![[Hesham Sadek, MD, PhD]](https://deptmedicine.arizona.edu/sites/default/files/styles/small_image/public/sadek_hesham_md_phd_600x900px.jpg?itok=C1eQU3HI "Hesham Sadek, MD, PhD")
The University of Texas Southwestern’s Hesham Sadek, MD, PhD, has accepted the positions of chief of the Division of Cardiology and director of the Sarver Heart Center, effective May 1, said Michael M.I. Abecassis, MD, MBA, dean of the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson.
His Feb. 22 message to the college’s faculty and staff was a joint announcement made with James K. Liao, MD, FACP, FACC, chair of the Department of Medicine, professor in the Division of Cardiology and member of the Sarver Heart Center, and Venkata (Bob) Evani, MD, CEO of Banner – University Medical Group and president of Banner Academics.
At UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, where Dr. Sadek was recruited from, he is a professor of internal medicine/cardiology, with joint appointments in biophysics and molecular biology, the associate director of the Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine, and holds the J. Fred Schoellkopf Jr. Endowed Chair in cardiology.
Dr. Sadek earned his medical degree at Ain Shams University School of Medicine in Cairo, Egypt, and his doctorate in physiology and biophysics at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. He completed both his residency in internal medicine and fellowship in cardiology at University Hospitals Cleveland, followed by a postdoctoral research fellowship in cardiology at UT Southwestern.
Dr. Sadek is an internationally renowned physician-scientist currently investigating activation of endogenous heart regeneration mechanisms. He is credited with numerous fundamental discoveries that changed the field of heart regeneration, including the seminal discovery of the endogenous ability of the newborn mammalian heart to regenerate, as well as the role of oxygen and mechanical load in regulating the regenerative capacity of the heart. He leads a prolific research program that spans basic cardiac biology, drug discovery and clinical studies. His most recent work identifies repurposed drugs that enhance heart regeneration, as well as other targeted drugs that can treat rare genetic mutations that cause heart failure. Dr. Sadek’s vision is to leverage cutting-edge technologies to fast-track drugs to the clinic, particularly to treat the most vulnerable patient populations suffering from heart diseases.
Dr. Sadek’s research has been continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health since 2011 and he brings significant research activity to the College. He is the principal investigator on numerous awards, including an NIH Program Project (P01) grant focused on examining the role of innate immunity in heart regeneration, and an NIH Outstanding Investigator Award, and he is a site principal investigator on a P01 grant focused on defining the role of metabolism in heart regeneration.
Dr. Sadek is actively involved in numerous academic activities, including serving as an associate editor of Circulation, the premier cardiovascular journal, as well as serving as a member of the International Society of Heart Research Council, the American Heart Association’s Basic Cardiovascular Sciences Council, Committee for Scientific Session Planning, and Science Advisory and Coordination Committee, the highest scientific body of the AHA. He has been invited to present over 150 lectures around the world, has published nearly 70 journal articles, including several articles in prominent journals such as Nature, Science and Cell, and has authored or co-authored four book chapters.
Dr. Sadek has received many awards throughout his career, including the Gilead Sciences Research Scholar Award, the AHA Established Investigator Award, and the American College of Cardiology Douglas Zipes Distinguished Scientist Award. In addition, he was elected to the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI) in 2015.
![[Elizabeth B. Juneman, MD, and Christian Bime, MD, MSc]](https://deptmedicine.arizona.edu/sites/default/files/drs._juneman_bime-png_205x150px-96dpi.png "Elizabeth B. Juneman, MD, and Christian Bime, MD, MSc")
In line with his research interests, Dr. Sadek’s clinical activities revolve around echocardiography and heart muscle function. He is also passionate about educating and training the next generation of physicians and physician-scientists and has mentored nearly 100 graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, undergraduates, and high school students. He considers this to be one of the most rewarding aspects of his career.
Drs. Abecassis, Liao and Evani thanked Elizabeth Juneman, MD, interim director of the Sarver Heart Center and interim chief of the Division of Cardiology, for her leadership over the last 19 months, as well as search committee chair Christian Bime, MD, MSc, and his fellow committee members.
ALSO SEE:
“Heart Regeneration Induced by FDA-Approved Antibiotics” (Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News) | Posted March 11, 2024
“Science in 60+: Unbreak My Heart, Episode 1” (UTSW CenterTimePlus – video) | Posted Feb. 23, 2024
“UTSW cardiologist receives NIH Outstanding Investigator Award” (UTSW Newsroom) | Posted Jan. 30, 2023