Visit the DOM Annual Report 2012 for a Feature Story (PDF page 7)

CardiologyBruce B. Lerman, MDChief, Maurice R. andCorinne P. GreenbergDivision of CardiologyHilda Altschul MasterProfessor of MedicineProfessor of MedicineWeill Cornell MedicalCollegeAttending PhysicianNewYork-PresbyterianHospitalThe Maurice R. and Corrine P. Greenberg Division of Cardiology is a leader in cardiovascular research,education and clinical care. The Division’s mission is to remain at the forefront of scientific and technologicaldevelopments that are revolutionizing cardiology and to translate these findings to the clinical bedside.We have assembled internationally renowned programs that investigate the basic mechanisms ofcardiovascular disease, including the genetics of heart disease, the cellular signals and transcriptionfactors responsible for cardiac development, the transformation and homing of stem cells for myocardialregeneration and the delineation of the molecular bases for cardiac arrhythmias. Strategies are continuallyimplemented to enhance physical space, expand comprehensive clinical programs and continue ourhistory of cutting-edge research.Clinically, our priorities are to develop and deliver cutting-edge therapies for heart disease and toadvance clinical investigation. Expert faculty provide mentoring, training and supervision to medicalstudents, internal medicine residents and fellows in cardiology, preparing them as tomorrow’s leaders.The faculty also provide a host of weekly conferences for internal and external colleagues. Our highlysought after fellowship programs now total four. In addition to fellowships for cardiovascular disease,clinical cardiac electrophysiology, and interventional cardiology, we have launched advanced heart failureand transplantation cardiology. Dr. Evelyn Horn will serve as director of this new training program.From basic science, investigating the mechanisms of arrhythmias and large population-based studiesof new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches, to a vast array of cardiovascular conditions and diseases,the focus is on improving patient care. This involves a majority of our faculty and almost all of cardiologyfellows-in-training, as well as postdoctoral trainees and graduate and medical students, thus creatinga rich intellectual milieu in which trainees develop into experienced investigators.Clinical services achieve superior outcomes in all areas, from cutting-edge interventional and imaginglaboratories, to outpatient consultative and ongoing care. Patient care covers all types of heart and vasculardiseases, including, but not limited to, arrhythmias, coronary and peripheral arterial disease, valve disease,the Marfan syndrome and inherited heart diseases, as well as heart failure and transplantation cardiology.To allow immediate treatment of patients presenting in the early stages of a heart attack, there exists24-hour, in-hospital coverage of the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit, Telemetry and Step-Down Unit and theinterventional laboratory.The Electrophysiology Laboratory (Drs. Bruce Lerman, Steven Markowitz, Jim Cheung, Christopher Liuand James Ip) continues expansion of its program in catheter ablation for complex arrhythmias (includingatrial fibrillation, atrial tachycardias, and ventricular tachycardias). There was significant growth in clinicalactivities related to complex rhythm device procedures, such as device lead extraction. In conjunction withthe Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory, the Electrophysiology Laboratory has introduced percutaneousclosure of the left atrial appendage to prevent strokes in atrial fibrillation. Active research projects includeoutcomes of catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation; characterization of complex atrial tachycardias;idiopathic ventricular tachycardia; risk stratification for sudden death; the relationship of heart failure andarrhythmias; and long-term outcomes after pacemaker and defibrillator implantation.Dr. S. Chiu Wong continues his outstanding research, including a multicenter trial begun in 2012 for whichhe serves as principal investigator. The trials involve two centers in the United States and three in Germanyand investigate arterial access site closure following invasive procedures. Dr. Wong is also working onresearch projects for renal artery denervation for the treatment of resistant hypertension, as well as mitralvalve repair for treatment of mitral regurgitation in high risk patients.Additionally, under the direction of Dr. Wong, the Catheterization Laboratory team (with the Departmentof Cardiothoracic Surgery) successfully treated over 100 patients with critical aortic stenosis (patients whowere considered high risk or “not treatable” by our qualifying surgical colleagues). Additionally, thepartnership between the Division of Cardiology and the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery resultedin the creation of a new Valve Center dedicated to high-impact clinical research and optimization in thedelivery of patient care.Dr. Lerman, Division Chief, continues to serve on the editorial boards of Circulation, Heart Rhythm,The Journal of Cardiac Electrophysiology and The Journal of Innovations in Cardiac Rhythm Management.Dr. Steven Markowitz serves on the Electrophysiology Committee, American College of Cardiology,and on the editorial boards of HeartRhythm and Journal of Interventional Cardiac Electrophysiology.We welcomed several highly skilled new recruits in 2012 who cover a wide swath of expertise incardiology. Dr. Rebecca A. Acunce, who completed her residency training at NYP/WC and a fellowship atNew York University, joins our faculty as a consultative cardiologist. Dr. James M. Horowitz, a graduate ofDr. Lerman (third from left) with new recruits: Harsimran Singh, Henry Tran, Rebecca Ascunce, Luke Kim, Rajesh Swaminathan (l to r)the University of Pennsylvania recently joined our team after his stellar service as Chief Residentwith the Department of Medicine’s residency training program in internal medicine. A new NYPsponsoredaward has been established in his name, which may be given to any chief resident from anydepartment who demonstrates the shared values of “acollaborative patient-centered approach to patient careon the Weill Cornell campus.” Dr. Harsimran Singh,directs our adult congenital heart disease programand is also an interventional cardiologist. He holds anundergraduate degree from Princeton University andan MD from Yale. Dr. Rajesh V. Swaminathan receivedhis MD from Duke University and completed residencytraining at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston.Clinical services achieve superior outcomes inall areas, from cutting-edge interventional andimaging laboratories, to outpatient consultativeand ongoing care.With a research focus on mechanisms of vascular injury and remodeling, he is working in both theoutpatient clinic and in the cardiac catheterization laboratory. Dr. Henry A. Tran, bringing expertisein cardiovascular diseases and echocardiography, received his MD from Georgetown University andcompleted residency training at New York University. The division also gained new recruits from SoundShore Cardiology Associates, located in New Rochelle and Mamaroneck, thus expanding our patientcare reach to the Westchester area. These new recruits are Drs. Richard Charney, Leonard J. Di Re,Paul Gerardi, and David Messinger.3031