News

“We’ve got an increasing population in age, but also in prevalence of cardiometabolic disease and non-direct cardiac conditions, so more people have orthopedic issues, or cerebral vascular issues, or kidney issues, and they all make it more complex for cardiac disease and elevate the risk,” said Thomas M. Maddox, MD, MSc, a professor of medicine at Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis. “On the supply side, we’ve got an aging cardiology workforce, there’s uneven geographic distribution, and people are retiring.”

William Bowen Professor of Medicine and Professor of Public Health Mark Huffman, MD, MPH, has been appointed to the advisory board of the Fogarty International Center at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Huffman received the invitation from U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Nathan Stitziel, MD, PhD, professor of medicine and genetics at WashU Medicine, has received $1.9 million over five years from the Leducq Foundation as part of an international Network of Excellence award to identify genetic pathways that drive atherosclerosis and uncover new strategies to prevent heart attacks and strokes.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in Missouri and across the nation, claiming more than 15,000 lives in the state each year. New research suggests rising rates of high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes among women could drive more heart attacks, strokes and heart failure in the decades ahead. Dr. Karen Joynt Maddox, cardiologist at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, said the most common risk factor for heart disease is high blood pressure.

The inaugural WashU Cardiology Forum: Educate. Innovate. Collaborate. brought together cardiologists, advanced practice providers, pharmacists, trainees and primary care clinicians from across the region on June 6 at the Hilton St. Louis Frontenac for a full day of education, discussion and professional collaboration. The forum highlighted the breadth of expertise within the Washington University Cardiovascular Division and demonstrated the division’s commitment to advancing cardiovascular care through clinical excellence, research innovation and interprofessional education.

Sonia Carlson quickly turned her HCM diagnosis into purpose. As a WashU student, she joined a research lab led by Dr. Sharon Cresci, professor of medicine and genetics and the Associate Director of the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Center of Excellence at WashU. Dr. Cresci said while HCM has been around for a while, in the last 10 years there’s been an explosion of interest.

The first WashU Cardiology Forum: Educate. Innovate. Collaborate, is taking place Saturday, June 6th, 2026, at the Hilton Frontenac. The WashU Cardiology Forum is planned and implemented interprofessionally by cardiologists, advanced cardiology practice providers, and pharmacists. The activity is designed for cardiologists, advanced practice providers and primary care physicians with an interest in cardiology.