Valmiki Maharaj, MD Named New Director of Cardiovascular Fellowship Program

Effective April 23, 2025, Dr. Valmiki Maharaj will assume the role of Program Director for the University of Minnesota’s Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship Program. He succeeds Dr. Jane Chen, who led the program with distinction since January 2018.

Dr. Maharaj is an Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant cardiologist. He earned his medical degree from the University of Minnesota, completed his internal medicine residency at Loyola University Medical Center, and returned to the University of Minnesota for fellowships in general cardiology and advanced heart failure. He is also Director of the Heart Failure Clinic and Cardiac Amyloidosis Clinic at the University, as well as Associate Program Director for the Heart Failure fellowship training program.

A passionate educator and innovator, Dr. Maharaj was recently honored with the Department of Medicine’s 2024 Excellence Award for Education. He co-led a revitalization of the cardiology foundations course for first-year medical students. The course received top evaluations from students and achieved a 100% pass rate—a testament to its impact and effectiveness.

Dr. Maharaj brings to this role a remarkable blend of clinical expertise, educational leadership, and a deep passion for advancing cardiology. His steadfast commitment to academic excellence makes him an exceptional choice to lead our fellowship program. We are genuinely excited about his vision and leadership, and we look forward to the continued growth and success of the program under his guidance.

We would also like to sincerely thank our Search Committee Chair, Dr. Yellapragada Chandrashekhar, Chief of Cardiology at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center, and the other members of the committee for their time, diligence, and thoughtful work throughout this important process.

Please join us in congratulating and welcoming Dr. Maharaj to his new leadership role.