellows for the whole month was rough but Jon and Hubie made the month go by smoothly! — Kelly Shull, MSN, RN, NCME, Clinical Nurse III, Cardiac Diagnostic Unit

 

Newest Guidelines for Management of Adult Congenital Heart Disease Published

The American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association recently released the statement below regarding publication of updated Guidelines for the Management of Adults with Congenital Heart Disease:

The American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the American Heart Association (AHA), along with several other leading medical associations, issued new guidelines for managing congenital heart disease in adults. The guideline was jointly published on Dec. 18, 2025 in JACC, the flagship journal of the American College of Cardiology, and Circulation, the flagship journal of the American Heart Association.

Congenital heart disease—being born with defects in the heart’s structure—is the most common birth defect. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it affects nearly 1% of births, or about 40,000 babies per year, in the U.S. Advances in surgical treatments over the last few decades have contributed to over 90% of babies born with heart defects in the United States now surviving well into adulthood. This has led to a rapidly growing population of adults with congenital heart disease (ACHD) who remain at increased risk of cardiac complications as they age, despite early interventions.

The new guidelines provide updated recommendations for monitoring, counseling and treating adults with congenital heart disease. It includes evidence from research published between 2017-2024 and replaces the previous guidance issued in 2018.

Duke cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon, Dr. Tracy Geoffrion, is a co-author.

To see the manuscript for 2025 ACC/AHA/HRS/ISACHD/SCAI Guideline for the Management of Adults With Congenital Heart Disease, please visit either of the following links: JACC, Circulation.

Congratulations, Tracy!

 

Mandatory Masking on Heart Units; Tier 2 Visitation Restrictions

As of Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, Duke Heart has implemented mandatory masking for staff and is strongly recommending them for visitors. Meanwhile, Duke has moved to Tier 2 Visitation Restrictions as of Jan. 6. Complete information is available on Duke Health Now.

 

DUHS Leadership Update

Ian Lee Brown has been named Duke University Health System’s next Chief Community Health & Social Impact Officer. The position reports directly to the Chief Executive Officer, DUHS with a dotted-line reporting relationship to Stelfanie Williams, Vice President for Community Affairs, Duke University, reflecting the close strategic alignment between Duke Health and the University’s community engagement efforts.  

In the interim at DUHS, Ian will report directly to Tom Owens, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of DUHS. Ian will continue to serve as a key member of our senior leadership team.

As Chief Community Health & Social Impact Officer, Ian will lead a comprehensive, system-wide strategy to improve community health outcomes and advance long-term well-being for the populations we serve. He will oversee DUHS’s Office of Community Health and work in very close partnership with our academic partners, population health colleagues, and teams in Duke Community Affairs which focus on critical issues such as economic mobility, education, and nonprofit capacity, as well as civic leaders to address the social and structural drivers of health. He will represent Duke Health in regional and national forums on community health and population well-being. 

Congratulations, Ian!

 

Upcoming Events & Opportunities

National Wear Red Day & Heart Month

February is Heart Month – and National Wear Red Day — part of the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women awareness campaign — is Friday, Feb. 6^th. Wear your red and get some team selfies – submit them to Tracey Koepke for inclusion in Pulse!

Cardiology Grand Rounds

Jan. 13: Percutaneous Management of High Risk Pulmonary Embolism with Daniel Loriaux, MD. 5 p.m., DN 2002 and via Zoom.

 

CD Fellows Core Curriculum Conference

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

MMCVI Grand Rounds

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

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

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

Jan. 29: NO CONFERENCE

Feb. 5: Quality in the Echo lab with Ashlee Davis

Feb. 12: Mitral Stenosis with Jon Mark

Feb. 19: LV Strain with Fawaz Alenezi

Feb. 26: Mitral Valve Pre-Interventional Imaging Screening with Fawaz Alenezi

 

Medicine Grand Rounds

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

 

DCRI 30^th Anniversary Forum Series

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

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

MLK Jr. Commemoration, Jan. 13

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

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

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

 

Upcoming CME Activities:

2026 Duke Heart CMEs

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

• June 6: Duke Heart Failure Symposium — Course directors are Marat Fudim, Rob Mentz, Richa Agarwal, and Stephanie Barnes. Location: Durham Convention Center, Durham, NC. To register, please visit https://events.duke.edu/DukeHF2026. 
• October 30: 18^th Annual NC Research Triangle Pulmonary Hypertension Symposium – Course directors are Terry Fortin, Sudar Rajagopal, and Jimmy Ford. Location: Durham Convention Center, Durham, NC.

