Faculty Accomplishments
- 2022 - 2023
- 2020-2021
- 2018-2019
- 2016-2017
- 2013-2015
-
2022 - 2023
New R01 Grant for LHI Director Lin Yee Chen, MD, MSDr. Lin Yee Chen, Director of the Lillehei Heart Institute, has just received a Notice of Award for a new MPI R01 grant, R01AG075883, “Novel Application of Digital Signals of Movement, Sleep and Heart Rhythms for Detection of Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias”. The start date is September 30, 2022. This is a multidisciplinary project that involves experts in data science, signal processing, electrophysiology, physical activity and sleep, and dementia research.
Rebecca Cogswell, MD named Advanced Heart Failure Section LeaderAssociate Professor of Medicine Rebecca Cogswell, MD has been named the new Section Leader for Advanced Heart Failure. Dr. Cogswell completed internal medicine training, chief residency, and general cardiology fellowship at University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). While at UCSF she received advanced training in clinical research and biostatistics. She then moved to the University of Minnesota for Advanced Heart Failure fellowship and joined the University of Minnesota faculty in 2013. In addition to being an Associate Professor of Medicine, Dr. Cogswell is currently Medical Director of the Left Ventricular Assist Device program and the Program Director of the Advanced Heart Failure Fellowship. She was also recently appointed to be the Medical Director of the International Heart Lung Transplant Society Registry. Dr. Cogswell's research focus is sarcopenia, cachexia, and heart failure as well as its reversal after advanced heart failure therapies. She also studies the impact of heart transplantation allocation policies on outcomes. In her new leadership role, Dr. Cogswell will continue to grow the academic program, increase grant support, publications, and clinical productivity, and provide strategic direction in patient management.
The division is grateful for the exceptional leadership of Cindy Martin, MD who has been Section Head of Heart Failure since 2007. Under Dr. Martin's leadership the Advanced Heart Failure Program has thrived both clinically and academically. Dr. Martin is leaving the University of Minnesota to lead the Division of Heart Failure at Houston Methodist Hospital and we wish her the very best in her new leadership position.
New AHA Grant for Mary Garry, PhDThe American Heart Association has awarded Professor of Medicine Mary Garry, PhD a Transformational Project Award grant for her research project entitled “Development of Long Term Cultures for Enhanced Interspecies Chimerism.”
The goal of this work is to engineer a rapid system to test ideal conditions for producing human organs in pigs for transplantation. The ultimate goal of these studies is to significantly increase the number of life saving human organs for transplantation.
Raveendran, Martin, and Cogswell Named 2022 Top DocsUMN Cardiology's Rebecca Cogswell, MD, Cindy Martin, MD, and Ganesh Raveendran MD, MS, MBA have all been named 2022 Top Docs by MSP Magazine.
The three were among many UMN physicians selected for this annual honor. This is the 10th year in a row Dr. Raveendran has made the list, and the 5th in a row for Dr. Martin.
Yannopoulos Named 2022 Health Care HeroDemetri Yannopoulos, MD, is among twelve University of Minnesota health sciences faculty members honored as 2022 Health Care Heroes by Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. Dr. Yannopoulos was singled out for "his work expanding access to ECMO throughout the state by creating a system of mobile ECMO units." The journal selects honorees who put "innovative care, dedication and compassion to work to improve the human condition."
New Multi-year NIH Grant for Lin Yee Chen, MD, MSDr. Lin Yee Chen has just received the Notice of Award for a new NIH grant, 1RF1NS127266-01, “Cognitive Aging, Brain Morphology, and Arrhythmias in Hispanics/Latinos: Implications for Prevention and Management of Alzheimer's Disease-Related Dementias”. The start date is April 1, 2022. This proposed 5-year grant is a multi-year award with 3 years of funding provided in the current fiscal year (total award for current fiscal year, $4.13 million).
The overarching aim of this project is to characterize the association of arrhythmias with cognitive function and brain morphology in community-dwelling Hispanic/Latino adults, an understudied population. This project is a multidisciplinary collaboration that transcends multiple research domains and includes experts in diverse fields: dementia research, aging research, minority health research, neurosciences, neuroradiology, cardiology, epidemiology, and biostatistics.
