Category: Cardiology
Cardiologists Performs First Transcatheter Tricuspid Valve Replacement in North Carolina
John P. Vavalle, MD, MHS, FACC, and Matthew A. Cavender, MD, MPH, FACC, interventional cardiologists and their collaborative team in the Structural Heart Disease Program at UNC, have performed their first transcatheter tricuspid valve replacement in the clinical setting, a revolutionary treatment for patients living with a common type of heart valve disease. (Left to Right) Thels … Read more
95 Physicians and Advanced Practice Providers Awarded 2024 Carolina Care Excellence
Each year, UNC Hospitals administers the Press Ganey Medical Practice survey to solicit feedback from patients. The survey asks our patients about their likelihood of recommending their provider’s practice to their friends and family. This year, 205 UNC physicians and advanced practice providers received the highest recommendations, which places them in the top quartile nationall … Read more
Vavalle, Mazzella Announced as Cardiovascular Training Program Directors
Drs. John Vavalle (left) and Anthony Mazzella (right). John Vavalle, MD, MHS, will assume the role of Director of the UNC Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship Program, while Anthony Mazzella, MD, joins as Associate Program Director. Dr. Vavalle’s commitment to mentorship, coupled with Dr. Mazzella’s passion for education, brings a formidable combination of leadership qualities to th … Read more
Stouffer Elected to Association of University Cardiologists
Rick Stouffer, MD, chief of the Division of Cardiology, has been accepted as a new member to the Association of University Cardiologists (AUC), an organization limited to an active membership of only 135 academic cardiologists. The peer elected members traditionally are the leaders and best investigators in American cardiology. Throughout his 23 years at UNC, Dr. Stouffer has ha … Read more
Department of Medicine Grants & Funding: February 1 – February 29, 2024
The UNC Department of Medicine ranked 23rd in the country in total National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding for federal fiscal year 2023 and 8th among peer public universities, according to a new report published by the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research. Division of Rheumatology, Allergy & Immunology Saira Sheikh, MD, Vimal Derebail, MD, MPH, and Tessa Englund rece … Read more
Jensen Receives $1.4M to Study How MEK and Drugs that Inhibit MEK Affect Mitochondria in Heart Muscle and Breast Cancer Cells
Brian Jensen, MD, PI, received a R01, $1.4M direct, grant from the NIH’s National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. The researches will investigate how MEK (Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinase) and drugs that inhibit MEK affect mitochondria within two types of cells: cardiomyocytes (heart muscle cells) and triple-negative breast cancer cells. This study aims to understand the … Read more
Accolades, Awards and Appointments Archive
Congratulations to department faculty who received the following accolades, awards and appointments March 1 – March 31, 2026. Elizabeth Harris, MD, was promoted to Associate Professor of Medicine Joshua Evron, MD, was promoted to to Associate Professor of Medicine David Lynch, MD, received a K23 award. Kunal Patel, MD, PhD, was selected by graduating medical students to be their … Read more
Dr. Vavalle inspires and guides NC School of Science and Mathematics students
John Vavalle’s, MD, MHS, associate professor in the Division of Cardiology, mentorship extends beyond traditional boundaries, propelling high school seniors at the NC School of Science and Mathematics into the forefront of medical research. Divya Chawla, Ciara Everly and Dr. Vavalle at the TVT Conference. A Unique Mentorship Program Every Tuesday and Thursday throughout the schoo … Read more
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2024 Fellows Match to the Department of Medicine
The Department of Medicine is honored to welcome new Tar Heel trainees! The National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) released results for the 2023 Medicine and Pediatric Specialties Match on November 29. More than 7,000 applicants matched to advanced training positions. After a successful Match, the following fellows will join Department subspecialties in July 2024. Division of … Read more
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Novel study finds aspirin-free regimen benefits patients with LVAD
The ARIES-HM3 Randomized Clinical Trial assessed the safety and efficacy of excluding aspirin from the antithrombotic regimen in patients with advanced heart failure who have undergone implantation of a fully magnetically levitated left ventricular assist device (LVAD). “There has been no consensus in the field about use of or dose of aspirin in the LVAD population until this stu … Read more
Buse, Smith Recognized in Global Highly Cited Researchers 2023 List
Drs. Buse and Smith John Buse, MD, PhD, and Sidney Smith Jr., MD, along with 18 UNC School of Medicine and 21 other UNC-Chapel Hill researchers have been named in Clarivate’s 2023 list of Highly Cited Researchers™. These scientific pioneers from around the world are drawn from the publications that rank in the top 1% by citations for field and publication year in the Web of Scien … Read more
Adult Congenital Heart Disease Program Accredited as Comprehensive Care Center
The Adult Congenital Heart Association (ACHA) has awarded the UNC Adult Congenital Heart Disease (ACHD) Program the status of an Accredited Comprehensive Care Center. As an accredited center, UNC will be able to better serve the congenital heart disease community. Due to the advancement of pediatric cardiac surgeries and invasive procedures, patients born with congenital heart di … Read more