Fellows select an area in which to focus on across the CV spectrum, including coronary and ischemic heart disease, structural heart disease, heart failure, aortic disorders, peripheral vascular disease, rhythm disorders and CV risk and prevention.
“To address unmet needs in the cardiovascular health of the diverse populations we serve, we need more professionals equipped with the skills to develop innovations that overcome a broad range of challenges in today’s approaches to health care. This means learning how to recognize unmet clinical needs, break them down into solvable problems and assemble the appropriate talent to develop innovative solutions,” said cardiologist and physician-scientist Subha V. Raman, MD, CVI director, chief of the IU School of Medicine Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, and vice president for Cardiovascular Service at IU Health.
During their training, fellows will:
- Recognize a key unmet need in cardiovascular medicine and curate a problem statement;
- Work with mentors and multidisciplinary teams in designing experimental procedures to advance innovative solutions; and
- Learn what it takes to incubate and integrate innovative solutions into clinical practice.
Chirag D. Shah, MD, MPH, who specializes in internal medicine and has experience working in cardiovascular research labs, is the first fellow selected to participate in this newly designed fellowship program. As an Anderson CV Innovation Fellow, Dr. Shah will be involved in the cardiovascular care of patients at IU Health Methodist Hospital and participate in innovative technology research and development with the KCVRC under the supervision of expert faculty. Dr. Shah will begin his fellowship in July.
“I am very honored to be selected as the first Anderson CV Innovation Fellow to contribute to cardiovascular research on behalf of the Cardiovascular Institute and Krannert Cardiovascular Research Center,” Dr. Shah said. “Currently, I am developing models using artificial intelligence to predict cardiovascular pathologies from EKG and echocardiography data in cooperation with Dr. Mithilesh Das, and I look forward to taking these ideas and experiences into the fellowship where I can explore new solutions to support and enhance cardiovascular medicine.”
Fellows will have a clinical mentor and R&D mentor tailored to their area of focus. Eligible trainees should have completed a fellowship in adult cardiovascular disease or residency in internal medicine accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). Currently, the ACGME does not have a direct accreditation pathway for CV innovation training. Upon successful completion of the program, fellows will receive a Certificate of Advanced Qualifications in CV Innovation.
The fellowship is overseen by Dr. Raman and Rohan Dharmakumar, PhD, executive director of CVI’s Krannert Cardiovascular Research Center. The fellow will also work closely with the IU Health Innovation Team, learning essential skills to translate innovations to clinical impact.
“Innovation is a key component to drive new advances in cardiovascular medicine and the Krannert Cardiovascular Research Center is deeply rooted in driving translational science from the laboratories to clinical care for the cardiovascular patient,” Dr. Dharmakumar said. “We are eager to work with selected fellows to test and discover what new solutions may direct the future of cardiovascular care.”
The Cardiovascular Innovation Fellowship is available through a generous gift from Gary M. Anderson, MD, and his wife, Kathy Ziliak Anderson, during the first two years of the training program. Dr. Anderson is the co-founder and emeritus managing general partner of TL Ventures, a technology investment group, and has served as associate dean of the Hahnemann Medical College, now the Drexel University College of Medicine. He completed his cardiology internship at IU School of Medicine, followed by a residency and fellowship program. Years later, Dr. Anderson taught at the Kelley School of Business as part of the Entrepreneurship Faculty at the Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation and remains involved in IU Ventures. Kathy Anderson is an IU alumna who has served on numerous university boards, including the IU Foundation Arbutus Society, Women’s Philanthropy Council, as well as the Jacobs School of Music dean’s national advisory board. Future philanthropic support will be made available through extramural agencies, private foundations, and individual gifts.
Applications for the 2024 fellowship program can be submitted via email to the fellowship coordinator or to oneiucv@iu.edu. Required application information should include a Curriculum Vitae, personal statement, a two-minute video, transcript and three letters of recommendation. Applications will be accepted through Nov. 1, 2023.
###
