Cardionerds: A Cardiology Podcast

Infectious disease experts from the Johns Hopkins Hospital, Drs. Natasha Chida and Saman Nematollahi join the CardioNerds for a 4 part COVID-19 infectious disease series. In this first part we discuss the emerging therapies in our armamentarium. Be sure to stay tuned for the remaining 3 parts in which we tackle advice for the health care worker, the clinical presentation & diagnosis, and the virology. Flutter Moment by Dr. Justin Berk (Medicine/Pediatrics). Check out the COVID-19 series page! Take me to episode topics page Dr. Natasha Chida, an infectious disease expert at Johns Hopkins. Dr Chida received her MD from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, where she also earned an MSPH (masters of science in public health). She completed internal medicine residency at Jackson Memorial Hospital and infectious disease fellowship at Johns Hopkins, where we were lucky to keep her on as faculty. She is a truly incredible educator and mentor to all levels of trainees -- she serves as assistant director of the infectious disease fellowship program, co-director of the medical education pathway for residents, director of education for the Johns Hopkins Center for Global Health Education, and course director for the ‘Topics in Interdisciplinary Medicine’ course for medical students. Dr. Saman Nematollahi grew up in Tucson, Arizona. He completed his undergrad at the University of Arizona with dual degrees in Physiology and Spanish Literature. He spent some time after undergrad working in a neuroscience lab before starting med school at the University of Arizona. He then moved to NYC where he completed residency at Columbia. His clinical interests include management of immunocompromised hosts, and his research interest is in medical education.  More than that he is a teacher at heart and is obtaining a Master’s of Education at the Johns Hopkins School of Education and was recently awarded a grant to develop a fungal diagnostic curriculum for residents. He loves to play soccer with his wife and son. He is master educator, appeared on and has authored many important tweetorials. He has also appeared on the hit medical podcast, The Clinical Problem Solvers.

Dr. Dan Grove is a critical care physician who was diagnosed with COVID-19. Join us as we discuss Dr. Grove’s personal journey and reflections while transitioning from physician to patient, the etymology of the word quarantine, tips and tricks to keep family members safe while in self isolation, and a message to our brothers and sisters on the frontlines as well as the general public. Flutter Moment by Dr. Dani Dumitriu (Pediatrics, Neuroscientist and Pediatric environmental health science) Check out the COVID-19 series page! Take me to episode topics page Follow Dr. Grove’s personal Covid-19 Journey Dr. Daniel Grove serves as assistant director of critical care at Medstar Union Memorial Hospital. He earned his medical degree at Emory University School of Medicine where he also completed his residency and fellowship training in internal medicine and pulmonary and critical care medicine. Dr. Grove is a physician leader in his community and is involved in patient advocacy on many levels. Dan Grove, MD

We share with you the Iranian experience with COVID-19, a rare first hand report from ICU doctor, Dr. Reza Hashemian, covering the clinical, the societal, and the personal. Flutter Moment by Edward Nejat (Reproductive Endocrinology). Check out the COVID-19 series page! Take me to episode topics page Ventilation primer for the cardiologist (Youtube) Dr. Reza Hashemian serves as Professor of Critical care medicine at a large academic hospital in the heart of Iran. He in on the frontlines at Masih Daneshvari hospital in Tehran, the country’s top pulmonary public hospital and the main facility overseeing coronavirus patients.

Tune in to hear the Italian perspective from a “COVID A” cardiovascular hospital in Milan, the heart of the country’s epidemic shared by Dr. Gianluca Pontone, who serves as Director of Cardiovascular Imaging Department Centro Cardiologico Monzino IRCCS, University of Milan. We discuss management of COVID-19 patients with underlying cardiovascular disease and cardiac manifestations of COVID-19 including acute coronary syndromes, cardiogenic shock, and myocarditis. Dr. Pontone shares his personal experience in terms of how he prepares himself to take care of patients during this time and his message for all CardioNerds to hear. Flutter Moment by Nino Isakadze (Cardiology). Check out the COVID-19 series page! Take me to episode topics page Ventilation primer for the cardiologist (Youtube) Dr. Gianluca Pontone serves as Director of Cardiovascular Imaging Department Centro Cardiologico Monzino IRCCS, University of Milan, Italy. He graduated with honors in medicine in 1997 followed by post-graduate degree in cardiology and radiology at University of Milan in 2001 and 2006 respectively. He is currently in the board of directors of Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (SCCT), chairman of CT certification committee of European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI) and chairman of working group of cardiac magnetic resonance of Italian society of cardiology.

