-  December 2016  -
Dr. Mercader Research Extended with NIH Grant


Dr. Mercader and pharmacologist co-investigator Dr. Sarvazian were awarded $1,145,733 to extend their groundbreaking research to develop and test of catheters that enable cardiologists to "see inside the heart" while creating therapeutic ablation lesions. Using UV technology, this technique refines the ability to treat and prevent abnormal heart rhythms like atrial fibrillation. This small business development grant (STTR Phase 2) is funded by the NIH and in partnership with Luxcath.
Dr. Andrew Choi Presents at National Imaging Conferences


Dr. Andrew D. Choi Co-Director of Cardiac CT and MRI, in collaboration with Dr. Marcus Chen from the National Institutes of Health, delivered an oral presentation " Coronary Artery Calcium Scoring at 75% Lower Dose Radiation with Forward Projected Model Based Iterative Reconstruction" at the 102 nd  Radiological Society of North America Scientific Sessions, the world's largest scientific radiology meeting. This paper demonstrated new techniques on how to obtain heart images at very low radiation doses.
 
Dr. A. Choi also is a co-author on the new Society of Cardiac CT and North Am Society for Cardiovascular Imaging Guidelines for the Performance and Acquisition of Coronary Computed Tomography,  joining other leaders in Cardiac CT to provide national standards to ensure reliable methods and outcomes to improve the diagnostic care of patients.
Dr. Blair Grubb Serves as GW Visiting Professor


On December 14th and 15th, Dr. Blair Grubb, Director of Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology and Distinguished Professor of Medicine at the University of Toledo, and a national leader on syncope, led GW Cardiology and Medical Grand Rounds as a Visiting Professor sponsored by a generous donation from Patrick Griffin. Cardiology Grand Rounds was recorded live and offered as a webinar via WebEx to regional cardiologists and alumni of the GW cardiology fellowship program. 
Three GW Cardiology Faculty Appointed to Leadership Positions at the American College of Cardiology
  • Dr. Jannet Lewis was elected to ACC Board of Governors for the District of Columbia.
  • Dr. Brian Choi was appointed to the ACC Health IT Advisory Committee.
  • Dr. Gurusher Panjrath was elected chairman of the ACC Heart Failure and Transplant Committee.
Institute Celebrates Seventh Annual Medical Mission to Honduras at The Textile Museum
Mr. Luis Cordero,  ChargĂ© d´Affaires of the Embassy of Honduras, thanked Dr. Tracy for the mission's passionate work in Honduras.

The GW Heart & Vascular Institute hosted an afternoon of exploring art and culture at the George Washington University Museum and The Textile Museum on Saturday, December 3, 2016, to celebrate our Seventh Annual Medical Mission to Honduras. This year, Drs. Cynthia Tracy and Marco Mercader led a brigade of five GW medical professional to provide advanced care for patients with heart disease in Honduras. Since its inception, the GW medical team has implanted more than 230 pacemakers and defibrillators. This year was a record-breaker, with 45 device implants, more than 200 consultations, and more than 100 echoes performed in just nine days.

The Textile Museum's newest exhibition, Bingata! Only in Okinawa, features textile treasures and contemporary works by Okinawan artists and fashion designers.