Please save the dates!

 

Have news to share?

If you have news to share with the Pulse readership, please contact Tracey Koepke, director of communications for Duke Heart & Vascular at tracey.koepke@duke.edu. We would love to hear about your latest accomplishments, professional news, cool happenings, and any events or opportunities that may be of interest to our team. Please call me with any questions: 919-681-2868. Feedback on Pulse is welcome and encouraged. Submissions by Noon on Wednesdays will be considered for weekend inclusion.

 

Duke Heart in the News: 

December 28 — Joseph Turek

Popular Science

5 breakthrough health innovations in 2025

December 29 — Mitchell Krucoff

tctMD

Chest X-ray Before Cath—Is There a Point?

December 31 — Harry Severance

Becker’s Healthcare Podcast

Healthcare Workforce Shortages and the Financial Strain Threatening Care Delivery with Dr. Harry Severance

January 2 — Monique Starks

The Mount Airy News

Pilot Mountain police receive defibrillators from Novant Health

January 5 — Marat Fudim

Citybiz

Medera Completes Enrollment in First-In-Human Gene Therapy Trial for Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction

January 6 — Donavon Harbison and Duke Health

Medicalresearch.com

From Metal Hearts to Next-Gen Vaccines: Medical Breakthroughs That Could Save Lives And Enhance Wellbeing

Chief’s message:  Holiday weeks and reflection

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

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

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

Highlights of the week:

Happy Holidays!

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

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

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

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

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

 

Complimentary Holiday Meal at DUH, Dec. 25

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

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

 

Tarnowski Earns DAISY Award

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

What’s the 411? Featuring Samantha Minc

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

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

Way to go, Samantha!

 

Heart Team Members Participate in Science Saturday, BOOST Program

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

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

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

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

Great job, everyone! Keep up the great work!

 

First CCM Implant Performed DUH

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

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

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

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

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

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

Congratulations, all!

 

2026 Cardiovascular Disease/Advanced Cardiac Training Fellows Announced

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

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

Our newest fellows, by program, will be:

Cardiovascular Disease:

Duke 2026 Incoming CVD Fellows

Ryan Edwards, MD

Residency: Duke

Medical School: Duke

Joshua Ellis, MD, MMS

Residency: Mass General Hospital

Medical School: Harvard

Jordan Franklin, MD

Residency: Duke

Medical School: University of Texas Southwestern

Mark Hieromnimon, MD

Residency: Duke

Medical School: University of Illinois College of Medicine

Amanda Jowell, MD

Residency: Mass General Hospital

Medical School: Harvard

Christos Kyriakopoulos, MD

Residency: University of Utah

Medical School: University of Ioannina Medical School

Mathew Padanilam, MD

Residency: University of Chicago

Medical School: Indiana University School of Medicine

Katelyn Rennyson, MD

Residency: Duke

Medical School: Georgetown University

Jameson Wilbur, MD

Residency: University of Texas Southwestern

Medical School: Ohio State University

Dylan Zerjav, MD

Residency: Johns Hopkins

Medical School: Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth

Adult Congenital Cardiology Fellow:

Duke 2026 Incoming ACHD Fellows

Annirudh Balachandran, MD

Cardiology Fellowship: Duke

Residency: McGovern Medical School, UT Houston

Medical School: Tufts University

Advanced Heart Failure Fellows:

Duke 2026 Incoming AHFTC Fellows

Seamus Hughes, MD

Cardiology Fellowship: Duke

Residency: UT Southwestern

Medical School: Johns Hopkins

Paula Rambarat, MD

Current Fellowship: Duke Cardiovascular Disease Research Pathway

Residency: Mass General Hospital

Medical School: Columbia

Joshua Rushakoff, MD, MPP

Cardiology Fellowship: Duke

Residency: Cedars Sinai

Medical School: UCSF

 

Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology Fellows:

Duke 2026 Incoming EP Fellows

Jawan Abdulrahim, MD

Cardiology Fellowship: Duke

Residency: Duke

Medical School: American University of Beirut

Damarcus Ingram, MD

Cardiology Fellowship: Duke

Residency: Duke

Medical School: Drexel University College of Medicine

Eric Xie, MD

Cardiology Fellowship: Duke

Residency: Johns Hopkins

Medical School: Johns Hopkins

Interventional Cardiology Fellows:

