Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute
How do you attract and retain the extraordinary talent required for breakthroughs in heart health and science? For the top-of-their-game leaders drawn to Cedars-Sinai, the answer is simple: They chose an institution that is nimble enough to pursue a big vision, 
is equipped with the resources to follow up on the most promising developments, is powered by colleagues who are collaborative and productive, and serves one of the largest and most diverse, open-minded and innovative populations in the world. The collaboration among the nine leaders shown here reflects the interdisciplinary sharing that takes place across Cedars-Sinai. Under the executive leadership of Eduardo Marbán, MD, PhD, cardiologists, cardiovascular surgeons, transplant surgeons, radiologists, researchers, nurses and clinicians guide the treatment of each patient—and usher in tomorrow’s heart health innovations. This team is dedicated to understanding and over-coming heart disease, which takes an American life every 34 seconds. 
Cedars-Sinai's international reputation for outstanding heart care is built on decades of innovation and leading-edge research, including:
- Eduardo Marbán, MD, PhD and the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute completed enrollment in the world’s first autologous cardiac stem cell clinical trial, caduceus, with results forthcoming in less than a year. In the meantime, our work produced some surprises-such as the finding that high doses of antioxidant nutritional supplements may increase genetic abnormalities in stem cells and thereby predispose supplement takers to developing cancer.
- Our interventional cardiology team, led by Raj Makkar, MD and Saibal Kar, MD, continued to pioneer the development of percutaneous heart valve repair and re-placement. Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute physicians have performed more percutaneous mitral valve repairs and aortic valve replacements than any other U.S. medical center. Our physicians will play a primary role in teaching these techniques to fellow practitioners around the world, and in directing the next wave of clinical studies.
- In electrophysiology, Sumeet Chugh, MD, director of the landmark Oregon Sudden Unexpected Death Study, made significant progress in the quest to predict which individuals are most likely to suffer sudden cardiac arrest.
- Our 30-bed Advanced Heart Failure Unit began admission of congestive heart failure and heart transplant patients. The first of its kind in California, the unit seeks to improve upon the standard of care with a team approach to patient management, real-time monitoring of heart function and intensive heart-health education.
- Our hypertension team headed by Ronald Victor, MD, subjected a blood pressure screening program to scientific scrutiny. In an important public health finding, Victor’s study demonstrated that blood pressure programs based in African-American barbershops are effective in helping participants control blood pressure and prevent hypertension-related complications.
From cardiac rehabilitative and preventive care and heart transplantation to the training of the heart specialists of tomorrow and leading-edge research that is deepening medical knowledge and practice, Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute is known around the world for excellence.
The Barbra Streisand Women's Heart Center provides risk assessment, diagnosis and heart disease care that is specifically tailored to women.
Dr. Eduardo Marbán, Director of the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute, and other Heart Institute physicians have completed the world's first procedure in which a patient's own heart tissue was used to grow specialized heart stem cells that were then injected back into the patient's heart in an effort to repair and re-grow healthy muscle in a heart that had been injured by a heart attack. To watch a video of how it's done, click here.
Dr. Eduardo Marbán, who developed the technique, recently spoke to CBS about the Institute's Phase 1 investigative study.
Watch the CBS "Early Show" interview.
We are pleased to announce that the California Heart Center, one of the nation's top medical groups treating advanced heart failure, has joined the Cedars-Sinai Medical Care Foundation, and that its physicians hold a variety of leadership roles within the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute.
The group, which has overseen the nation's largest heart transplant program while in private practice for the past three decades, is led by Jon Kobashigawa, MD.
The move reflects a major commitment by the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute to create the world's best program for patients with advanced heart disease.
Click here for more information: National Leaders in Heart Transplantation and Heart Failure Join Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute (January 21, 2010)
In the 2012-13 U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals issue, Cedars-Sinai once again ranked among America's best in Cardiology and Heart Surgery.