Andrea Elliott, MD, Named Associate Program Director of the CV Disease Fellowship ProgramFebruary 10, 2022
Dr. Elliott completed medical school at the University of Texas at Houston followed by Internal Medicine Residency, a chief year, General Cardiology fellowship then time on a T32 research fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. After completing Cardiology fellowship, Dr. Elliott spent a year on faculty in the Division of Cardiology followed by additional fellowship training in Critical Care Medicine.Dr. Elliott currently serves as a faculty mentor to numerous medical students, residents and fellows and has dedicated herself to several formal roles as a leader in adult medical education. Dr. Elliott has worked alongside multiple master educators and mentors, formalized curriculum design and leadership training and she is enthused to partner with the Program Director, Dr. Jane Chen, to continue the success and growth of the Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship Program.
-
2020-2021
Cogswell Awarded 2022 Women as One Elevator AwardDecember 15, 2021
Associate Professor Rebecca Cogswell, MD is the recipient of a 2022 Elevator Award in research from Women as One. Women as One is a nonprofit organization fighting gender inequalities in medicine by providing talented women physicians with unique professional opportunities. The Escalator Awards were created to shine a spotlight on women physicians who are changing the medical world with innovative ideas. The ten winners for 2022 were revealed on December 10th, 2021. They come from over 13 countries and were selected by a judging panel of internationally recognized cardiologists.Dr. Cogswell will be using the Escalator Award to generate further preliminary data. She is submitting an R01 to assess the muscle response to non-pharmacologic correction of heart failure. This year Dr. Cogswell also helped form the Women in Heart Transplant and Mechanical Circulatory Support Group, an organization striving to achieve balanced leadership in the advanced heart failure community. This organization has created a platform for women to support and mentor other women. Read More>
Chetan Shenoy Leads Discovery of Sex Differences in Cardiac SarcoidosisSeptember 16, 2021
A study led by Chetan Shenoy, MBBS, MS, published in the American Heart Association journal Circulation: Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology investigated the sex differences among patients with cardiac sarcoidosis. The results argue for the inclusion of sex-specific analyses in sarcoidosis research. Read More>
Lin Yee Chen awarded R01June 30, 2021
The National Institutes of Health has awarded Lin Yee Chen, MD, PhD, Professor of Medicine and Director of the Cardiac Electrophysiology Section in the Cardiovascular Division, an R01 grant for his project “Glucose Patterns and Cardiac Arrhythmias in Older Adults with Diabetes.” The project is funded from 2021 until 2025.
HFSA Lifetime Achievement Award for Inder Anand, MD, PhDJune 25, 2021
The Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA) has selected Inder Anand, MD, PhD for a prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his outstanding achievements in the field of heart failure. Dr. Anand received the award alongside a co-honoree at the HFSA Annual Scientific Meeting on September 11, 2021. Read more>
Rita Perlingeiro, PhD Awarded Second R01May 28, 2021
The NIH National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases has awarded Rita Perlingeiro, PhD, Lillehei Professor in Stem Cell & Regenerative Cardiovascular Medicine, an R01 grant for her project “Skeletal Muscle Regeneration from Pluripotent Stem Cells.” The project is funded for five years at a total of $2.2M. This is Perlingeiro's second active R01; the first, originally awarded in 2017, was renewed on May 7 of this year.