Duke 2026 Incoming ICC Fellows

Medha Biswas, MD

Cardiology Fellowship: University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

Residency: Ohio State Wexner Medical Center

Medical School: New York Medical College

Jonathan Hanna, MD

Cardiology Fellowship: Duke

Residency: Yale School of Medicine/Yale New Haven Hospital

Medical School: Yale School of Medicine

Husam Salah, MD

Cardiology Fellowship: Duke

Residency: University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

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

 

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

 

Research Funding Award Notifications August – November

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

(August)

Sponsored Research

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

Industry Sponsored Clinical Trials

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

(October 2025)

Sponsored Research

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

Industry Sponsored Clinical Trials

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

(November 2025)

Industry Sponsored Clinical Trials

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

Congratulations to all — excellent work!

 

DUHS Leadership Update

Marino to Join Duke Health as Chair, Dept of Pediatrics

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

Upcoming Events & Opportunities

Cardiology Grand Rounds

Dec. 23: No CGR – Happy Holidays!

Dec. 30: No CGR – Happy Holidays!

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

 

CD Fellows Core Curriculum Conference

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

MMCVI Grand Rounds

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

Dec. 25: NO CONFERENCE (Christmas)

Jan. 8: Right Heart Guidelines with Fawaz Alenezi

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

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

Jan. 29: NO CONFERENCE

 

Medicine Grand Rounds

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

 

DCRI 30^th Anniversary Forum Series

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

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

 

MLK Jr. Commemoration, Jan. 13

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

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

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

 

Upcoming CME Activities:

2026 Duke Heart CMEs

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

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

Please save the dates!

Have news to share?

If you have news to share with the Pulse readership, please contact Tracey Koepke, director of communications for Duke Heart & Vascular at tracey.koepke@duke.edu. We would love to hear about your latest accomplishments, professional news, cool happenings, and any events or opportunities that may be of interest to our team. Please call me with any questions: 919-681-2868. Feedback on Pulse is welcome and encouraged. Submissions by Noon on Wednesdays will be considered for weekend inclusion.

 

Duke Heart in the News: 

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

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

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

 

Highlights of the week:

Happy Hannukah

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

 

 

 

 

Extraordinary Teamwork in Cath Lab

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

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

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

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

Excellent teamwork!

 

Patel Speaks at Novartis Groundbreaking

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

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

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

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

Great job, Manesh!

 

Passing of Duke Health Affiliations Colleague, Lori Bray

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

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

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

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

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

 

MLK Jr. Commemoration, Jan. 13

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

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

You can join the celebration online, however!

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

 

30 Years of DCRI – Anniversary Forum Series

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

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

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

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

Where: Zoom (Link to come)

Please save the date and join if you are able!

Duke Health Quality and Safety Conference Call for Abstracts

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

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

 

Complimentary Holiday Meal at DUH, Dec. 25

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

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

ORA Holiday Hours

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

 

Upcoming Events & Opportunities

Cardiology Grand Rounds

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

CD Fellows Core Curriculum Conference

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

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

MMCVI Grand Rounds

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

Dec. 18: TBD with Vincent Delgado

Dec. 25: NO CONFERENCE (Christmas)

 

Medicine Grand Rounds

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

 

Upcoming CME Activities:

2026 Duke Heart CMEs

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

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

Please save the dates!

Have news to share?

If you have news to share with the Pulse readership, please contact Tracey Koepke, director of communications for Duke Heart & Vascular at tracey.koepke@duke.edu. We would love to hear about your latest accomplishments, professional news, cool happenings, and any events or opportunities that may be of interest to our team. Please call me with any questions: 919-681-2868. Feedback on Pulse is welcome and encouraged. Submissions by Noon on Wednesdays will be considered for weekend inclusion.

