Pitt at AHA 2026

At the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC, cardiovascular medicine is driven by bold research, exceptional patient care, and a deep commitment to training the next generation of physician-scientists. Across basic, translational, and clinical research, our investigators are advancing new approaches to cardiovascular disease prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and patient care.

That commitment travels to Chicago as Pitt faculty and researchers take center stage at the American Heart Association (AHA) 2026 Scientific Sessions, presenting original findings, sharing clinical insights, and forging new collaborations with colleagues from around the world. Explore the breadth of Pitt's cardiovascular research, connect with our investigators, and discover technologies and partnership opportunities that can help translate new discoveries into better outcomes for patients.

Talks
Aditi U. Gurkar, PhD
Aditi U. Gurkar, PhD

Telomere Damage and Cardiac Aging: Molecular Pathways Driving Heart Dysfunction

Friday, November 6, 2026 
8:15 AM - 8:27 AM
Location: S102BC 

Shiv Rao, MD
Shiv Rao, MD

EP.ME.05 What Comes Next for AI: Hear from the Builders of Tech's Future

Saturday, November 7, 2026 
1:30 PM - 2:45 PM
Location: S105D

Stephen Y. Chan, MD, PhD
Stephen Y. Chan, MD, PhD

Harnessing Multiomics Profiling for Discovery in Pulmonary Hypertension: An Overview

Saturday, November 7, 2026 
1:30 PM - 1:38 PM
Location: S405A

Ramakrishna Mukkamala, PhD
Ramakrishna Mukkamala, PhD

Technological Advances in Cuffless for Blood Pressure Measurement: Validation Standards for Clinical Applications

Saturday, November 7, 2026 
1:50 PM - 2:00 PM
Location: N228

Ritu Thamman, MD, FASE, FACC
Ritu Thamman, MD, FASE, FACC

HIP.07 - Basic Science + Clinical Translation

Saturday, November 7, 2026 
2:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Location: Health Innovation Pavillion, Science and Technology Hall, South Hall, Level 3

Stella Meng, MD
Qingqing (Stella) Meng, MD

Fat and Lean Tissue Alterations Reflect Metabolic Reprogramming in Pulmonary Hypertension
PI: Satoshi Okawa

Saturday, November 7, 2026 
3:15 PM - 3:25 PM
Location: S405A

Jared W. Magnani, MD, MSc
Jared W. Magnani, MD, MSc

HIP.14 - MedTech Innovator and Venture Showcase

Sunday, November 8, 2026  
3:30 PM - 4:00 PM
Location: Health Innovation Pavillion, Science and Technology Hall, South Hall, Level 3

Bryan H. Goldstein, MD
Bryan H. Goldstein, MD

Transcatheter Fontan Pathway Rehabilitation: What’s Realistic to Expect?

Sunday, November 8, 2026 
3:54 PM - 4:06 PM
Location: N226

Kimberly Howard-Quijano, MD, MS, FASE, FAHA
Kimberly Howard-Quijano, MD, MS, FASE, FAHA

Imaging of the Mitral Valve: Getting the Information Needed for a Great Repair

Sunday, November 8, 2026 
4:18 PM - 4:26 PM
Location: S104A

Julie Phillippi, PhD
Julie Phillippi, PhD

The Matrix Under Stress: Vasa Vasorum and Adventitial Sensing in ATAA

Monday, November 9, 2026 
9:57 AM - 10:09 AM
Location: S103BC

Poster Presentations at AHA 2026

HF.MDP.02 - New Insights into Natriuretic Peptides, Diuretics, and Hemodynamic Management in Chronic Heart Failure

A Cardiac Natriuretic Peptide PKG Signaling Cascade Regulates SERCA2a Degradation

Soumojit Pal; PI: Jason Becker
9:29 AM - 9:34 AM
Location: Moderated Digital Poster 13, Clinical Science Zone 2

BH.MDP.01 - Predicting Cognitive Decline: Biomarkers, Risk Models, and Prevention

