Columbia Heart Team Recognized Among Nation’s Top Clinical Researchers
We’re proud to share that dozens of Columbia heart care specialists - including both cardiologists and cardiothoracic surgeons - have been recognized among the top researchers in the country, advancing care for patients in New York and across the U.S.
In its 2025 Research All-Stars report, Avant-garde Health honored physicians whose published work had the greatest impact on patient care over the past year. Based on data from more than 424,000 physicians across 4,700 hospitals, this list celebrates researchers helping to shape the future of medicine.
Why It Matters
Behind every medical advancement is a team of researchers working to make care better: safer procedures, faster recoveries, and more personalized treatments. Many of those researchers are also physicians directly caring for patients every day.
Columbia's faculty were recognized across multiple tiers, including nine named to the top 1% of researchers nationally. From interventional cardiologists to heart surgeons, the heart team leads clinical trials, develops new therapies, and publishes studies that improve outcomes in:
- Heart valve and coronary artery disease
- Heart failure and arrhythmias
- Cardiac imaging and diagnostics
- Preventive and precision cardiology
- Cardiothoracic surgery, including complex heart and aortic procedures
2025 Avant-garde Health Research All-Stars
- Shah Ali, MD
- Emile Bacha, MD
- Michael Brener, MD
- Kevin Clerkin, MD
- Marco DiTullio, MD
- Eamon Duffy, MD
- Andrew Einstein, MD
- Pierre Elias, MD
- David Engel, MD
- Barry Fine, MD
- Justin Fried, MD
- Isaac George, MD
- Rebecca Hahn, MD
- Susheel Kodali, MD
- Martin Leon, MD
- Lusha Liang, MD
- Mahesh Madhavan, MD
- Mathew Maurer, MD
- Ani Nalbandian, MD
- Sahil Parikh, MD
- Megha Prasad, MD
- Timothy Poterucha, MD
- Lauren Ranard, MD
- James Reiffel, MD
- Muredach Reilly, MD
- Hannah Rosenblum, MD
- Partha Sardar, MD
- Yuichi Shimada, MD
- Daichi Shimbo, MD
- Craig Smith, MD
- Hiroo Takayama, MD
- Koji Takeda, MD
- Nir Uriel, MD
- Hirad Yarmohammadi, MD
- Melana Yuzefpolskaya, MD
Advancing the Future of Heart Care
This recognition is a reflection of Columbia’s deep commitment to research, innovation, and above all, patient care.
Learn more about our faculty and our ongoing research in heart care.
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