ACC Lifetime Achievement Award for Jay N. Cohn, MD, PhDMay 20, 2021
The Awards Committee and Board of Trustees of the American College of Cardiology has selected Professor Jay N. Cohn, MD, PhD with its prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his outstanding achievements in the field of cardiovascular disease. Dr. Cohn accepted this award on May 17th, 2021 at the Convocation of the College’s 70th Annual Scientific Session in Atlanta, GA. Only 12 other cardiologists have received this award, including Aldo R. Castañeda, MD, PhD, Valentin Fuster, MD, PhD, and Martin B. Leon, MD. This is not the first time Dr. Cohn has been recognized by the ACC... Read more >
R01 for Yannopoulos project to incorporate machine-learning into CPR for improved survivalApril 15, 2021
Professor Demetri Yannopoulos, MD, Director of the Center for Resuscitation Medicine (CRM), has been awarded an R01 from the NHLBI for his research involving machine learning algorithms incorporated into a mechanical CPR device to predict and optimize hemodynamics during CPR. Current recommendations for CPR follow a “one-size-fits-all” paradigm that isn’t always adequate for every individual suffering out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). The goal of this project is to improve vital organ perfusion during prolonged CPR by “personalizing” compression/decompression therapy. A dynamic CPR method that changes compression characteristics over the course of CPR after taking into account the temporal changes of chest wall compliance and hemodynamics is predicted to increase the rate of neurologically intact survival after OHCA. Grant details>
Jason Bartos named MSP Mag Top Doc Rising StarApril 2021
Minneapolis/St. Paul Magazine has named Jason Bartos, MD, PhD one of its 2021 Top Doctors in the “Rising Stars” category. Those selected for this category are “recognized for achieving great things in their first decade as a professional.” The announcement was made in the April 1, 2021 issue.
Forum Kamdar, MD, PhD Earns ASCI Young Physician-Scientist AwardApril 2021
The American Society of Clinical Investigation (ASCI) has made Forum Kamdar, MD, PhD, the recipient of a Young Physician-Scientist Award for 2021. Dr. Kamdar will receive a $500 stipend and present her work at a virtual poster session during the AAP/ASCI/APSA Joint Meeting April 7-10, 2021.
Kurt Prins, MD, PhD Awarded $200k OACA GrantMarch 2021
The U of M Office of Academic Clinical Affairs has awarded Assistant Professor Kurt Prins, MD, PhD, and Associate Professor Melissa Gardner, PhD, of the College of Biological Sciences a $200k faculty research development grant for their project “Estrogen Directly Regulates Microtubule Dynamics to Mediate Sex-Differences in Right Ventricular Function.” Prins and Gardner were among six recipients selected by a committee of twenty-one reviewers out of 36 applicants for the grant award.
Yannopoulos-led Team Launches Advanced Mobile ECMO TruckFebruary 4, 2021
University of Minnesota, The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust and health care system partners announce the launch of a truck outfitted with medical equipment and virtual reality technology to help experts attend to patients remotely for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). Professor Demetri Yannopoulos, M.D., Director of the Center for Resuscitation Medicine (CRM) led the development of this new, life-saving initiative. Read more>
Yannopoulos-led Team Develops AI-Assisted CPR DeviceAugust 24, 2020
Artifical Intelligence(AI)-Assisted CPR has become a reality thanks to a team led by Professor Demetri Yannopoulos, MD, Director of the Center for Resuscitation Medicine (CRM). In collaboration with a team from the The Georgia Institute of Technology, the CRM has developed a system that will significantly improve survival rates and reduce permanent injury to patients suffering sudden cardiac arrest. Read more>
Kamdar Receives Prestigious Clinical Scientist Development Award from Doris Duke Charitable Foundation (DDCF)July 30, 2020
Assistant Professor Forum Kamdar, MD, is among 17 physician scientists in the country to be awarded the prestigious 2020 Clinical Scientist Development Award from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation (DDCF). Read more>
O-Uchi Awarded Covid-19 Rapid Response GrantJune 10, 2020
Assistant Professor Jin O-Uchi, MD, PhD, has been awarded a Covid-19 Rapid Response Grant to study lowering the risk of death for Covd-19 patients with pre-existing heart conditions. Read more>
Kamdar Receives WERC AwardJune 10, 2020
Forum Kamdar, MD, PhD has received a Women Early Research Career (WERC) Award for her project Unlocking the Role of Cardiac Calcium Pump Dysregulation in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Cardiomyopathy. Read more>
Bong Sook Jhun awarded Covid-19 Rapid Response GrantJune 10, 2020
