LOS ANGELES (Jan. 30, 2024) — Cardiologists and cardiac and vascular surgeons from the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai are available for interviews throughout February to discuss heart-related topics, including the latest advances in research and patient care.
“We pride ourselves on being one of the highest-ranked heart programs in the United States, and our team is comprised of some of the best clinicians and researchers in the world,” said Eduardo Marbán, MD, PhD, executive director of the Smidt Heart Institute and the Mark Siegel Family Foundation Distinguished Professor. “We work diligently to drive innovation in heart research while providing our patients exceptional care.”
The Smidt Heart Institute is ranked #1 in California and #2 in the nation for Cardiology, Heart and Vascular Surgery, according to U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Hospitals 2023-2024.”
Cedars-Sinai experts are available for interviews to discuss the following topics in person and through most virtual formats, including Zoom, FaceTime and Skype.
American Heart Month Content From the Cedars-Sinai Newsroom
Linda Joy Pollin Women’s Heart Health Day: Friday, Feb. 2, also National Wear Red Day, Cedars-Sinai health professionals will meet with nurses to measure their cardiovascular disease risk score, attend presentations by experts in women’s heart disease, get a massage to reduce stress and dress in red for a group photo.
Expert available:
- C. Noel Bairey Merz, MD, director of the Barbra Streisand Women’s Heart Center in the Smidt Heart Institute
Heart Rhythm Disorders: Cardiology specialists are available to comment on the latest developments in the field including smart detection of atrial fibrillation and ventricular arrythmias, as well as AI analysis that predicts arrhythmia events.
Experts available:
- Christine Albert, MD, MPH, chair of the Department of Cardiology and the Lee and Harold Kapelovitz Distinguished Chair in Cardiology
- Sumeet Chugh, MD, director of the Center for Cardiac Arrest Prevention and the Pauline and Harold Price Chair in Cardiac Electrophysiology Research
Mitral Valve Disease: Experts in cardiology and cardiac surgery share the latest advances in mitral valve disease and its treatment.
Experts available:
- Joanna Chikwe, MD, chair of the Department of Cardiac Surgery and the Irina and George Schaeffer Distinguished Chair in Cardiac Surgery in the Smidt Heart Institute
- Raj Makkar, MD, Cedars-Sinai’s vice president of Cardiovascular Innovation and Intervention and associate director of the Smidt Heart Institute
Transcatheter Procedures: Physicians with the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai are specialists in using an innovative, catheter-based approach to treat patients with tricuspid valve disease as well as a tricky form of hypertension.
Expert available:
- Florian Rader, MD, medical director of the Hypertension Center, co-director of the Clinic for Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy and associate director of the Noninvasive Laboratory in the Smidt Heart Institute
Congenital Heart Disease: Nearly 2 million adults in the U.S. have congenital heart disease, making it the most common birth defect. Cedars-Sinai experts can discuss how they treat fetuses, children and older adults.
Experts available:
- Evan Zahn, MD, co-director of the Guerin Family Congenital Heart Program and director of the Division of Pediatric Cardiology at Cedars-Sinai Guerin Children’s and the Smidt Heart Institute
- Rose Tompkins, MD, director of the Adult Congenital Heart Program in the Department of Cardiology in the Smidt Heart Institute
Heart Transplantation: Cedars-Sinai offers one of the largest heart transplant programs in the U.S. Experts are available to provide insights on the procedure as well as precision medicine efforts to optimize outcomes and reduce the risk of organ rejection.
Expert available:
- Jon Kobashigawa, MD, director of Advanced Heart Disease and the Heart Transplant Program in the Smidt Heart Institute
Vascular Surgery: Vascular abnormalities like aortic aneurysms, aortic dissection, carotid disease and peripheral arterial disease require expertise from nationally ranked surgeons, many of whom specialize in minimally invasive treatment options.
Expert available:
- Ali Azizzadeh, MD, director of the Division of Vascular Surgery at Cedars-Sinai
100 Years of Women’s Heart Health: Although cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 cause of death in women today, most heart studies have been conducted on men. Experts can discuss how women’s heart disease differs from men’s and how the latest research may improve options for women.
Experts available:
- Natalie Bello, MD, MPH, director of Hypertension Research in the Smidt Heart Institute
- Susan Cheng, MD, MPH, the Erika J. Glazer Chair in Women’s Cardiovascular Health and Population Science and director of the Institute for Research on Healthy Aging in the Department of Cardiology in the Smidt Heart Institute
- Martha Gulati, MD, director of Preventive Cardiology in the Smidt Heart Institute
Heart on a Canvas: After years of having her symptoms ignored, heart patient Jane Ziebart received a life-changing diagnosis from Cedars-Sinai physicians. To express her gratitude, she created and donated a custom piece of artwork to her doctors at the Barbra Streisand Women’s Heart Center at the Smidt Heart Institute.
Expert available:
- Janet Wei, MD, associate medical director of Cedars-Sinai’s Biomedical Imaging Research Institute
Read more from the Cedars-Sinai Blog: Heart Disease: When to Get a Second Opinion
