UPMC Children’s Heart Institute Fellows Earn Awards at American Heart Association Fellows Research Day
March 7, 2023
The Heart Institute at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh congratulates its fellows and faculty mentors for their work and accomplishments at the 29th annual American Heart Association Fellows Research Day, which occurred on February 24.
UPMC Children’s Heart Institute fellows, trainees, and faculty mentors were well represented at this year’s event, including two award-winning research presentations.
- 1st place in the basic science category this year went to Varun Mundi, a graduate student in the laboratory of Mousumi Moulik’s, MD, assistant professor of Pediatrics and director of the Pediatric Cardiovascular Genetics Clinic at UPMC Children’s. The title of their winning abstract was “Environmental Circadian Desynchronization and Metabolic Stress Drive Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF).”
- 3rd place in the clinical research category was awarded to Megan Gunsaulus, MD, a third-year cardiology fellow working with senior author Tarek Alsaied, MD, assistant professor of Pediatrics, won for her abstract, “The Use of Automated Atrial CMR Measures and a Novel Atrioventricular Coupling Index for Predicting Risk in Repaired Tetralogy of Fallot.”
About the American Heart Association Fellows Research Day
Sponsored by Great Rivers Affiliate of the American Heart Association and three of the area’s training institutions (University of Pittsburgh/UPMC Heart & Vascular Institute, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, and Allegheny Health Network), is one of the most successful regional meetings dedicated to showcasing cardiovascular and stroke research conducted by young physicians and scientists in training. Trainees from all institutions, including undergraduates, medical students, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, residents, and clinical fellows, are invited to submit their best cardiovascular or stroke-related research for review and acceptance.
Over the past 29 years, the Fellows Research Day meeting has become an important part of the fabric of cardiovascular and stroke research in Western Pennsylvania. Trainees and their mentors are invited to participate in this friendly and collegial event free of charge, and the Fellows Research Day Task Force selects the top basic and clinical science abstracts for cash prizes and complimentary tickets to the Pittsburgh Heart Ball.
Learn more here.