Assistant Professor Bong Sook Jhun, PhD, has received a Covid-19 Rapid Response Grant to study the use of PDE5 inhibitor for preventing cardiac damage by SARS-CoV-2 in COVID-19 patients with cardiopulmonary diseases. Read more>
Garrys First to Prove New Method to Grow Human Blood VesselsMarch 9, 2020
Daniel Garry, MD, PhD, and Mary Garry, PhD co-led the research team that recently proved the ability to grow human-derived blood vessels in a pig—a novel approach that has the potential for providing unlimited human vessels for transplant purposes. The discovery has potential to create many treatments for heart and vascular diseases; in particular it could drastically expand the donor pool for transplants. “About 98 percent of people are not going to be eligible for a heart transplant,” says Dr. Daniel Garry, “so there’s been a huge effort in trying to come up with strategies to increase the donor pool.” Read more>
-
2018-2019
Concerning Early Trends for New Transplant System
November 21, 2019
A study conducted by Rebecca Cogswell, MD and colleagues of a new transplant system implemented in 2018 demonstrated concerning early trends. Though a dip in survival rates due to the expansion of organ availability to sicker patients was predicted, the dip exceeded expected levels. Dr. Cogswell's findings, currently in press in the Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation, will likely lead to changes in the new system. Read the article
Lin Yee Chen publishes in Circulation Arrhythmia & EP
November 20, 2019
Lin Yee Chen, M.D., Ph.D. has published a paper in Circulation Arrhythmia & EP that attempts to shed some light on the current debate regarding the role of systematic ECG screening for subclinical atrial fibrillation. Research behind the paper was led by a former PhD student of Dr. Chen's, Mary Rooney, who is currently pursuing post-doctorate work at Johns Hopkins University. Read the Article
Chetan Shenoy Publishes 3 Articles in Circulation
October 24, 2019
Associate Professor Chetan Shenoy, MBBS, MS has published two papers in AHA Circulation journals in September and October, and has a third coming out in November. The first of Dr. Shenoy’s articles, “Assessment of the 2017 AHA/ACC/HRS Guideline Recommendations for Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator Implantation in Cardiac Sarcoidosis,” appeared in the September issue of Circulation Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology. The second article, “Myocardial Fibrosis and Prognosis in Heart Transplant Recipients,” appears in the October issue of Circulation Cardiovascular Imaging. The third, “Long-term Embolic Outcomes after Detection of Left Ventricular Thrombus by Late Gadolinium Enhancement Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Imaging: A Matched Cohort Study,” will appear in the Novermber issue of Circulation Cardiovascular Imaging, concurrent with the 2019 AHA Annual Meeting.
Sue Duval leads study published in JAMA Cardiology
August 28, 2019
JAMA Cardiology has published the findings of an international research consortium led by University of Minnesota faculty Sue Duval, Ph.D. She and Demetri Yannopolous, M.D. were part of a study regarding the optimal number of chest compressions when performing CPR. The consortium’s research has determined what may be the best combination of compressions frequency and depth during CPR: 107 compressions per minute at a depth of 4.7 cm in the first five minutes of CPR. In treating cardiac arrest outside of a hospital setting, this combination seemed to significantly improve clinical outcomes, including lower neurological damage.“What makes this particular study especially important is the novel way of presenting the data on a contour plot, similar to a heat map where the hottest point corresponds to the best chance for neurological intact survival,” said Dr. Duval, Professor of Medicine and Biostatistics. Further research will be needed to determine if the findings are universally applicable.
Read the full article at JAMA Cardiology
Cogswell Recognized for Pioneering Cardiac Care
May 23, 2019
Dr. Rebecca Cogswell has been featured in a recent article from the University of Minnesota Foundation titled "Dr. Cogswell's Pioneering Cardiac Care." In the article Dr, Cogswell discusses her leading-edge work with patients suffering low heart function and preparing for heart transplant or surgically-implanted mechanical assist devices. Her clinical research has made significant contributions to the development of new assist devices and treatment of advanced heart failure. Read the full article
Kurt Prins Earns 2 Young Investigator Awards
March 19, 2019
U of M Cardiologist and LHI researcher Kurt Prins, M.D., Ph.D. has recently earned two separate young investigator awards.Butrous Young Investigator Award in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension.
This award recognizes the best abstract for an investigator who is under the age of 35. Dr. Prins was named winner at the annual Pulmonary Vascular Research Institute Annual meeting. The award comes with a $500 stipend.
