The Cardiovascular Division is extremely proud of the more than 300 cardiology fellows, graduate students (PhD and MD/PhD) and post-doctoral research fellows that have received their cardiovascular training at Washington University School of Medicine.
Former faculty and trainees of the Cardiovascular Division have gone on to become the president of Ecuador, chancellors and deans of medical schools, chairs of medicine, chiefs of cardiology, and leaders in the pharmaceutical industry.
The Alumni Section of the Cardiovascular Division website is dedicated to our former faculty and trainees. This section of the website will feature a “Message from the Chief,” which will be updated bi-annually, and will contain a brief summary of current events within the Cardiovascular Division. The Alumni Section will also post the most recent bi-annual update of the Cardiovascular Division alumni newsletter, which is also available as a downloadable pdf file.
Our goal is to remain connected with our former faculty and trainees, who have contributed to the rich clinical, teaching and research environment that exists in the Cardiovascular Division today.
Message from the Chief
My tenure with the Cardiovascular Division has spanned just a few months, but already I see vivid examples of what drew me to Washington University after serving as head of the Division of Cardiovascular Disease at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. This division has an outstanding combined legacy in clinical cardiology, cardiovascular research, and training. Its reputation as a thriving center for academic clinical cardiologists and physician-scientists is well-deserved. From the Heart and Vascular Center, the Center for Cardiovascular Research to our comprehensive clinical programs, and the scientific research labs, I see multidisciplinary collaborations everywhere. An example of this is highlighted in our lead story for this issue, which notes the nationally recognized leadership of our valvular heart disease team. Due to their extensive experience, I’m proud to say that the Center for Valvular Heart Disease was just selected as one of 15 centers in the United States to join the AHA Target Aortic Stenosis Quality Improvement Program. The program aims to define and improve the processes by which patients with aortic stenosis are diagnosed and treated.
The vision at Washington University is to be one of the top 5 academic cardiology programs in the country in clinical care, research, and training. With my faculty colleagues in the Division, we will maintain our elite status in clinical cardiology and basic and translational cardiovascular science, while expanding the clinical research program, and growing clinical services in multiple areas, such as general and preventive cardiology, advanced cardiac imaging, structural heart disease, cardio-oncology, and electrophysiology. The strong foundation for excellence in our clinical platforms areas is already apparent, and will lead to further translational integration of cardio-vascular science and new clinical advances. Fostering an environment of immersive collaboration during a pandemic is challenging, but the energy is here to both identify opportunities and implementing advances in knowledge and practice. I look forward to being a part of this amazing institution and sparking as well as guiding these collaborative efforts.
Sumanth D. Prabhu, MD
Tobias & Hortense Lewin
Distinguished Professor
Chief, Cardiovascular Division