Effect of Aspirin Use and Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Risk on Incidence of Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease - Insights from a Primary Prevention Registry 

Aleesha Kainat; PI: Anum Saeed
9:43 AM - 9:48 AM
Location: Moderated Digital Poster 3, Clinical Science Zone 1

VB.MDP.01 - Inflammation to Intervention: Emerging Mechanisms and Theranostics in Atherosclerosis

Dietary Leucine and Cholesterol Drive Atherogenic Monocyte Dysfunction: Evidence from Human Clinical Studies

Ali Ajam; PI: Babak Razani
9:43 AM - 9:48 AM
Location: Moderated Digital Poster 27, Basic Science Zone

EP.MDP.02 - Hidden Fat, Real Danger: Advanced Phenotyping and Interventions in Adiposity

GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Use and Its Association with Cardiovascular Outcomes in Overweight and Obese Adults

Havisha Pedamallu; PI: Anum Saeed
10:18 AM - 10:23 AM
Location: Moderated Digital Poster 20, Population Science Zone 

EP.APBS.01 - The New Lipid Frontier: Lp(a) Variation, Statins, and Cardiovascular Risk

Lipoprotein(a) Confers Differential Causal Risk for Peripheral versus Coronary Artery Disease: Insights from the All of Us Cohort

Sahar Alimohamadi; PI: Katherine Moll Reitz
10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Location: Population Science Zone, Science and Technology Hall, South Hall, Level 3

PL.MDP.02 - Closing the Gaps in Lipid Management: From Risk Assessment to Precision Therapy

Cholesterol Care Gaps in Adults with a Strong Statin Indication Under the 2026 Guideline

Valdemir Kim; PI: Jared Magnani
11:27 AM - 11:32 AM
Location: Moderated Digital Poster 22, Population Science Zone

SA.MDP.02 - Beyond the Aortic Valve: Structural Remodeling, LAAO, and Endocarditis

Endocarditis and Reintervention After Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve Implantation: ePTFE versus Homograft Conduit

Kei Kobayashi; PI: Jacqueline Kreutzer
11:34 AM - 11:39 AM
Location: Moderated Digital Poster 12, Clinical Science Zone 2

CC.MDP.01 - Game, Set, Match: Utilizing Scores to Optimize CICU Care

L4 Psoas Muscle Index is Associated with Mortality in Cardiogenic Shock: A Comparative Analysis of L1 and L4 Measurements

Robert Adamian; PI: Jonathan Wolfe
11:34 AM - 11:39 AM
Location: Moderated Digital Poster 3, Clinical Science Zone 1

HF.MDP.06 - From Transplantation to Mechanical Circulatory Support: Contemporary Challenges in Advanced Cardiac Care

A Change of Heart, and Another, and Another: Four Orthotopic Heart Transplants in One Patient

Anamaria Dragan; PI: Gavin W. Hickey
12:15 PM - 12:20 PM
Location: Moderated Digital Poster 18, Clinical Science Zone 2

BH.MDP.04 - Interventional Therapies for Acute Stroke and Cerebrovascular Disease

Ultrasound-Targeted Microbubble Cavitation-Assisted Brain Delivery of mAB-158 Reduces Amyloid Beta Burden

Geetika Wadhwa; PI: Flordeliza S Villanueva
12:50 PM - 12:55 PM
Location: Moderated Digital Poster 3, Clinical Science Zone 1

AR.MDP.04 - Management of Persistent Atrial Fibrillation

Early versus Delayed Atrial Fibrillation Ablation and Long Term Cardiovascular Outcomes: A Propensity Matched Analysis

Seung Jae Moon; PI: Pallavi Matai
1:04 PM - 1:09 PM
Location: Moderated Digital Poster 1, Clinical Science Zone 1

CO.APBS.02 - Hidden in Plain Sight: Unmasking Rare Cardiovascular Anomalies and Their Clinical Consequences

Preoperative Three-Dimensional CT/MRI Morphometric Analysis in Borderline Double-Outlet Right Ventricle