COVID-19 in the ICU: The CardioNerds follow the case of Sara S Covids through her journey with COVID-19 complicated by progressive respiratory failure. Learn how critical care physicians, Drs. David Furfaro and Sam Brusca approach cardiopulmonary mechanics, general ventilator settings, ventilation in patients with cardiac disease, ARDS diagnosis and management algorithms, including VV and VA ECMO support considerations. Importantly, we discuss these issues in the context of the COVID-19 era and how applies to the safety of the healthcare worker and appropriate use of personal protective equipment with a particular emphasis on COVID-19 in the ICU. Both physicians share tips and tricks on coping and staying motivated as they face this crisis. This episode is broadly applicable for anyone taking care of patients with cardiopulmonary disease. In the COVID era, this is every provider. Flutter Moment by Emily (Pediatric RN) Check out the COVID-19 series page! Take me to episode topics page Ventilation primer for the cardiologist (Youtube) Dr. Samuel Brusca received his medical degree from New York University School of Medicine. He went on to complete his internal medicine training in the Osler Residency Program at Johns Hopkins Hospital and is currently a research fellow in the Critical Care Medicine Fellowship at the National Institutes of Health. His current interests include critical care cardiology, pulmonary arterial hypertension, and right ventricular failure. He is thrilled to be joining the Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship at UCSF this coming July. Outside the hospital, Sam and his amazing wife, Becky, were recently joined by their first daughter, the adorable Madeleine. Dr. David Furfaro received a degree in chemistry with a minor in pharmacology from Duke University. After college, he volunteered with Americorps for a year working with patients with HIV. He received his MD from Harvard Medical School. From there he completed his internal medicine training in the Osler Residency at Johns Hopkins. He returned to Johns Hopkins as an Assistant Chief of Service. He is currently a Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Fellow at Columbia University Medical Center. He is interested in critical care, pulmonary hypertension, and lung transplantation. He is also a dedicated medical educator  and a huge Cardio Nerds fan!

The CardioNerds explore the cardiovascular implications of COVID-19 caused by the SARS-CoV 2, in patients with and without underlying cardiovascular disease. We discuss a range of important topics such as ACE-I and ARBS and COVID-19, a 4 part ID mini-series on SARs-CoV 2, important perspectives from clinicians on the frontlines of Italy and Iran, a primer on ICU care for COVID-19 positive patients and so much more! The series kicks off with Dr. Oscar Cingolani, Director of the Hypertension Center at the Johns Hopkins Hospital is joined by Drs. Amit Goyal, Carine Hamo, and Daniel Ambinder and discuss what is known about the interplay between ACE-I and ARBS and COVID-19. We also learn tips and tricks from Dr. Cigolani's experience with telemedicine use with the hypertension clinic. Flutter Moment by Dr. Stephen Lockey (Orthopedic Surgery) Check out the COVID-19 series page! Take me to episode topics page Follow us on Twitter! Dr. Oscar Cingolani earned his medical degree from the National University of La Plata, Argentina, and completed his Internship and Internal Medicine Residency at CEMIC, Buenos Aires, Argentina, and hypertension research post-doctoral fellowship at Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, Michigan. After completing his Internal Medicine Residency at The Reading Hospital and Medical Center in Pennsylvania, Dr. Cingolani joined The Johns Hopkins Hospital as a Cardiology fellow, where he remained on Faculty after his training. He is currently the Associate Director of The Johns Hopkins Hospital Cardiac Care Unit and the Director of the Hypertension Center. Dr. Cingolani’s research interests focus on hypertensive heart disease and its transition to heart failure. Dr. Stephen Lockey graduated from Georgetown University School of Medicine and obtained an MBA from the McDonough School of Business. He is currently a third-year resident in Orthopaedic Surgery at Georgetown University Hospital. He is interested in pursuing additional training in spine surgery.

