Renowned Interventional and Imaging Cardiologist Named UHealth’s Chief of Cardiovascular Medicine
Dr. Yiannis S. Chatzizisis brings deep leadership, clinical, research, and teaching experience to the Miller School.
Yiannis S. Chatzizisis, M.D., Ph.D., an internationally recognized, board-certified interventional and imaging cardiologist, is joining the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine as professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine. He comes to UHealth – University of Miami Health System from the University of Nebraska Medical Center, where his clinical care and research addressed highly challenging cardiovascular conditions.
“The Miller School has an exciting ecosystem with great opportunities to combine my clinical work with leadership, research, and education,” said Dr. Chatzizisis. “I plan to build on the division’s amazing foundation of great faculty and staff, and clinical and research infrastructure, to deliver excellent, leading-edge care to our patients and grow innovative cardiovascular research programs.”
Dr. Chatzizisis’ primary clinical focus is invasive and non-invasive imaging and complex coronary interventions, particularly bifurcation procedures involving branching heart arteries. He implanted the first Synergy Megatron stent for large heart arteries in the United States and has also conducted research on the role of computational simulations, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence in planning of coronary interventions, development of cardiovascular devices, and medical education.
“Along with his many clinical and research accomplishments, Dr. Chatzizisis is an award-winning educator who is highly involved in teaching medical students, residents, and fellows,” said Henri R. Ford, M.D., M.H.A., dean and chief academic officer of the Miller School. “He has proven his strength in building, leading, and inspiring multidisciplinary teams, and establishing clinical and research collaborations. We are excited to welcome him to the Miller School.”
Advancing Cardiovascular Research
Dr. Chatzizisis’ translational and clinical research is actively funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), industry, and philanthropy, with more than $6 million in collective awards at Nebraska. He has written more than 190 manuscripts published in Circulation; the Journal of the American College of Cardiology; Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology; Cardiovascular Research; Atherosclerosis; and other journals.
In 2021, Dr. Chatzizisis received the “Bifurcation Person of the Year” award from the European Bifurcation Club, recognizing his international leadership in developing clinical recommendations for these interventional procedures. A board member of the European organization and a founding member of the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) Bifurcation Club, he will serve as chair of the club in 2023.
“Dr. Chatzizisis brings a unique perspective on coronary bifurcation interventions and computational stent simulations to the Miller School,” said Roy E. Weiss, M.D., Ph.D., Kathleen and Stanley Glaser Distinguished Chair, Rabbi Morris I. Esformes Endowed Chair in Medicine and Endocrinology, and professor and chairman, Department of Medicine. “He has also received multiple ‘teacher of the year’ awards and mentored many general cardiology, interventional cardiology, imaging, and research fellows who are now working in renowned institutions.”
Dr. Weiss also thanked Jeffrey Goldberger, M.D., professor of medicine, who served as chief of the division for more than six years. “Under Jeff’s caring, fair, and compassionate leadership, the division has seen considerable growth in visits, recruitment of faculty, and development of the research program, making UHealth a leader in the diagnosis and treatment of rhythm disorders of the heart. I am pleased that Jeff will remain an active faculty member devoting his efforts to the expansion and growth of our center of excellence in atrial fibrillation,” he added.
A Distinguished Career
Dr. Chatzizisis grew up in the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki. “When I was in middle school, I fell in love with idea of medicine and being able to help patients,” he recalled. “Throughout my career, I have never deviated from that principle.”
After earning his advanced degrees from the Aristotle University Medical School in Greece, he completed his residency and cardiovascular fellowship. Dr. Chatzizisis then completed a post-doctoral research fellowship and a clinical fellowship in interventional cardiology and advanced non-invasive cardiovascular imaging at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School.
In 2015, Dr. Chatzizisis joined the University of Nebraska, where he served as chief of interventional cardiology, director of cardiac catheterization laboratory, founder and director of cardiovascular biology and biomechanics laboratory, and professor of medicine.
Dr. Chatzizisis has received more than 40 international and national awards and serves as associate editor for Atherosclerosis and Pharmacology & Therapeutics. He is also an industry advisory board member and consultant on coronary stents, intracoronary imaging, and physiology.
He is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology, the American Heart Association, the SCAI, and the European Society of Cardiology.
Dr. Chatzizisis is looking forward to the next chapter in his career. He moved to Miami with his wife, Maria, and their three children, Ioanna, Sofoklis, and Georgios. “I am excited by the opportunity to nurture the next generation of cardiovascular clinicians, leaders, and researchers at the Miller School,” he said.
Tags: Dean Henri Ford, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Dr. Jeffrey Goldberger, Dr. Roy Weiss, Dr. Yiannis Chatzizisis, Miller School of Medicine, NIH funding, UHealth - University of Miami Health System