ASCI Young Physician-Scientist Award
Awarded by the American Society of Clinical Investigation (ASCI). There were 35 recipients of this award in total from universities throughout the United States. The awardees will present their work at the ASCI’s Food & Science Evening, on April 6, 2019, as part of the AAP/ASCI/APSA Joint Meeting, April 5-7, 2019. This award also comes with a $500 stipend.
UMN Researchers Discover How to Treat Diastolic Heart Failure
"Research out of University Minnesota Medical School and published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation Insights uncovers what causes diastolic heart failure and how it can be treated." Read more
Sue Duval, Ph.D. to be honored on Wall of Scholarship
August 8, 2018
Professor Sue Duval, Ph.D. of the Cardiovascular Division and Division of Biostatistics will be honored at the Medical School's Wall of Scholarship induction ceremony October 25, 2018. The Wall of Scholarship recognizes faculty authors each time an individual publication reaches 1000 citations. Dr. Duval’s 2018 honor is for her paper, “A nonparametric "trim and fill" method of accounting for publication bias in meta‐analysis,” published in the Journal of the American Statistical Association in 2000. This will be Dr. Duval’s second honor on the wall; she was previously recognized for a different article in 2014.
AHA Statement on Atrial Fibrillation Burden
April 17, 2018
A new AHA Statement on Atrial Fibrillation Burden was just published in Circulation. Lin Yee Chen, MD, MS is the lead author of this Scientific Statement and chaired the AHA Writing Committee whose goal was to define the new entity of AF burden, articulate its clinical significance, and highlight the critical knowledge gaps.See the article in Circulation Read the statement on the AHA website
New NHLBI R01 Grant Awarded to Lin Yee Chen
March 20, 2018
Lin Yee Chen, MD, MS has just been awarded a new R01 grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, "Left Atrial Abnormality and Atrial Fibrillation-Related Cerebral Infarcts and Cognitive Decline" (R01HL141288, 2018-2022). The overarching goal of this project is to clarify whether it is AF per se, or the underlying left atrial abnormality, that is the principal driver of outcomes that are currently attributable to AF.Coupled with his first R01-funded project, "Significance of Atrial Fibrillation and Atrial Fibrillation Burden Detected by Novel ECG Monitoring in Community-Dwelling Elderly" (R01HL126637, 2016-2021), his lab is well-positioned to address many critical and timely questions related to atrial fibrillation such as the prognostic significance of atrial fibrillation burden and subclinical atrial fibrillation, and the mechanisms underlying atrial fibrillation-related stroke and dementia.
Chetan Shenoy given ASCI Young Physician-Scientist Award
March 18, 2018
Chetan Shenoy, MD, has been named a winner of the ASCI's 2018 Young Physician-Scientist Award. Dr. Shenoy’s was among 117 nominations submitted for the 2018 Award and reviewed by the ASCI Meeting Committee. From these, 35 nominees were selected on the basis of accomplishments to date and the quality of proposed abstracts.Dr. Shenoy will receive a $500 honorarium at the AAP/ASCI/APSA Joint Meeting, and will present his work at the ASCI's Food & Science Evening on April 21, 2018. He will also be a guest at the ASCI President's Reception and the ASCI Dinner on April 20.
-
2016-2017
Rita Perlingeiro, PhD Awarded R01May 10, 2017
The NIH National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases has awarded Professor Rita Perlingeiro, PhD an R01 grant for her project “Targeting Dystroglycanopathies using Pluripotent-derived Myogenic Progenitors.” The project is funded for five years at a total of ~$2M.
Summer of Success for LHI's Jop Van Berlo
van Berlo Awarded $250k grant from Regenerative Medicine Minnesota
In June, 2017, Dr. Jop van Berlo was awarded a $249,000 grant from Regenerative Medicine Minnesota (RMM) for his research project, "Identification of novel regulators of heart regeneration." According to RMM, "Dr. van Berlo’s research aims to help children born with heart disease. He is researching the triggers that can increase cardiac muscle after birth, giving children a better chance for a healthy life."
van Berlo discusses his research and this award in this video:van Berlo featured at BCVS 2017
Dr. Jop van Berlo interviewed participants on several topics at the AHA's Basic Cardiovascular Sciences conference in July of 2017.
