Cedars-Sinai Heart Experts Available for Interviews at #AHA25

Experts from the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai are leading the program and contributing to more than 90 seminars, podium presentations and scientific posters at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2025, Nov. 7-10 in New Orleans.

As chair of the Association's Scientific Sessions 2025 Program Committee, Joanna Chikwe, MD , has led a redesign of the program to reflect both the challenges and the extraordinary advances shaping cardiovascular medicine and science today. Under her direction, the sessions will showcase pivotal late-breaking clinical trials that address major questions in the management of atrial fibrillation, valvular heart disease, heart failure and coronary disease.

A national leader in mitral valve reconstruction and robotic cardiac surgery, Chikwe is chair of the Department of Cardiac Surgery at Cedars-Sinai.

"It is an honor to guide this year's American Heart Association programming and ensure that rigorous science is at the forefront of the meeting," said Chikwe, the Irina and George Schaeffer Distinguished Chair in Cardiac Surgery. "It will be wonderful to participate alongside dozens of faculty members and trainees from Cedars-Sinai."

Chikwe will lead a session on advances in the management of mitral and tricuspid valve disease and will chair a session about robotic innovations in valvular heart disease surgery.

Also at the meeting, Eduardo Marbán, MD, PhD , executive director of the Smidt Heart Institute, will present "Discovery Arc From Cell Therapy to Novel Noncoding RNA Drugs," the George E. Brown Memorial Lecture. The Association's Council on Basic Cardiovascular Sciences selected Marbán for this honor, which was established in 1935 in memory of clinician and researcher George E. Brown, MD.

In addition, Christine M. Albert, MD, MPH , chair of the Department of Cardiology, will participate in a discussion of the late-breaking science presentation "Dilemmas in Antithrombotic Therapy in AF Care Post Procedures." Albert's own research focuses on the epidemiology, risk stratification and prevention of sudden cardiac death and atrial fibrillation.

Janet Wei, MD , the Erika J. Glazer Chair in Women's Cardiovascular Research, Education and Innovation, will also discuss a late-breaking science presentation: "Approaches to Ischemic Heart Disease Before, During and After Hospitalization."

Select Cedars-Sinai Experts

Several other Cedars-Sinai experts will be available for media interviews prior to and throughout the meeting.

Sumeet Chugh, MD , vice dean and chief artificial intelligence health research officer, will give a main tent talk on how generative AI can reduce clinician burden and enhance workflow. He can comment on AI research and how he is applying AI to study arrhythmias.

Joseph Ebinger, MD , associate professor of Cardiology and director of the Coronary Intensive Care Unit and Clinical Analytics, can discuss hypertension care and research.

Dominic Emerson, MD , associate director of the Cedars-Sinai Comprehensive Transplant Center and associate professor of Cardiac Surgery, can share advances in heart and lung transplantation, and evolving strategies for tricuspid valve endocarditis.

Aakriti Gupta, MD , interventional cardiologist and assistant professor of Cardiology, can discuss advances in valve disease treatment for young and moderate-risk patients.

Rose Tompkins, MD , director of the Adult Congenital Heart Program, can discuss the lifelong care of people born with a heart condition.

Media Contact

To arrange media interviews, contact Stephanie Cajigal-who will be onsite at #AHA25-at [email protected] or via mobile and What's App: (United States) +1-347-806-2938.