Best-selling author Dr. Martha Gulati joins the CardioNerds squad, Carine Hamo, Heather Kagan, Amit Goyal, and Daniel Ambinder for an unbelievable discussion on women's cardiovascular health relevant to anyone taking care of women. Topics discussed include disparities in diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes in women vs men, sex specific risk factors for cardiovascular disease, special considerations for the evaluation of women presenting with chest pain, and cardiac conditions that have a female predominance, how to be a trailblazer in cardiovascular medicine and so much more! Check out the Women's Cardiovascular Health Topic Page Take me to episode topics page Dr. Martha Gulati completed medical school at the University of Toronto, Canada and her internship, residency and cardiology fellowship at the University of Chicago. She previously served as the Sarah Ross Soter Chair in Women’s Cardiovascular Health and the section director for Women’s Cardiovascular Health and Preventive Cardiology at Ohio State University. She currently serves as division chief of Cardiology for the UA College of Medicine – Phoenix. She is also editor-in-chief of ACC’s CardioSmart.  Dr. Gulati has made incredible contributions to researching cardiovascular disease in women. She is the principal investigator of the St. James Women Take Heart Project, a co-investigator on the Women Ischemic Syndrome Evaluation (WISE); previously served as a co-investigator on the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI); a member of numerous advisory boards and societies, including the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology; and has published articles in The New England Journal of Medicine, Circulation and Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). She is also the best-selling author of Saving Women’s Hearts! References Gulati, M., & Merz, C. (2016). Advances in Lipid Therapy: The Role of Lipid Treatment in Women in Primary Prevention. Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases.Gulati, M. (2017). Improving the Cardiovascular Health of Women in the Nation: Moving beyond the Bikini Boundaries. Circulation, 135(6), 495-498. Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.Wenger NK (2005) Women in cardiology: The US experience. Heart.Douglas PS, Rzeszut AK, Noel Bairey Merz C, Duvernoy CS, Lewis SJ, Walsh MN, Gillam L (2018) Career preferences and perceptions of cardiology among us internal medicine trainees factors influencing cardiology career choice. JAMA Cardiol.Wenger NK, Speroff L, Packard B (1993) Cardiovascular Health and Disease in Women. N Engl J Med.Burgess S, Shaw E, Zaman S (2019) Women in Cardiology. Circulation.

Duke cardiology fellow, Rahul Loungani, interviews Dr. Jonathan Piccini, director of the Electrophysiology Clinical Trials Program and Arrhythmia Core Laboratory at Duke University, about atrial fibrillation management in patients with heart failure. They discuss rate vs rhythm control and strategies for both, new onset AF in the context of critical illness, wearable devices in AF, escalation of therapy in AF, ideal patient for catheter ablation, and AF patients with cardiac resynchronization therapy. On the CardioNerds Heart Failure topic page you’ll podcast episodes, references, guest experts and contributors, and so much more. Take me to the Heart Failure Topic Page Take me to episode topics page Acute Decompensated Heart Failure Primer – Youtube Jonathan P. Piccini, MD, MHS is a clinical cardiac electrophysiologist and Associate Professor of Medicine at Duke University Medical Center and the Duke Clinical Research Institute. His research interests include the conduct of clinical trials and the assessment of cardiovascular therapeutics for the care of patients with heart rhythm disorders. At present, he is the Director of the EP Clinical Trials Program and Arrhythmia Core Laboratory at Duke University. He also serves on the Clinical Working Group of the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines – Atrial fibrillation (GWTG-Afib) registry program. He is an associate editor for the American Heart Journal and serves on the editorial board of Heart Rhythm, the European Heart Journal, and the Journal of Cardiac Electrophysiology. He is the Principal Investigator of the data and coordinating center for ORBIT AF, a 25,000 patient registry focused on quality of care and improving outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation. He is also the PI of the GENETIC AF clinical trial, the first clinical trial to study genotype-directed rhythm control therapy for atrial fibrillation. He also serves on the steering committees of multiple international randomized trials focused on the treatment of atrial fibrillation.  Dr. Piccini has more than 175 publications in the field of heart rhythm medicine. Clinically, his focus is on the care of patients with atrial fibrillation and complex arrhythmias, with particular emphasis on catheter ablation and lead extraction. Dr. Rahul Loungani completed medical school at the medical university of SC and then traveled to Baltimore for internal medicine training in the Osler Residency Program at the Johns Hopkins Hospital.  Here he fell in love with the management and hemodynamics of critically ill patients. He is currently a third-year cardiology fellow at Duke University Medical Center where he will also be pursuing fellowship in advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology next year. His current interests are in Cardiac amyloid, In particular its arrhythmic manifestations, early diagnosis, and novel therapeutics. He also loves teaching the housestaff and was awarded the Cassell-Saperstein award at Duke,  recognizing the fellow who most demonstrates a commitment to teaching and passion for clinical education. Outside of the hospital loves being a new dad to baby Arya

Dr. JoAnn Lindenfeld, Director of Heart Failure at Vanderbilt Heart and Vascular Institute, joins fellows Richa Gupta and Jessica Huston for a deep dive into heart transplantation. They explore the intricacies of organ allocation and recipient selection, stressing the need for equitable processes. The discussion also highlights innovative strategies to expand the donor pool, including using hepatitis C positive hearts. Additionally, the team navigates the critical challenges post-surgery, covering the importance of immunosuppressive medications and long-term care strategies.

Carine and Dan delve into left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) 101 with Dr. Steven Hsu, heart failure specialist at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. We get big picture, we get detail oriented and we hit the highlights for the psycho-social-and medical management of our LVAD patient population.