"Causal Role of Oxidized Lipids in Pulmonary Hypertension Development"
AHA Science News, July 11, 2017
"Live Cell Imaging Reveals 2 Microdomains of Beta1 adrenoreceptor Signaling"
AHA Science News, July 10, 2017
"BCVS17: Early Career 'Next Best Thing' Session"
AHA Science News, July 10, 2017
Robert Bache to receive 2017 Diehl Award
Dr. Robert Bache, recently honored for his 41 years of service to the University of Minnesota, will receive the 2017 Harold S. Diehl Award. This prestigious lifetime award was established in 1962 and is granted to individuals who have made outstanding professional contributions to the Medical School, the University, and the community.To be nominated for the Diehl award, one should have graduated from the University of Minnesota Medical School, made outstanding contributions to the University of Minnesota Medical School, the University, alumni, and the community, and have significant experience in the field of medical service or a related field. Nominees should not be currently employed in an academic capacity.
Jop van Berlo Awarded King Assistant ProfessorshipJop van Berlo, M.D., Ph.D. has been awarded the Lois and Richard King Assistant Professorship in the Department of Medicine. This position is awarded based on scholarly inquiry and academic success in basic science research. It has been established to honor and recognize the achievements of Lois and Richard King, M.D., and to attract and retain an outstanding faculty member at the level of assistant professor in the tenure-track or research track (*pre-tenure) within the Department of Medicine, doing basic science research. The award is $50,000/year until the holder is promoted to associate professor.
American Heart Association publishes research by Dr. Demetris Yannopolous
A recent paper by Demetris Yannopolous, M.D. was featured in the June 13, 2016 issue of the Journal of the American Heart Association.
Read the AHA article Watch the Fox 9 feature
Clinical Excellence Award for Thenappan Thenappan, M.D.
Thenappan Thenappan, M.D. is awarded one of four Department of Medicine Clinical Excellence Awards Thenappan Thenappan, M.D. is one of four award winners of the Department of Medicine's "Clinical Excellence Award" for 2016. Thenappan was honored at the Fall Faculty Recognition Reception on Thursday, October 27 in the Campus Club. We congratulate Thenappan on this very prestigious award which marks him as one of the very best physicians in our very large and diverse Department of Medicine.
Dr. Lin Yee Chen Awarded NIH R01 Grant
Lin Yee Chen, M.D., M.S. of the Cardiovascular Division, Department of Medicine has just been awarded an R01 grant, "Significance of Atrial Fibrillation and Atrial Fibrillation Burden Detected by Novel ECG Monitoring in Community-Dwelling Elderly" from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. This is a $3.74 million grant over 5 years (2016–2021).
Dr. Chen's study is a multi-center project that involves 2-week ambulatory heart rhythm monitoring in 4,000 participants to: (1) define the role of screening for subclinical atrial fibrillation in the elderly, (2) elucidate the relationship of atherosclerotic risk factors in mild-life to atrial fibrillation burden in older age, and (3) define the prognostic significance of atrial fibrillation burden. This project is an ancillary study to the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study.
-
2013-2015
Dr. Demetris Yannopolous named 2015 Heart Hero
Dr. Demetris Yannopolous was recognized at the American Heart Association's 21st Anniversary event on Nov. 7, 2015.
UofM Low-Dose Aspirin Campaign Highlighted in Strib
"U of M to expand low-dose aspirin campaign as stroke, heart attack prevention" - Star Tribune, 2015
Accomplishments of UofM-sponsored aspirin program highlighted in Star Tribune article.
U Heart Docs top MN Monthly's "Best Doctors of 2014"
The October 2014 issue of Minnesota Magazine included its 2014 listing of Minnesota’s top doctors. Among those ranked the best in cardiac medicine, eleven are University of Minnesota cardiologists or cardiac surgeons.
Read more and see a list of our cardiologists and cardiac surgeons honored in 2014
New device helps prolong CPR, giving doctors more time to save patients
"An Absolute Miracle"
Faced with heart failure, Patti Taylor’s options were limited. Due to damage caused by cancer, she was unable to have open-heart surgery – but a new, minimally invasive procedure saved her life.