Duke Heart in the News: 

December 5 — Mitchell Krucoff

tctMD

News  Daily News

FDA Panel Declines to Endorse Ventura Interatrial Shunt for HFrEF

December 7 — DUHS

WTVD – ABC 11 (Durham, NC)

Three Area Employers join Forbes Dream Employers List

December 10 — Joseph Turek

Popular Science

The 50 greatest innovations of 2025

December 10 — Robert Mentz

Cardiovascular Business

A common word may be giving heart patients the wrong idea

December 11 — Duke Health/Donavon Harbison

Men’s Health

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

December 11 — Duke Heart Network/Frye Regional

WHKY (Hickory, NC)

Local Hospital Reaches Heart Care Milestone

December 11 — Manesh Patel

WRAL (Raleigh/Durham, NC)

Novartis expansion shows commitment to talent in North Carolina

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

Chief’s message:  Holiday Season and Big Sports Weekend

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

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

Highlights of the week:

Celebrating Duke Heart & Vascular

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

First Cardiac NICU opens at DUH

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

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

 

Ginsburg, All of Us Research Program Update

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

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

Keep up the great work, Geoff!

 

ORA Announces Holiday Hours

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

 

Visitor Guidelines For Inpatient Areas

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

 

Upcoming Events & Opportunities

Cardiology Grand Rounds

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

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

CD Fellows Core Curriculum Conference

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

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

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

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

MMCVI Grand Rounds

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

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

Dec. 18: TBD with Vincent Delgado

Dec. 25: NO CONFERENCE (Christmas)

 

Medicine Grand Rounds

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

 

Upcoming CME Activities:

Duke Cardiovascular MR Practicum & Board Review – December 8-12

The Fall 2025 course will be held December 8-12 in the Penn Pavilion at Duke University. For more information, contact Michele Parker. The full course brochure and registration link are available here. 

 

2026 Duke Heart CMEs

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

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

Please save the dates!

 

Have news to share?

If you have news to share with the Pulse readership, please contact Tracey Koepke, director of communications for Duke Heart & Vascular at tracey.koepke@duke.edu. We would love to hear about your latest accomplishments, professional news, cool happenings, and any events or opportunities that may be of interest to our team. Please call me with any questions: 919-681-2868. Feedback on Pulse is welcome and encouraged. Submissions by Noon on Wednesdays will be considered for weekend inclusion.

 

Duke Heart in the News: 

November 26 — Kevin Thomas

Cardiovascular Business

Is the field of cardiology empowering or stifling? Cardiologists share their perspective

November 28 — Monique Starks

VICE

This Town Is Testing Drone-Delivered Defibrillators. Will It Work?

November 28 — Monique Starks

News Now Chicago

Drone-Delivered Defibrillators Launch in Clemmons, NC: Life-Saving Innovation

November 30 — Monique Starks

The Charlotte Observer

Drones become 911 first responder partner in Forsyth County

December 2 — Duke University & DUHS

Here Rock Hill

Forbes Names 25 North Carolina Companies as Top Employers

December 2 — Marat Fudim

tctMD

Rising HF Burden in the US Potentially Related to Changes in Cardiometabolic Factors

December 3 — Elisabetta Politi

Everyday Health

Cutting Too Many Carbs Could Put Heart Health at Risk

December 3 — Douglas Overbey

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

This high-risk surgery gave their daughter a chance. They found it in Fort Worth

December 4 — Mitchell Krucoff

Medpage Today

FDA Panel on Interatrial Shunt for Heart Failure: It’s a Hard No

December 4 — Monique Starks

Healio/Cardiology Today

Testing of drones with automated external defibrillators to treat cardiac arrest underway

December 5 — Mitchell Krucoff

MedTech Dive

FDA advisory panel votes unanimously against J&J heart shunt

Chief’s message: Happy Thanksgiving and Holiday Season 

Thanks to all the faculty, nursing teams, clinical staff, residents, and fellows that were helping care for our patients over the Holiday week.  I know there were several groups working to care for large numbers of patients and areas where we needed everyone to help use care for our community through the break.  Additionally, we hope you all got some time for reflection, time with family and loved ones.  The break is often characterized for food and football in many homes.  Duke Football had a big win vs. Wake Forrest with losses by both SMU and Pitt sending them to the ACC championship next weekend in Charlotte.  Some images from before the game included.  Hopefully we one more win and some timely losses by other teams like James Madison – Duke might have a long-shot to get to the College Football Playoff – which would be quite an ending to the year.

In the upcoming weeks, we will be both celebrating our teams and the hard work over a tumultuous year, and preparing and planning for how we will respond to the important calls for improved health and reduced cost of care for our communities while we continue our mission to discover and train the next generation.

