Duke Heart Specialists Lead American Heart Association

Two headshots
Manesh R. Patel Svati H. Shah

The American Heart Association has announced the appointment of new volunteer leadership for the fiscal year 2026-27. Dr. Manesh R. Patel, an interventional cardiologist at Duke Health, has assumed the role of the association’s new volunteer president, as of July 1. Dr. Svati H. Shah, a physician-scientist specializing in cardiometabolic genetics and translational research, will serve as the volunteer president-elect.

Patel is the chief of cardiology, chief of clinical pharmacology, and vice president of heart and vascular services for Duke Health. Patel is also a senior investigator at the Duke Clinical Research Institute. He has been a longtime American Heart Association volunteer and has held various positions, including chair of the Committee on Scientific Sessions Program. Patel was named the American Heart Association Physician of the Year in 2023.

Shah, the Ursula Geller Distinguished Professor of Research in Cardiovascular Diseases and associate dean for translational research at Duke University School of Medicine, will serve as the volunteer president-elect. Shah is also the director of the Duke Center for Precision Health and the Precision Genomics Collaboratory, as well as co-director of translational research in the Duke Molecular Physiology Institute. Shah has been an active American Heart Association volunteer leader and member of the national board of directors.

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