It was a tremendous leadership opportunity at one of the most respected institutions in the country. Stanford has a history of seminal contributions to the field of heart failure and pioneered heart transplantation in the United States. Most of the heart transplant programs in the U.S. were started by faculty who came to Stanford to train, including the program where I completed my fellowship. It is a true honor to be part of Stanford’s program.

I am the first person in the role of Section Chief of Heart Failure, Cardiac Transplant and Mechanical Circulatory Support. The three components of the newly created section had previously worked together closely but had not been formally organized together. My role was to join the three groups, harmonize their clinical and research programs, integrate the staff, and grow the clinical program. My first year was spent focusing on the clinical integration of the services and faculty, reconfiguring the fellowship, and updating management protocols. Over the next couple of years, I hope to grow the clinical research infrastructure and staff to translate our clinical volumes and expertise into an even greater presence on the national and international stage.

The ISHLT is the premier organization dedicated to the care of patients with advanced heart and lung disease through transplant and mechanical support. It comprises all the members of the multidisciplinary team who are needed to care for these patients. The ISHLT is also unique in that it is truly an international organization, with members across the globe who are involved in clinical care, research, and education. I have been involved with the organization for more than 15 years, and it is humbling and gratifying to be selected as president of the organization.

There are several very exciting trends in the field, making it hard to name just a few. My passion and the bulk of my clinical research has been in mechanical circulatory support, meaning artificial hearts. The trends in the field include improvements in the technology that have allowed for better survival, free of complications, such that MCS is now more common in the United States than heart transplantation. We are understanding more about pump function and management and I expect that the pumps will become more physiologic, so that they can respond to a patient’s needs much more like a normal heart. They will also become smaller, smarter, and less invasive.

There have been many moments that have been memorable for me, but the past year being asked to lead the program at Stanford and being elected to the presidency of the ISHLT certainly are at the top of the list.