Highlights of the week:

Food Drive Yields Over 100lbs in Donations

Congratulations to the Karra Lab and the Cardiovascular Research Center! Their food drive collected more than 100 pounds of food to support the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina.

Thank you to everyone who supported and donated to this effort – your contributions will make the holidays a bit easier for many families throughout our community. A hat tip to Lauren Parker for coordinating the drive and for getting the donations delivered to the food bank.

Way to go! Your generosity was a terrific way to kick off the holiday season!

 

DUH, DRH Earn Meritorious Surgical Outcomes Designation

The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP®) has recognized Duke University Hospital (DUH) and Duke Regional Hospital (DRH) for achieving meritorious outcomes for surgical patient care in 2024. This is the ninth consecutive year in which DUH has achieved meritorious outcomes and the second year for DRH.

The ACS NSQIP recognition program commends a select group of hospitals for achieving a meritorious composite score in either an “All Cases” category or a “High Risk” category which includes only higher-risk cases. This year, the ACS NSQIP recognized 76 out of an eligible 609 hospitals as achieving “Meritorious” for their quality scores.

Each composite quality score was determined through a different weighted formula combining outcomes in the following eight clinical areas: 

• Mortality
• Cardiac: cardiac arrest and myocardial infarction
• Pneumonia
• Unplanned Intubation
• Ventilator > 48 hours
• Renal Failure
• Surgical Site Infection (SSI): superficial incisional SSI, deep incisional SSI, and organ/space SSI
• Urinary Tract Infection

To be eligible for either list category, the hospital must have submitted at least one case in each of the 2022, 2023, and 2024 calendar years, though only performance in calendar year 2024 was evaluated for the 2024 Meritorious lists. Of the 656 NSQIP hospitals participating in 2024, 609 met the three-year criteria to be eligible for Meritorious consideration.

The 76 hospitals achieved the distinction based on an outstanding composite quality score on one or both of the grouping categories (All Cases and High Risk). Sixty hospitals were recognized on the “All Cases” list and 60 hospitals were recognized on the “High Risk” list; the 60 hospitals represent approximately ten percent of the 609 ACS NSQIP-eligible hospitals. Forty-three hospitals are recognized on both the “All Cases” and “High Risk” lists, 16 other hospitals are on just the “All Cases” list, and 17 other hospitals are on the “High Risk” list only, totaling 76 hospitals being recognized as Meritorious.

“To be recognized by ACS NSQIP for nearly a decade as having meritorious surgical outcomes is a testament to a hospital-wide commitment to providing the highest standard of care for our surgical patients, especially while facing increasingly difficult challenges,” says Keri A. Seymour, DO, Associate Professor of Surgery and Chief Quality Officer for the Department of Surgery. “I am incredibly proud of our teams who continue to go above and beyond to ensure that our surgical patients are receiving excellent quality care.”

The full press release detailing the process for Meritorious designation, and the list of hospitals recognized as such, is available on the ACS website.

Congratulations to all team members!

 

DUHS Leadership Updates

Mathis-Harris Named CNO, PCO for Duke Health Lake Norman

On Monday, Nov. 24, Kristie Barazsu, president and COO of Duke Health Lake Norman Hospital (DHLN) and Terry McDonnell, chief nurse executive of DUHS, jointly announced that Miranda Mathis-Harris, BSN, RN, MBA, CNML, has been named the Chief Nursing Officer and Patient Care Officer for Duke Health Lake Norman Hospital. Miranda has served in this role on an interim basis, where she has provided steady, thoughtful leadership.

Miranda has dedicated more than thirty years to Duke Health. Since beginning her career in 1989 as a Clinical Nurse in the Medical Intensive Care Unit at Duke University Hospital, she has taken on a wide range of responsibilities, including Senior Director of Nursing for Patient Flow & Transfer Center, Life Flight, and Emergency Department.

As Chief Nursing and Patient Care Officer, Miranda will serve as a key member of the hospital’s leadership team as a leader who brings sincerity, fairness, and a clear commitment to her teams and to the patients we serve.

Congratulations, Miranda!

 

Flanagan Named AVP, Patient Flow & Care Coordination, DUHS

Barazsu and McDonnell also announced this week that Katie Flanagan has been named Associate Vice President, Patient Flow and Care Coordination for Duke University Health System, effective November 10.

