Three new cardiologists began working recently at the University of Arizona Division of Cardiology, UA Sarver Heart Center and Banner – University Medicine in Tucson.
The cardiology division is one of 14 divisions within the UA Department of Medicine, the largest and one of the original six departments in the UA College of Medicine – Tucson. The division operates largely through the UA Sarver Heart Center, which was founded as the University Heart Center in 1986 and was renamed in recognition of generous support from the Sarver family in 1998. Its goal is to bring together scientists from complementary backgrounds and expertise to work collaboratively toward a future free of heart disease, vascular disease and stroke.
"With these three cardiologists, we continue the rapid growth in cardiovascular medicine at the University of Arizona and Banner – UMC Tucson and enhance our ability to provide highly personalized care to patients,” said Nancy K. Sweitzer, MD, PhD, cardiology chief and center director.
“Dr. Tushar Acharya is a general cardiologist with particular strength in cardiac imaging diagnostics. Dr. Olivia Hung is also a general cardiologist, with broad interests and experience including preventive cardiology, women's heart disease, and the growing field of cardio-oncology. And Dr. Nader Makki is a skilled interventional cardiologist who—like all our interventional cardiologists—will routinely manage acutely ill and complex cardiovascular patients, performing life-saving procedures."
Their academic titles, start dates and background follow:
Nader Makki, MD — Clinical Assistant Professor — Aug. 27
Dr. Nader Makki received his bachelor’s degree in Biology from the American University of Beirut, Lebanon, in 2007. He also earned his medical degree there in 2011, after which he completed his internal medicine residency at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City in 2014. His fellowship training in cardiovascular medicine and a fellowship in interventional cardiology were completed at Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center in Columbus, respectively, in 2017 and 2018. Dr. Makki’s clinical interests include interventional cardiology, specifically pertaining to complex coronary artery disease, structural heart disease and above the knee peripheral artery disease. His research interests include structural heart disease outcomes evaluation in special populations such as chronic kidney disease and evaluating pacemaker dependency following transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). In addition, he is interested in developing quality control measures to improve anticoagulation and hemodynamic monitoring in the cardiac catheterization lab. He is board certified in cardiovascular medicine, vascular imaging and nuclear cardiology and board-eligible in interventional cardiology.
Tushar Acharya, MD, MPH – Cardiology, Clinical Assistant Professor: Sept. 1
Dr. Tushar Acharya recently graduated from Harvard University with a master’s in public health degree and completed a fellowship in advanced cardiovascular imaging from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, a unit of the National Institutes of Health, in Bethesda, Md. Prior to that, he completed a cardiovascular disease fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco, where he also was chief resident and completed his internal medicine residency training. Dr. Acharya earned his medical degree from the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences in Bengaluru, India, in 2007. He is a member of the American Heart Association’s Diabetes Committee of the Council on Lyfestyle and Cardiometabolic Health and the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (SCCT) FiRST Committee. He is board certified in cardiovascular disease, echocardiography and internal medicine, board eligible in nuclear cardiology and ACLS certified as well. His work experience includes being a hospitalist at Siddhi Vinyak Hospital in Ahmedabad, India; doing observerships in cardiology practice at Community Regional Medical Center, Fresno, Calif., and cardiac cath lab operations, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York; and as a senior research assistant at the University of Texas Medical School in Houston. He has 17 published articles, a book chapter and more than 20 scientific posters and oral presentations to his name. His research interests include improving cardiovascular care and outcomes through application of advanced cardiovascular imaging modalities, such as cardiac CT and cardiac MRI, as well as through scholarly conduct of population-based studies, clinical effectiveness and implementation research in order to optimize cardiovascular care strategies. His clinical interests include integrating multi-modality cardiovascular imaging into routine patient care, and delivering evidence-based cardiovascular care with an emphasis on preventative cardiology.
Olivia Hung, MD, PhD – Cardiology, Clinical Assistant Professor: Sept. 4
Dr. Olivia Hung is a non-invasive cardiologist who will see general cardiology patients and will read images. She holds a joint appointment with the Department of Medical Imaging. Dr. Hung earned her medical degree from Emory University in Atlanta and also holds a doctorate in organic chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley, and a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Harvard University. She did her postgraduate training via the American Board of Internal Medicine Research Pathway with Emory combining a J. Willis Hurst Internal Medicine Residency and Academic Clinical Investigator Fellowship in Cardiovascular Disease. Among her honors are an American Heart Association Women in Cardiology Trainee Award for Excellence, American College of Cardiology Fellows-in-Training Legislative Conference Travel Award and a Novartis Fellowship Award in Organic Chemistry for Women and Minorities. She has written 21 research and review articles published in refereed journals, five book chapters and more than a dozen abstracts accepted at national or international conferences. She is board certified in internal medicine and board eligible in cardiovascular disease. Her clinical interests include non-invasive cardiology, heart disease prevention, women’s heart disease, cardio-oncology and cardiac imaging. Her research interests include cardiovascular disease in women and coronary physiology.
To make an appointment at Banner – University Medical Center, please call 520-MYHeart (520-694-3278).
ALSO SEE:
“UA Sarver Heart Center and Banner – University Medical Center Welcome Cardiologist Specializing in Heart Rhythm Disorders” | Posted July 19, 2018
“UA Sarver Heart Center and Banner – University Medical Center Welcome Cardiologist Dr. Joel B. Holland” | Posted March 28, 2018
“UA Sarver Heart Center and Banner – University Medical Center Welcome Three Cardiologists” | Posted Oct. 17, 2017