Kei Kobayashi; PI: Laura Olivieri
2:30 PM - 3:30 PM
Location: Clinical Science Zone 1, Science and Technology Hall, South Hall, Level 3

EP.APBS.04 - Aortic and Metabolic Risk: GLP-1 Adherence, Mosaic Chromosome Loss, and Macro-Population Trends

Calculated Electrocardiographic Features and 30-Day Emergency Department Return in Discharged Heart Failure Patients with Dyspnea

Karina Kraevsky; PI: Clifton Callaway
2:30 PM - 3:30 PM
Location: Population Science Zone, Science and Technology Hall, South Hall, Level 3

CC.MDP.05 - Organized Shock Care: Programs, Practice Patterns, and Persistent Disparities

Temporal Trends in In-Hospital Mortality Following Implementation of a Structured 24/7 Cardiogenic Shock Program at a Quaternary Center

Michael Daidone; PI: Gavin W. Hickey
9:15 AM - 9:20 AM
Location: Moderated Digital Poster 5, Clinical Science Zone 1

CP.MDP.08 - Fontan Circulation: Mechanisms, Risk Stratification, and Precision Care

DNA Methylation Signatures Associated with Time to Diagnosis of Fontan Associated Liver Disease

Cecilia W. Lo, PhD, FAHA
9:29 AM - 9:34 AM
Location: Moderated Digital Poster 17, Clinical Science Zone 2

CK.MDP.05 - Sex-Specific Considerations in CKM Syndrome Risk and Management

Sex Differences in Cardiovascular Outcomes Among Obese Patients Following Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) Use

Eshika Jesrani; PI: Anum Saeed
9:50 AM - 9:55 AM
Location: Moderated Digital Poster 19, Population Science Zone

HN.MDP.13 - Women's Health and Hypertension

Associations Between Midlife Activin A and Osteoprotegerin Measures and Midlife Left Ventricular Remodeling Among Women with Prior Preeclampsia Who Develop Hypertension

Jane Wei; PI: Malamo E Countouris
9:57 AM - 10:02 AM
Location: Moderated Digital Poster 16, Clinical Science Zone 2

QR.APBS.07 - It Takes a Neighborhood: Social Determinants and Community Cardiac Risk

Association of Health Literacy and Hospitalization Events in Atrial Fibrillation

Abid Mohideen; PI: Jared W Magnani
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Location: Population Science Zone, Science and Technology Hall, South Hall, Level 3

QR.APBS.05 - Quality of Care, Comparative Effectiveness, and Hospital-Based Studies

Patterns of Inappropriate Apixaban Dosing in Atrial Fibrillation and Atrial Flutter: A Quality Improvement Analysis

Xiarepati Tieliwaerd; PI: Alex Garton
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Location: Population Science Zone, Science and Technology Hall, South Hall, Level 3 

CC.MDP.07 - Portraits of a Failing Circulation: Phenotyping Cardiogenic Shock

Phenotyping Lactate in Cardiogenic Shock

Samuel Dyer; PI: Gavin W. Hickey
12:04 PM - 12:09 PM
Location: Moderated Digital Poster 5, Clinical Science Zone 1

VB.MDP.04 - Mechanisms to Medicine: Cellular Drivers, Endotypes, and Precision Strategies in Atherosclerosis

Stimulation of Lysosomal Calcium Flux to Induce Autophagy-Lysosome Biogenesis in Macrophages Reverses Functional Consequences of Atherogenic Lipid Accumulation and Reduces Atherosclerosis

Carlos Cosme Jr; PI: Babak Razani
12:18 PM - 12:23 PM
Location: Moderated Digital Poster 27, Basic Science Zone

VB.ABPS.04 - Lipoproteins at the Crossroads: Biology, Biomarkers, and Next Generation Therapies

Identification of Dietary Cholesterol as a Novel Nutritional Driver of Macrophage mTOR Signaling in Atherosclerosis

Xiangyu Zhang, PhD
3:15 PM - 4:15 PM
Location: Basic Science Zone, Science and Technology Hall, South Hall, Level 3