As Duke Health continues to advance system-wide coordination and improve care across all settings, ensuring strong and seamless patient flow is essential. This work is critical to supporting timely access to care, removing barriers, and improving the overall patient and provider experience. Katie is the right leader to guide this effort during a period of significant system transformation. She will also maintain her current responsibilities overseeing the DUHS Case Management team. 

Katie had been serving as Assistant Vice President for Care Coordination for Duke University Health System, and has been instrumental in strengthening care management processes, enhancing cross-campus collaboration, and developing approaches that improve transitions of care and operational efficiency.

In her new role, Katie will lead a newly designed health system structure and team accountable for the strategic and operational oversight of patient flow and the Transfer Center. She will drive key priorities designed to align system capabilities, improve transparency, and support coordination across hospitals and ambulatory settings.

Katie will serve in a dyad partnership with Neel Kapadia, MD, who will join her in leading clinical strategy and physician engagement to advance patient flow across the continuum.

Congratulations, Katie!

 

Upcoming Events & Opportunities

Cardiology Grand Rounds

Nov. 25: No CGR/holiday.

Dec. 2: What’s Hot (or Not) Now in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy with Andrew Wang, MD. 5 p.m. DN 2002 and via Zoom.

Dec. 9: TBD with Zach Wegermann, MD. 5 p.m., DN 2002 and via Zoom.

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

 

CD Fellows Core Curriculum Conference

Dec. 3: Match Day Review with Anna Lisa Chamis. Noon. DMP 7E39 and via Zoom.

Dec. 5: SVT with Jon Piccini. Noon. Zoom only.

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

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

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

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

 

MMCVI Grand Rounds

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

Dec. 4: Echo Imaging to Optimize Cardiac Resynchronization Pacing with Josh Sink

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

Dec. 18: TBD with Vincent Delgado

Dec. 25: NO CONFERENCE (Christmas)

 

Upcoming CME Activities:

Duke Cardiovascular MR Practicum & Board Review – December 8-12

The Fall 2025 course will be held December 8-12 in the Penn Pavilion at Duke University. For more information, contact Michele Parker. The full course brochure and registration link are available here. 

 

2026 Duke Heart CMEs

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

• Duke Heart Failure Symposium – Saturday, June 6, 2026. Course directors are Marat Fudim, Rob Mentz, Richa Agarwal, and Stephanie Barnes. Location: Durham Convention Center, Durham, NC.

 

• 18^th Annual NC Research Triangle Pulmonary Hypertension Symposium – Friday, October 30, 2026. Course directors are Terry Fortin, Sudar Rajagopal, and Jimmy Ford. Location: Durham Convention Center, Durham, NC.

Please save the dates!

 

Have news to share?

If you have news to share with the Pulse readership, please contact Tracey Koepke, director of communications for Duke Heart & Vascular at tracey.koepke@duke.edu. We would love to hear about your latest accomplishments, professional news, cool happenings, and any events or opportunities that may be of interest to our team. Please call me with any questions: 919-681-2868. Feedback on Pulse is welcome and encouraged. Submissions by Noon on Wednesdays will be considered for weekend inclusion.

 

Duke Heart in the News: 

November 21 — Monique Starks

Government Technology

Which city is the first in the U.S. to send drones with defibrillators on 911 calls?

November 21 — Nishant Shah

WRAL (Raleigh, NC)

New studies offer insight into reducing heart disease risk

November 21 — Monique Starks

Axios Raleigh

A North Carolina 911 experiment sends defibrillators by drone

November 21 — Monique Starks

LinkedIn.com/Tech Future by Chuck Martin

Drones Deliver Defibrillators in North Carolina 911 Trial

November 21 — Monique Starks

WUNC-FM

Test project promises to bring medical help from the skies

November 22 — Monique Starks

13 News Now (Norfolk, VA)

Drones now delivering AEDs during 911 calls in James City County and Forsyth County

November 23 — Monique Starks/Duke Health

WXII-TV (Winston Salem, NC)

Medical drones tested in Forsyth County

November 24 — Duke Health/DCRI

La Razon (Spain)

Drones con desfibriladores: la innovación médica que ya salva vidas en EE UU

November 25 — Monique Starks

Emergency Management

N.C. County Tests Drones With AEDs for Cardiac Arrest Calls