Leadership Announcement – Division Chief of Cardiology at the St. Louis VA Medical Center

We are pleased to announce that after a national search for a new Division Chief of Cardiology at the St. Louis VA Medical Center, and reviewing a deep and impressive group of candidates, the committee has selected Dr. Abhinav Diwan as the new Chief of Cardiology.

Dr. Diwan is a well-renowned clinician and physician-scientist. He obtained his medical degree from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences and did his Internal Medicine residency and Cardiology fellowship at Baylor University. He moved to Washington University in 2008, where he has made a spectacular career and now holds the title of Professor of Medicine, Professor of Cell Biology and Physiology, and Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology. He has served in multiple leadership positions, including the Director of the Echocardiography laboratory at the University of Cincinnati, Associate Program Director for the Investigator Training Track of Cardiology Fellowship at Washington University, and Associate Division Chief of Cardiology at the John Cochran Veterans Affairs Medical Center. He has also received national recognition. His national accolades include being named a Fellow in the American College of Cardiology, a title awarded by peers to only the best in their field, being inducted into the American Society of Clinical Investigation, and being recently elected into the Association of University Cardiologists. This association shapes the course of research and training in cardiovascular disease in this country.

Dr. Diwan is an excellent teacher with a superb track record performing basic and translational discovery research with longstanding funding from the NIH and the VA. He is currently the PI on multiple NIH R01 grants, training grants, and VA merit awards, with his research focusing on evaluating the role of lysosome biology in cellular homeostasis in disease states including heart failure, atherosclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, and diabetes. Recently, he became the lead investigator of the national VA-SHIELD program, a VA science and health initiative to combat infectious and life-threatening diseases through the Department of Veterans Affairs. This initiative has enabled the development of better infrastructure to facilitate clinical research within the Cardiology Division at the Saint Louis VA Medical Center.

We are grateful for the work of the search committee, led by Dr. Amy Joseph and members of both affiliated institutions.

We also want to recognize and celebrate Dr. Bill Balke’s retirement as the Chief of Cardiology at the VA. After over a decade of his leadership, the division has grown clinically, educationally, and in research. We are very grateful for his leadership and for making this Division excel in our mission.

Dr. Diwan will act as interim chief until the administrative process is complete. Please join me in welcoming Dr. Diwan to his new leadership role as Division Chief of Cardiology at the St. Louis VA Medical Center.