IM.MDP.09 - Next Generation Aortic and Vascular Imaging

Variations in Wall Shear Stress After Conventional Ross, Reinforced Ross, and Aortic Root Replacement

Kei Kobayashi; PI: Laura Olivieri
9:29 AM - 9:34 AM
Location: Moderated Digital Poster 7, Clinical Science Zone 1

AR.MDP.17 - Ventricular Arrhythmias, Device Therapy, and Sudden Cardiac Death

ECG Identifies Diastolic Dysfunction and Predicts Future Sudden Cardiac Arrest in Patients with Preserved Ejection Fraction

Samir Saba; PI: Tanmay Gokhale
10:04 AM - 10:09 AM
Location: Moderated Digital Poster 1, Clinical Science Zone 1

CP.APBS.08 - Contemporary Challenges in Pediatric Congenital Heart Disease Care

Relationship Between EKG Characteristics and Post-Operative Echocardiogram Findings in Ebstein’s Anomaly Patients Following Cone Repair

Molly Carney; PI: Christopher Follansbee
10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Location: Clinical Science Zone 2, Science and Technology Hall, South Hall, Level 3

MC.MDP.05 - Proteostasis in Cardiovascular Health and Disease: Battle Between Balance and Imbalance

Inhibition of microRNA-92a Using Ultrasound-Targeted Microbubble-Mediated Delivery After Acute Myocardial Infarction: Effect on Transcriptomic Profile and Cardiac Function

Anurag Paranjape; PI: Flordeliza S Villanueva
10:52 AM - 10:57 AM
Location: Moderated Digital Poster 27, Basic Science Zone

QR.MDP.20 - Social Risk, Women's Health, and Quality Highlights

Impact of Social Determinants of Health on Outcomes in Cardiogenic Shock

Abu Hurera; PI: Gavin W. Hickey
10:59 AM - 11:04 AM
Location: Moderated Digital Poster 24, Population Science Zone

GE.APBS.06 - Multiomic Discovery in Cardiovascular Disease 6

Machine Learning-Derived Histologic Phenotypes for Genetic Mapping of Hippocampal Sclerosis of Aging

Afshin Bahramy; PI: Julia Kofler
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Location: Basic Science Zone, Science and Technology Hall, South Hall, Level 3

HF.MDP.34 - Beyond Ejection Fraction: Cardiometabolic Drivers and Prognostic Markers in Heart Failure

Subclinical Atherosclerosis and Long-Term Cardiovascular Events After Peripartum Cardiomyopathy

Caitlin Biderman; PI: Agnes Koczo
1:59 PM - 2:04 PM
Location: Moderated Digital Poster 12, Clinical Science Zone 2

CC.MDP.11 - Right Pump, Right Patient, Right Time: Optimal Patient Selection for Temporary Mechanical Circulatory Support

Adding Left Ventricular Unloading with Impella to Venoarterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation in Cardiogenic Shock: Infection Risk and Mortality

Neil Shah; PI: Gavin W. Hickey
1:59 PM - 2:04 PM
Location: Moderated Digital Poster 17, Clinical Science Zone 2

PH.MDP.12 - Single-Cell, Spatial OMICS and Precision Biology to Identify Pulmonary Hypertension Phenotypes

Long-Range Chromatin Interaction Links Allele-Specific HNRNPA3-MALAT1 Regulation in Hypoxia-Associated Vascular Diseases

Siyi Jiang; PI: Stephen Y Chan
1:59 PM - 2:04 PM
Location: Moderated Digital Poster 7, Clinical Science Zone 1

Session Chairs/Panelists at AHA 2026

CP.CVS.03 - Multimodal Imaging Technology for Coronary Ischemic Testing in the Pediatric and Adult Congenital Heart Disease Patient

Laura Olivieri (Moderator)
9:45 AM - 11:00 AM
Location: S103D

CP.CVS.09 Current and Future Innovations in the Multidisciplinary Management of Pulmonary Vein Stenosis

Sara Trucco (Moderator)
Jacqueline Kreutzer (Panelist)
3:00 PM - 4:15 PM
Location: S103D

GE.CVS.05 - Genomic and Precision Medicine Symposium: Session 3: Cardiovascular Gene Therapy - The Road Ahead

Anna Kirillova (Moderator)
4:45 PM - 6:00 PM
Location: S401D

NR.MDP.01 Early Life, Lasting Impact: Pediatric Cardiovascular Risk and Outcomes

Stephanie Marie Helman (Moderator)
9:15 AM - 10:05 AM
Location: Moderated Digital Poster 7, Clinical Science Zone 1

VB.MDP.03 Cellular Regulators and Risk Signals in Atherosclerosis: From Immune Modulation to Predictive Biomarkers

Cynthia St. Hilaire
1:45 PM - 3:00 PM
Location: Moderated Digital Poster 27, Basic Science Zone

EP.MDP.16 Precision Lipidology: New Frontiers in Dyslipidemia and Risk Prediction

Anum Saeed (Moderator)
11:50 AM - 1:05 PM
Location: Moderated Digital Poster 23, Population Science Zone

JRNL.06 Cardiac Amyloidosis: Foiling my Fibril

Prem Soman (Moderator)
3:30 PM - 4:45 PM
Location: N138

JRNL.07 Shaping the Future of Cardiovascular Science at Circulation: From Discovery to Impact

Matthew L Steinhauser (Moderator)
8:00 AM - 9:15 AM
Location: N228 

LBS.05 Late-breaking Science: New Frontiers in Cardiometabolic Risk Reduction

Anum Saeed (Moderator)
8:00 AM - 9:15 AM
Location: Center Stage, North Hall, Level 3

EC.08 Developing Your Career for a Multidisciplinary Future: Lessons Learned from Cardio-Oncology

Joshua E Levenson (Moderator)
Location: N228

Shortlist of Technologies
Anti-ANGPTL3 Treatment for Cardiometabolic Disease

A first-in-class Angptl3 inhibitor that targets the heart-to-liver signaling pathway driving HFpEF; treating the root cause of a disease with no approved therapy.

Learn more
Next-Generation Bio-Adaptive Stent for Safer Organ Repair

A hybrid stent that delivers strong initial support and then dissolves on its own; reducing migration, irritation, and the need for surgical removal.

Learn more
Targeting Cardiomyocyte Endoreplication to Prevent Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

A p21-driven gene therapy approach that blocks the PCNA–POLD1 interaction to stop pathologic heart muscle growth at its cellular root, offering a new way to prevent hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Learn more
Next-generation smart cardiovascular stents with wireless diagnostic functionality

A self-powered, sensor-embedded stent that wirelessly detects restenosis in real time with no batteries, no extra electronics, just early warning built into the implant itself.

Learn more
Non-Invasive Method for Accurate Cardiac Output Monitoring

A clinically validated arm-cuff device that measures cardiac output during ordinary deflation, turning a routine blood pressure check into accurate, non-invasive hemodynamic monitoring.

Learn more
All Technologies in Cardiology

Centers & Institutes

Center for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Research

Center for Cardiovascular Inflammation

Center for Cardiovascular Outcomes and Innovation

Center for Human Integrative Physiology

Center for Immunometabolism

Center for Metabolism & Mitochondrial Medicine (C3M)

Center for Myocardial Biology

Center for Pulmonary Vascular Biology & Medicine

Center for Ultrasound Molecular Imaging and Therapeutics

Multidisciplinary Cardiac Amyloidosis Center

Omics and Systems Biology Center

Peripartum Cardiomyopathy Network

Tristate SenNet Consortium

Heart and Vascular Institute

Vascular Medicine Institute

Aging Institute

Resources & Next Steps
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Whether you're interested in collaborative research, technology licensing, access to core facilities, or clinical trial partnerships, our Industry Partnerships team is ready to help.

Office of Industry & Economic Partnerships
partner@pitt.edu